Marcinkonys church: where the march to the headquarters begins

What happened here

In winter 1945–1946 Kazimieraitis’s headquarters was in the Marcinkonys pine forests, by the Skroblus stream, near the village of Rudnelė. On 12 January 1946 the NKVD attacked it. The partisan Jonas Kraulelis-Ėglis from Rudnelė was killed.

The tradition of the march began on the night of 13 January 1991. The naturalist Henrikas Gudavičius, having learned about the headquarters from people in the surrounding villages, lit the first candles there. Later Kazimieraitis’s family and friends took over the march; among the organisers is the naturalist Onutė Grigaitė. Staff of Dzūkija National Park and the Čepkeliai Nature Reserve organise a separate night march.

The day begins with Mass, often celebrated by Kazimieraitis’s grandson Fr Gintaras Vitkus SJ. Afterwards, in the presbytery, participants eat buckwheat porridge, drink herbal tea and receive the “March Book” with extracts from A. Ramanauskas-Vanagas’s memoirs and partisan songs. The anthem is sung on the church steps, and the group walks a loop of about 20 km along forest roads through Rudnelė to the headquarters.

What you will see

• The wooden Church of the Holy Apostles Simon and Jude Thaddeus – the start of the march.
• The presbytery – the meeting place for participants.
• The goal of the march is 07. Skroblus, Rudnelė (~10 km from Marcinkonys).

Sources (in Lithuanian)

• R. Averkienė. In the Marcinkonys forests, marchers honoured the legendary partisan commander Juozas Vitkus-Kazimieraitis. 15min, 15 January 2020 (LT)
• Varėna District Municipality. Marcinkonys residents honour the partisans of Dzūkija with a walking march (LT)
• Descriptions of the Kazimieraitis marches (Facebook page “Nepaprasta auka”)