Archeologists exhume 48 Soviet soldiers’ remains in Šiauliai, fewer than expected

Archeologists have exhumed 48 sets of remains of Soviet soldiers in central Šiauliai, fewer than initially estimated based on historical records, *LRT* reports.

The excavation near St. Peter and Paul Cathedral concluded on Tuesday, with all identified burials removed, according to Rokas Kraniauskas, head of the *Arksaika* archeological firm overseeing the work. “We exhumed everyone, it appears. There are 48 individuals, possibly 49, as one grave contains severely burned remains that may belong to two people,” he told BNS. Final confirmation will require anthropological analysis.

Four empty grave pits were found, suggesting possible inaccuracies in Soviet-era documentation. “The pits were dug but left unused, yet recorded as occupied,” Kraniauskas noted.

Historical sources had estimated 52–53 soldiers were buried at the site, killed during World War II. Alongside the remains, archeologists recovered uniform fragments—rank insignia, belts, boots—along with coins and a cloth pouch containing corroded *Mosin-Nagant* rifle cartridges. Eighteenth-century coins, including Prussian, Swedish, and Lithuanian specimens, were also found, likely from earlier cultural layers.

Visible trauma, fractures, and signs of amputation were observed on the remains. They are now stored in special containers at Šiauliai municipality facilities pending further study to determine sex, approximate age, and injuries.

Excavations near the cathedral will continue next week, focusing on unexplored structures, including a cellar filled with early 20th-century debris and a possible collapsed building. “We’re investigating a heavily rubble-filled area, likely a destroyed structure, and a utility pit,” Kraniauskas added.

The remains will be reburied at the Soviet WWII soldiers’ cemetery near Ginkūnai after the Desovietization Commission ruled in 2024 that the cathedral site violated Lithuania’s 2023 ban on promoting totalitarian regimes in public spaces. The commission deemed the burials part of Soviet and Russian narratives glorifying the “Great Patriotic War,” as the remains were reinterred from original sites nearby.