One hour’s drive away from Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, all those leaving the “free West” towards Belarus, “the last dictatorship in Europe”, must pass through strict border control. Crossing this border is a time-consuming and almost absurd performance. However, there are people who are confronted with this border on a daily basis as it literally cuts right through their backyard. What used to be a daily routine of visiting relatives or friends, going to church or to the cemetery, has now become a complicated process involving cross point schedules, visas and other complex bureaucratic procedures.
One hour’s drive away from Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, all those leaving the “free West” towards Belarus, “the last dictatorship in Europe”, must pass through strict border control. Crossing this border is a time-consuming and almost absurd performance. However, there are people who are confronted with this border on a daily basis as it literally cuts right through their backyard. What used to be a daily routine of visiting relatives or friends, going to church or to the cemetery, has now become a complicated process involving cross point schedules, visas and other complex bureaucratic procedures.
Anna Savchenko
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