the hill of crosses and christian aesthetics

there's a place in lithuania that's kept my attention for a while now. it's the kryžių kalnas, the hill of crosses, a small mound that's completely covered in crosses, effigies and statues.

the crosses extend to the sides of the hill, as you can see in this panoramic photo.

wikipedia says that the last estimate was around 100000 crosses, but that was in 2006, so there's probably a lot more now. you can tell that there's a lot of smaller crucifixes and rosaries on the bigger crosses.

i think the place has a special kind of beauty, separated from the usual kind of image that surrounds christian art and places of worship. individual offerings, hundreds upon hundreds, make for a very untidy and cluttered place, in contrast from the clean, spacious churches and cathedrals, full with commissioned paintings and images of saints and virgins, colorful stained-glass windows, beautiful floors and gorgeous façades... the hill is a very powerful image because of this contrast. most of the crosses are old and unpainted, crudely made, rusted and chipped, some laying toppled in the ground from the weight of others. but to me, having seen a lot of christian art, and having visited a fair share of chapels and cathedrals, the hill is more appealing.

i spent a considerable amount of time making my own crosses for a miniature interpretation of the hill. here it is! i hope you find it cool :3