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Site of Lithuanian Partisan Battles, Deaths, and Soviet Terror

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The location in Gėsalai village, Skuodas district, serves as a poignant reminder of the tragic events of 1946 when Lithuanian partisans, fighting for freedom, faced Soviet occupiers. On a night in May, MVD army soldiers and local collaborators (stribai) staged an ambush at a local farm, resulting in the deaths of seven Alka Unit partisans and local residents, including partisan Edvardas Bičkus and other fighters. Following the clash, some of the bodies were desecrated in Ylakiai town square. In 2017, this site was included in the Register of Cultural Heritage (unique code 39051), and in 2008, a memorial marker was erected to honor the fallen partisans.

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Historical Heritage
Skuodas Information Center

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56.297, 21.751

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Gėsalai village, located in the Skuodas district, holds profound historical significance, reminding us of one of the most brutal periods of Lithuanian partisan resistance and Soviet terror. During the night of May 21–22, 1946, seven partisans from the Alka Unit of the Žemaičiai Brigade's Ylakiai Company, led by Kazimieras Venckus, arrived at a local farm seeking support. They were met by MVD soldiers and local collaborators. In the ensuing confrontation, partisan Edvardas Bičkus and several other villagers, including Pranas Narvilas and Julija Kubilienė, were killed. After the battle, the Soviets desecrated the bodies of the deceased in Ylakiai town square, and some remains were buried in the former NKVD headquarters' grounds. Excavations conducted in 1995 revealed the remains of three men. Based on archaeological findings and eyewitness accounts, some of the remains were identified. This site was officially added to the Register of Cultural Heritage in 2017 (unique code 39051).

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