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Petras Klimas

These are some photos from a cemetery near Kaunus where my Great Uncle Petras was laid to rest in 1969. His death was no doubt hastened by 10 years of hard labor in Siberia and the 15 years after that living under the yoke of communist evil. Even in death, he scared the communists who saw fit to send KGB agents to his funeral to take note of the mourners in attendance. After the war, he never saw his brother Adolfas or his nephew (my Father) or niece. His brother Adolfas was laid to rest in 1985, thousands of miles away next to my Grandmother in Holy Name Cemetery near Cleveland. Petras fought for Lithuanian freedom and Adolfas fought to build a new life in America. Both succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.
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Shown in his younger days, this photo of Petras hangs in the house of Lithuanian priest, author and statesman J. Tumas Vaizgantas. The house has been converted into a museum. To get a better view, click on the image to see the large version.
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Shown in his younger days, this photo of Petras hangs in the house of Lithuanian priest, author and statesman J. Tumas Vaizgantas. The house has been converted into a museum. To get a better view, click on the image to see the large version.

petes klimas lithuania

  • Shown in his younger days, this photo of Petras hangs in the house of Lithuanian priest, author and statesman J. Tumas Vaizgantas. The house has been converted into a museum. To get a better view, click on the image to see the large version.
  • This is the cemetery near Kaunus where Petras Klimas is buried.
  • Up until last year, Petras' grave was marked by a large metal and stone sculpture. Unfortunately, his headstone was stolen by a thief who has since been arrested for stealing several of the markers from this old cemetery. The city is in the process of replacing the monument.
  • In the corner of his grave site is a small marker noting the fact that Petras was a signatory of the Decleration of Independence on February 16th, 1918.
  • Vaiva, Vita and their mother were kind enough to tidy up and leave some flowers.
  • The marker.
  • Nearby, is a momument to all those who perished in the camps of Siberia. The Soviets were brutal and one could be sent to the camps for simply saying the wrong thing to the wrong person. They attempted to populate Lithuania and the other Baltic countries with native Russians forcing many people to leave their homes. Their goal was to assimilate the Baltic culture and ethnicity. They failed. This is largely an untold story. A holocaust in which millions died that no one knows about. Each of the trees here has an iron shackle and the name of a camp. Each camp has countless stories of hardship and death. Perhaps much of the world has forgotten or maybe never knew, but my family will always remember what was done to our brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers. We will never forget.
  • A wider shot. Each tree represents a camp.
  • Irkutsk is the location of the camp where my hosts, the Lesauskaite Family, lost several family members.
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