Archaeologists have unearthed an intact bunker of the post-war partisan command of the Samogitian District.
More than 300 different finds were discovered during the excavations in the District of Telšiai, near the village of Kuršai, in western Lithuania.
“This is a truly unique find in our district: an untouched partisan bunker with a very interesting history,” Tomas Katkus, the mayor of Telšiai, said in a statement by Telšiai Municipality. “Today, archaeologists are finishing their research, recording the finds and photographing, which will allow them to make a 3D model of the excavated bunker.”
According to testimonies by local residents, the bunker in the village of Kuršai was the headquarters of the partisan commander of the Samogitian District, Povilas Bagdonas.
The excavations, led by Klaipėda University archaeologist Gediminas Petrauskas, lasted several weeks. According to him, this is the ninth partisan bunker to be excavated in Lithuania, and the first one since 2016.
The bunker is a typical construction used by the underground resistance to the Soviet occupation during and after World War Two. The entrance to the bunker was disguised in a nearby bathhouse built in 1912. The partisans accessed the bunker by removing a stone from the wall inside the bathhouse.
Researchers were alerted about a possible bunker near the village of Kuršai by the children of the former owner of the land. They subsequently interviewed local residents about its possible location.
Archaeologists have finished their excavations on Thursday.
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