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„Then you give up and go together. “
Henrikas Vaicekauskas de Kėdainiai, the director of the association “Isa Valley Society”, says he was surprised when in 2018 he received a call from a stranger. “We have an idea like that,” he said. And he offered to meet. The two of them came to the meeting and introduced themselves to Marius and Gintas.
The idea turned out to be the Camino. It is true that immediately everything sounded strange. Marius and Gintas spoke about the fact that their community – about 20 people – is creating a pilgrimage route from Žagarė to Seinai. In them, it will join the Polish Way, which leads to the Cathedral of Satiago de Compostela in Spain and will become part of the European pilgrimage road network.
“Now, from the perspective of time, I think … What a strange feeling: what kind of pampering we are. Strangers come to you, present you with an idea. I really liked it, but there was also a caution inside: is it really so, or can it be so, or is there no hidden interest after that? Lack of trust in society arises from these thoughts. But I constantly crushed my internal criticisms, “said H. Vaicekauskas.
According to H.Vaicekauskas, he is one of the creators of the “Lithuanian Way” who learns that a way like St. Jacob’s way, in general, is: “We have begun to communicate. They were interested in knowing where the Highway could lead in the Kėdainiai district municipality. “
Other meetings followed, with more people already present. There was a historian Algis Juknevičius, heads of municipalities, representatives of the elderly, a priest.
“When you meet a person or people, you get to know yourself, you communicate, you will find that they are open, sincere. The further away, the greater the surprise that people do it from an idea, of their own initiative. It is very important , that is all hangingand then you give up and go with them. The more I can, the more I will contribute. This meeting, known, contribution to the “Lithuanian Way” has also become my personal growth “, said H. Vaicekauskas.
Director Jacob Vilius Tour is called the godfather of the road
Apparently, similar and similar stories could be told by representatives of several dozen Lithuanian communities, which also became part of the Lithuanian Way.
This path was really created on the personal initiative of the people. The backbone of Camino Lituano is now made up of about 30 people who continue to care for it. The Lithuanian Way was created without the support of the state or funds from the European Union, it is not associated with any political force. All the work has been and continues to be carried out by volunteers, with the contribution of the different communities of the regions through which Camino Lituano passes.
How did it all begin? Director Jokūbas Vilius Tūras is called the godfather of the road. He was one of the first famous people to go Santiago’s road I walk in Spain and I made a documentary about it. In 2013, the silver winch was awarded to the artist for the film “Sueño que me voy”.
The film “Dream that I Go” became a kind of herald, and soon the book “The Way of Santiago de Compostela” by Kristina Stalnionytė was published, in addition, the Lithuanian Guoda, who also went there, traveled through Lithuania and told to the communities on the pilgrimage route.
In this way, more and more Lithuanians began to follow the Spanish path, and the people connected by the path met and met. The idea of making a pilgrimage to Lithuania was born, and in the fall of 2016, the ideas turned into works.
First of all, road enthusiasts met the creators of the Polish Polish Way. “They encouraged us. Proposed to do it on pilgrimage: take the first step, do the first stage. And also – how God will give “, – said the creators of the Lithuanian way.
Instead of 24 kilometers they walked 42
It was decided that the road would lead from Latvia to the Polish border. It is interesting to remember the beginning of the road for its creators, because there was everything. One of the stages of its development is the search for accommodation for pilgrims and at a pilgrimage price every 25-30 kilometers. Lithuanian path it stretches through towns and cities where there are not many pensions or hotels.
A variety of places became hostels: individual and rural tourism farms, mansions, community houses, parishes.
“For example, you come to a rural tourism farm that provides accommodation services. I wonder if pilgrims and travelers will be able to stay here. “On what day and how many people?” He asks us. But we don’t know that. Not everyone immediately realized that people would continue down that path, that this flow would be out of control, ”said the highway developers.
Individual stories and with route searches. Immediately, a stage of the road was explored without leaving the house, according to the map. Then a search of the communities there, some car tours of the area, followed by 2-3 exploratory hikes.
“A map is a map and life is life. The recon group divided into several groups and left. Events abound. People leave in November, they go according to the map, believing they will need to check 24 kilometers. However, due to e.g. farmers fences, other barriers, it is not known where the inexhaustible wetlands come from and the like, you have to walk 42 kilometers. Sometimes through the rain, the snow, the wind. There were times when we got lost, “said members of the Lithuanian Way community about the recognition.
Address – and in the old barn
Then when the route was explored, it had to be marked St. Jacob’s path symbols: arrows and yellow shells. And so, stage 21. 500 kilometers.
There were no other adventures. For example, in a village, which was already marking the road, the people who had left a house next door said that they did not want the Lithuanian Road to pass through their house. Because her daughter is sick, and when people pass by, the dog barks and distracts the girl.
“There was a psychologist on our team, among the markers on the road. In fact, another strength of the community is that it connects a wide variety of people. A psychologist spoke with the girl’s parents at the same time. We told the family that the pilgrims who passed by their houses would not only give bad emotions but also good ones. It ended with the people themselves putting up a traffic sign on their garden fence, a sink, “said the creators of Camino Lituano.
Individuals, the elderly, and communities also helped lead the way. Poles, stones by the roadside, benches, mailboxes, an old collapsed barn, objects on which, as is customary in other European countries, directional road signs appeared.
The recognition and marking of all the stages of the Lithuanian Way was completed in mid-summer 2019, and soon the first pilgrims began to walk through it.
Latvians were also interested in the idea of Lithuanians, they also created Latvia path and it marked it up to Žagarė, expanding the common European network of pilgrimages.
The road has become a phenomenon
In 2020, a stationary road marking was launched together with the municipalities through which the Lithuanian Way passes. It will be completed, probably this spring. So already this summer, pilgrims will not have to look at all the stones, manhole covers or poles along the way: the stationary signs will indicate the direction.
The Lithuanian Road continues to expand, with new branches that join the trunk of the main road. This year, protesters will be able to take the Biržai-Pakruojis stage, as well as from Telšiai to Pakruojis, and next year, from Klaipėda to Pakruojis via Šiauliai, visiting the Hill of Crosses.
According to the creators of The Road, Lithuania is too beautiful and the road from Žagarė to Seinai is simply not enough: there are many impressive places that you want to show. However, there is another reason for the development of the Lithuanian Way – communities and municipalities became interested in it and offered to join the Lithuanian pilgrimage route.
“It is obvious that when we came up with this path, as a phenomenon, it was already mature in Lithuania. This was gradually joined by road enthusiasts from the community along the way, including individual farms.
Everyone has embraced this evolving vision, which has now become a phenomenon, and the people who have joined have become road builders. It went up little by little. Now the path of the Lithuanian Way is alive, it is constantly followed by people. It is a process of sustainable growth, ”said members of the Lithuanian Pilgrimage Community.
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