Ablinga
Encyclopedia
Ablinga is a village in Lithuania
, located 48 km (29.8 mi) east of Klaipėda
. First mentioned in the 14th century, it had 87 residents in 1923, 97 in 1950, 57 in 1970 and 20 in 1979. The 2001 census recorded village's population of 3 residents.
On June 23, 1941, the second day of the Nazi invasion of Soviet Union
, Nazi punitive squadron executed 42 villagers from Ablinga and nearby Žvaginiai (28 men and 14 women) and burned down the houses. The motives for the mass killing are not entirely clear to this day. In 1972, in memory of the massacre a sculpture park was established on the Žvaginiai hillfort. The ensemble consists of 30 wooden statues, carved by various Lithuanian folk artists (see dievdirbys) and measuring some 6 metres (19.7 ft) in height. The memorial, as the first monumental display of folk sculptures, was an important development in revival and modernization of the traditional Lithuanian art of wood carving and inspired other similar sculpture parks.
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, located 48 km (29.8 mi) east of Klaipėda
Klaipeda
Klaipėda is a city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Nemunas River where it flows into the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County....
. First mentioned in the 14th century, it had 87 residents in 1923, 97 in 1950, 57 in 1970 and 20 in 1979. The 2001 census recorded village's population of 3 residents.
On June 23, 1941, the second day of the Nazi invasion of Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, Nazi punitive squadron executed 42 villagers from Ablinga and nearby Žvaginiai (28 men and 14 women) and burned down the houses. The motives for the mass killing are not entirely clear to this day. In 1972, in memory of the massacre a sculpture park was established on the Žvaginiai hillfort. The ensemble consists of 30 wooden statues, carved by various Lithuanian folk artists (see dievdirbys) and measuring some 6 metres (19.7 ft) in height. The memorial, as the first monumental display of folk sculptures, was an important development in revival and modernization of the traditional Lithuanian art of wood carving and inspired other similar sculpture parks.