Jan
S. Krogh's Geosite: Adutiškis (LT) - Kruki (BY)
The town of Adutiškis is situated about 100 km
northeast of the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, and is bordering the
Byelorussian village of Kruki.
The boundary was following the middle of a
platform between two railway tracks at the Adutiškis international railway
station.
The Lithuanian Vilnius - Didziasalis railway line was leaving Lithuanian
territory east of the town of Pabrade, and then entering Byelorussian territory,
through the town of Lyntupy, and approximately 100 meters west of Adutiškis
railway station returning into Lithuania. This was anyhow only concerning one of
the three tracks at the station. The two southern tracks were on Byelorussian
land. Since early spring 2001 all passenger traffic on this line was ceased. At
August 2001 the line was only transporting trains pulling freight cars. The
picture above is showing the station area watched towards west.
The same station area, but watched towards east.
To left the Lithuanian boundary marker, and to right, south of the railroad
lines, the temporary Byelorussian marker. It is easy to see that the passenger
track on Lithuanian side no longer is in use. When passenger trains entered
Adutiškis station, Byelorussian passengers who entered the train in Byelorussia
could leave the train on Byelorussian side of the platform and cross the three
tracks on Byelorussian side to get to Kruki, without passing through Lithuanian
passport control. Lithuanian passengers entering the train in Lithuania, was not
concerned with Byelorussian passport formalities, despite the fact that the
train passed in transit through Byelorussian territory.
The Lithuanian marker (left) on the
picture above is still lacking number. At present it has temporary
number 81. The neighboring marker towards west has number 82.
Between the two boundary
markers mentioned, is a small concrete centre marker (right),
aprroximately 20 cm tall, placed exactly on the boundary line.
The Byelorussian marker (right) is
unpainted. Below on the picture is the centre marker.
About 150 meters east of the railway station is a
crossing point (below) for locals living in the border zone, only working at
solemnity, to help the huge flow of persons on these days. There are two markers
besides each other on each side of the road. The brick building is the
Byelorussian border guard post. The point is not open for any motor vehicle
crossing.
My excellent
guide (below) at the visit, senior officer Mr. Vygantas Stumzenas, second in
command at Adutiškis Cordon, standing between the two boundary markers in front
of the Byelorussian border station at the main Adutiškis - Kruki crossing post.
Further east we visited the Lithuanian
Vaitekieniai farmstead, now only inhabitated by one senior citizen, Mrs. Emilija
Vaitikieniene. Last summer her 18 years old son was detained by Byelorussian
border guards for one weekend when he was going after one of the family's cows
grazing on Byelorussian side. This land was belonging to the family until World
War II when Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union, and all private land was
expropriated by the state. Anyhow the family, after returning from exile in
Siberia in the 1950s, was allowed to resettle at their former farmstead. At
liberty in 1991 this former Lithuanian land became Byelorussian territory, and
the Vaitekieniai family lost about half of the total area now only consisting
from 2 hectares (5 acres). The Lithuanian government however returned their
Lithuanian part of land which the Stalin regime confiscated almost 50 years
earlier. Now the boundary is some 20 meters from the farmhouse's wall.
Lithuanian border guards claim they need to make a 13 meters broad boundary
line, which requires demolition of half of Mrs. Vaitekiene's orchard!
The picture below is taken on the boundary line towards the farmstead. (Notice
the Lithuanian boundary marker in the left hand side of the photo.)
