Viktor takes a walk with his children and neighbor in the woods near Jokūbiškės, where a yellow post marks the end of Lithuania.
Stankiewicz family gathering in Sakalinė in 1956. Like many other families, some of the family lived in both Sakalinė and on the Belarusian side in Kulkishki. Today, the family members have lost contact with those on the other side.
An empty house on the Belarusian side of the fence in Kulkishki. In comparison to the Baltic countries, which orientated themselves westwards upon their independence, in Belarus there was no fundamental rejection of the old Soviet system.
Stanislav, who is sixty-two, lives alone with his dog in Norviliškės, in the last house before the border. His aunt, Yanina, lives four hundred metres away on the other side.
A photograph from 1992 shows two Belarusians, Jonas and Arturas, from the neighboring bordertown of Kanbaliskes. They have not seen their Lithuanian cousins Ona and Terese from Stalgonys since the photo was taken.
Stanislav on his horse in Norviliškės, with the border in the background. The European external border runs directly through one of his potato fields, which he is no longer allowed to till.
The two sisters, Ona (43) and Terese (50), used to gather mushrooms and berries for a living. Now, they are not permitted to enter the forest in Stalgonys. Since the fall of the Soviet Union and the subsequent change from a state-controlled economy, like many others, they could find no further employment.
A decaying barn with chickens in Jokūbiškės. Most of the people here are self-sufficient, dependent on their fields and immediate surroundings.
Galina lost in thought at the river Merkys in Ažubenis, which has been the natural borderline between the two countries for ages.
Wind-bent trees on a stormy evening in Norviliškės. Directly behind these woods is the Belarus town of Pizkuny
Edward (88), the oldest person in Sakalinė, originally grew up in Kulkishki. Although he never left this immediate area, he has lived under four different nations during his lifetime, due to the repeated shifting of boundaries: Poland, German occupation, the Soviet Union and Lithuania. Like Edward, the majority of the townspeople have Polish roots.
The icons on the wall are typical of the decorative style of these homes. Although the Soviet system was atheistic, many villagers retained their Catholic faith.
A frozen pond in the Lithuanian small town of Sakalinė, one of several ‘ghost towns’ along the European border. These towns are isolated and populated mostly by elderly people. Time appears to be stagnant here.
Like many of the inhabitants of Sakalinė, Juzefa (82) grew up in Kulkishki. When she was 20, she moved to Sakaline and worked at the local collective. Since Lithuanian independence, she has never returned to Belarus. In her opinion, Belarus is too influenced by the old Soviet system. Although her house is only a couple of meters from the fence, she has no desire to go back.
A watchtower near Sakalinė. The major concern of the border patrols is to prevent cigarette and alcohol smuggling.
Maryian (80), a self-sufficient farmer. He and his wife live off their garden, fields and livestock.
When he was eighteen, Viktor left his home town of Jokūbiškės to join the Soviet army. Later, he moved to Vilnius, but he returns to Jokūbiškės every summer to tend his parents’ house.
Clouds of smoke from the burning of an old farm building in Stalgonys.
Children of the Stankiewicz family, Sakalinė, 1957. During the soviet era many young people lived in the border villages. Then the village schools were attended by children of both sides of the border. Now, this youthful liveliness is absent.
Viktor and Leukadija‘s love has withstood the test of time, regardless of any hardship caused by shifting boundaries and changes in political policies. They have been married for fifty-five years. Viktor grew up in the Belarusian town of Kuzmicy, a stone’s throw away from the Lithuanian town of Albertina, where the couple lives today.
Stanislav’s house, the last house standing before the border in Norviliškės.
Vanda‘s parents are buried in the cemetery in the Belarus town of Gerniony, close to the border. Although Vanda used to walk to their grave regularly, she now makes the trip only once a year, since it involves almost a full day of travel.
The elderly people in the villages mainly watch Belarusian or Russian television.
Galina plays with her dog in Jurgionys, where she has lived since her childhood. The Lithuanian border guards who patrol the village ask for her passport on a daily basis, even if she is just picking up the mail.
Daniel (9) is one of the few children now growing up in the villages.
A dirt road to Sakalinė. During inclement weather the people are, for the most part, confined to their towns.
A wedding in 1966 in Stalgonys. Families came together from both sides for such events. It was customary for the entire community to attend weddings and other festivities.
This border fence, erected in 2004, divides the towns of Sakalinė and Kulkishki. During the Cold War, inhabits of the towns mingled freely.
Leokadija (56), one of the last inhabitants of Norviliškės, is separated from her husband. She married in 1994, at a time when border control was still lax. Her husband, Iwan, had a job on the Belarus side and had acquired a Belarus passport. When the border closed, he decided to stay in Belarus. The last time they saw each other was seven years ago. She can afford neither a divorce nor a visa to visit him.
A small river marks the border in Pašalčis. The two painted stones designate the boundary of Lithuanian and Belarus territory.
Tadeusz (63) lives in the two-house town of Raudonbalis. He has both a Lithuanian and Belarus ID. Until 1996, his house was officially in Belarus territory. Because his house was closer to the Lithuanian side, however, the border line was realigned as a favor to him. This was his preference at this time. In the meantime, due to the comprehensive downfall in this region, he now perceives Belarus to be the better, more stable option, where he would receive a better pension.
A Belarusian road, only a few steps from the borderline.