A memorial stone from Lithuania is making its way to the site of the 1410 Battle of Žalgiris (or Grunwald), the landmark encounter in which the Polish-Lithuanian forces defeated the German Teutonic Order.
The 14-ton memorial stone, carved by the folk artist Jonas Šimonėlis, originates from the village of Sirutėnai in Utena District, northeast Lithuania.
July 15 will mark the 610th anniversary of one of the largest medieval encounters in medieval Europe. The new memorial should reach the field of battle around the same time.
The monument for the Battle of Žalgiris has been commissioned by several NGOs in Lithuania, including Vilnius officers' club Karininkų Ramovė, the Association of Military Reserve Soldiers and the Royal Noblemen's Union of Lithuania.
In 1410, the joint Polish-Lithuanian forces, commanded by the Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas the Great, defeated the German knights of the Teutonic Order which had been raiding Lithuanian lands for over a century.
The Teutonic Order did not recover their former power after the Battle of Žalgiris.
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