VI Fort, Military fortification in Kaunas, Lithuania
VI Fort is a military fortification in Kaunas built between 1882 and 1915 featuring solid concrete walls with underground tunnels throughout. The structure contains ammunition storage areas, defensive positions, and prison cells that once held thousands of inmates.
The fort was constructed as part of the Kaunas Fortress complex during the late imperial period and endured an eleven-day siege in 1915 before falling to German forces. After the war, it served as a prison and played a tragic role in Soviet-era repression.
This fortress served as a prison camp where tens of thousands lost their lives, and visitors today can feel the weight of that history in its spaces. The site functions as a memorial where people come to remember and honor those who suffered there.
Visitors can walk through the grounds and view displays of military equipment and personal items belonging to prisoners. Most areas are accessible on foot, though some underground rooms are narrow and poorly lit.
Four men were executed at this location in 1926 after President Antanas Smetona ordered their deaths during a political crisis. This lesser-known episode reveals the tensions of the interwar period.
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