A Must Visit Point in Kaunas, Lithuania, Kaunas, Lithuania

After 18 years of living in Kaunas City I finally for the first time visiting a place that every Lithuanian should visit at least once in their life. It’s The Ninth Fort. It’s the stronghold which during Soviet Union Occupation was used as a prison and way-station for prisoners being transported to labour camps. Later on, when Nazi Germany occupied Lithuania this fort was used as a place of execution for Jews, captured Soviets and other people.

There are two parts of this museum. One with all historical information, letters, photos, things of prisoners and everything that was found and given. All those photos and exhibits make you question what is humanity and if we are starting to loose it. So many people were killed and tortured. More than 50, 000 people were killed in this fort. About 40, 000 were Jews. If these numbers don’t shake you up then I don’t know what can.

Just looking at all those things and knowing that not long ago they belonged to real people left me with a strange feeling inside. The hall in which all these things and information was stored was cold, and it in a way added up to the overall feeling. I felt cold, horrified, sad and vulnerable.

The next part of this museum is the real prison. You can walk hallways of the fort and see all the cells, beds, dishes, guns, barracks, sanitary and everything that has been used in there. It’s like a scene straight out of American Horror Story episode and that says something. Just looking and walking down those hallways gives me anxiety and I feel horror in every bone of mine. I can’t help but think that if I was one of those unlucky people, I would have died the first day. You either go nuts there or die. No other way out. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).