large police force, song and comparison of the occupation to “the game”

From Thursday morning, like every year, people flock to the cemetery, carrying flowers and portraits of loved ones who died in the war, songs dedicated to Victory Day are played here.

It is true that since the spring of 2022, this commemoration has become much more intense – after Russia attacked Ukraine, pro-Russian residents who visited the cemetery were often met by protesting members of the public, and police officers were reinforced in the cemetery.

Last year, those who came to the cemetery already had to put flowers not on the monument to Soviet soldiers that was usually there – it was dismantled by the decision of the municipality.

Flowers are carried, Victory Day songs are played

There is increased attention to this commemoration this time as well – since early Thursday morning, the police have been maintaining order in possible places of gatherings, watching whether residents do not bring prohibited symbols to the cemetery.

“Every year Vilnius district VPK police officers work in the Antakalnis cemetery on May 9, ensuring public order and seriousness. This year is no exception.

The police force (both uniformed and non-uniformed officers) will patrol and record possible violations in the cemetery, monitor the arriving participants to prevent possible provocations, prevent administrative offenses due to the display of prohibited symbols”, – a little earlier this week the portal lrytas.lt Vilnius police representative Tomas Bražėnas informed.

However, the Department of State Security (VSD) announced on Tuesday that it does not rule out that provocations may occur in Lithuania on May 9. The Department urges immediate reporting of advertisements noticed on social networks offering financial rewards for vandalism and violations of other legal acts in Lithuania.

After 11 o’clock Erika Švenčionienė, the scandalously notorious companion of convicted Algirdas Paleckis, arrived at the cemetery and soon spoke in Russian verses.

“Before coming and asking questions, learn the lessons of history,” E. Švenčionienė told the journalists, giving them a disrespectful address.

Around 10:30 a.m. near the former memorial to Soviet soldiers, a group of Vilnius residents who visited the cemetery were already gathering. Since the monument on which they used to put flowers is no longer there, people simply pile carnations and other flowers on the ground.

“I don’t like the place – there is no monument, there is no place to put flowers. It’s wrong. Here is our memory, our history. You have to respect people – they died for us, and politics has nothing to do with it. Here we were freed from fascism.

Fascism is even more terrible than that occupation – you don’t know, but my grandmother, my mother knows how they lived and what occupation really is. And this is not an occupation – this is a game,” complained Margarita, who was met at the cemetery.

Valerijus from Vilnius said that he celebrates May 9 every year – his grandfather fought in the Second World War, although he is not buried in the Antakalnis cemetery.

“People come here to celebrate the victory over the fascists. (…) There was a monument here, they said it was a symbol, but again – a symbol of victory,” the man explained while talking to journalists.

Valery did not agree that today, in the context of the war in Ukraine, this day should not be celebrated – in his opinion, today’s Russia does not even remotely resemble the Soviet Union.

“I am absolutely against the war one hundred percent – it is a horror, a nightmare, but these are completely different countries – the Soviet Union and current Russia are not the same. Different people, different state, different times, different mentality. I think that it is a mistake that everyone thinks that the Soviet Union is the same as Russia.

Fascists are everywhere, not only in Russia – you think only in Russia? Fascism is not dead, do you think they are not in Ukraine? There are a lot of them in Latin America,” the man taught.

Soon, a man came to the former memorial carrying a large sign. On it is a poster with the inscription “A monument to fallen anti-fascists stood here. It was demolished by fascist defenders.”

“Here is my propaganda, here is my rally, of a single person,” he said, although he raised his voice significantly when talking to journalists.

In Russia and Russian communities, May 9 is the Victory Day against Nazi Germany. At that time, Europe commemorates the end of World War II a day earlier, on May 8.