Suomijos gvardija ir Skapiškis

LTStraipsnyje rašoma apie Suomijos gvardijos suformavimą ir jos Asmens apsaugos trečiojo Suomijos šaulių bataliono žygį 1854-1856 m. Krymo karo metu į Centrinę Europą dalyvauti Rusijos-Turkijos kare. Pateikiami duomenys apie bataliono dislokaciją Lietuvoje (Rokiškyje, Skapiškyje ir Ukmergėje), apie jo kareivių mirtis nuo choleros ir šiltinės. Plačiau aptariamas suomių kareivių kapas Skapiškyje ant Švedukalnio kalvos bei jo būklė XX a. [Iš straipsnio, p. 472]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Skapiškis; Suomijos gvardija; Kareiviai; Skapiškis; Guard of Finland; Soldiers.

ENFormation of Finnish Guards and the march of the Finnish Guards' 3rd Rifle Battalion to the Central Europe to take part in the Crimean War 1854-1856 are described in the article. The data are presented about the stay of this battalion in Lithuania (Rokiškis, Skapiškis and Ukmergė) and about its losses due to typhus. The burials of Finish soldiers in Skapiškis on the hill of Švedukalnis are wider discussed. This was one of important political and cultural accents at the start of the 20th century as a basis to speak about the twists in Lithuanian and Finnish history, in spite of unfriendly actions the 3rd Rifle Battalion could be forced to perform in Lithuania due to the imperial intentions of Tsarist Russia. It happened so, however, that death plucked many soldiers ruthlessly on the Lithuanian land, where only their graves were left as a sign of their tragic destiny. There is such a sign, a granite plate with inscriptions, in Skapiškis on the hill called Švedukalnis (the hill of Swedes). Beside the Catholic graves, 220 Finnish soldiers lie in a common grave under the slab-like stone, with their names and surnames inscribed. All they died of typhus. This grave of Finnish soldiers had been remembered in 1927, when the Li- thuanian-Finnish Society was established. An impressive event had been organised under the leadership of Dr. General Vladas Nagevičius. On May 8, 1927 there was a grand festival held in the garden of the Vytautas the Great War Museum in Kaunas; several thousand Lithuanians and guests from Finland took part in it.At the same time of that event, in Skapiškis, local community after the church service marched with Finnish and Lithuanian flags to the grave of Finnish soldiers in Totoriškės Village cemetery; and the representative of the War Museum laid flower wreath on it. Finland was informed about this event by radio, and the pictures of the event had been sent to Helsinki. One of them seems to have been published in the journal Hakkapeliita (1933, No 43, siv. 1280). The representative of Skapiškis town promised to take care about this grave. Finns used to come here, whereas local people used to lay flowers. During Soviet period, when even local graves were poorly respected, what to talk about the alien ones. Thus, nobody took care about the grave of Finnish soldiers. When at the start of 1990, the Lithuanian-Finnish Society was re-established, the attention to manifestation of communication between Lithuanians and Finns increased, and collection of historical data about any such contacts began. On July 9, 1992 the then minister of defence Elisabeth Rehn, rejoicing over the efforts of the Lithuanian-Finnish Society to revive the remembrance of Finnish soldiers, sent comprehensive data, including the Finnish text of inscription on the old gravestone; thus, it was possible to renew it, to tidy up the environment and lay the monument on the grave. The monument was unveiled on December 3, 1992, celebrating the 75th anniversary of Independence of Finland, with participation of the ambassador of Finland in Lithuania Taisto Tolvanen and consular secretary Mikko Makkonen, members of the Voluntary National Defence Service Panevėžys Corpus, Bishop of Lithuanian Evangelical Lutheran Church Joanas Kalvanas (Senior), brass band, representatives of local government and many other guests.On September 9, 1998 the crosses with the names of the deceased had been unveiled. A large delegation came from Finland: 30 cadets of the National Defence Courses with their monitor Pauli Leimio, Riistavesi parish priest Hannu Savinainen, Guards' battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Jukka Hellberg and the orchestra, as well Finnish ambassador to Lithuania Rauno Viemerö, Bishop of Lithuanian Evangelical Lutheran Church Joanas Kalvanas (Junior), members of the Lithuanian-Finnish Society Board, heads of Kupiškis local government and Skapiškis Eldership, as well as numerous guests. [From the publication]