Search for Lithuanian partisan remains continues in Jūžintai

Archaeologists in Lithuania’s Rokiškis district have resumed excavations in Jūžintai, searching for the remains of post-war partisans after discovering 12 bodies last year, state broadcaster LRT reports.

Experts believe more graves may exist in the same area, where at least 41 resistance fighters are known to have died between 1945 and 1949. Last year’s dig uncovered remains in four pits, with the deepest containing five bodies buried under barbed wire and large stones from a dismantled cemetery fence.

“According to local accounts, partisans were buried beyond that cemetery fence,” said archaeologist Evelina Mačiokaitė. “There could be more remains in the surrounding area, not just the protected site. That’s why we’re continuing our research.”

This year’s search has so far yielded only bone fragments, possibly from the cemetery itself. Anthropologists are still analyzing the 12 sets of remains found in 2025; six have been identified, while DNA testing on the others is ongoing. A state funeral for all recovered fighters is planned for July or August.

Soldiers from the King Mindaugas Hussar Battalion are assisting with the excavations. “They were dumped like animals,” said volunteer soldier Mindaugas Žiedelis. “We want to help ensure they receive a proper Christian burial.”