Kryždirbystė

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A memorial cross in Lithuania

Kryždirbystė or the Lithuanian cross crafting is a traditional Lithuanian art of crafting crosses. The making of altars and crosses is an important part of Lithuanian culture. Lithuanian traditional crosses are part of the people's Roman Catholic religion and are also linked to ancient pre-Christian culture dating back hundreds of years. Since Lithuania became a part of the Russian Empire in the 19th century, these crosses have become a symbol of the Lithuanian people.

The crosses are intricately carved of oak wood, and sometimes incorporate iron elements as well. Their craftsmen, known as kryždirbiai, travel across the country. The most renown Lithuanian cross crafter and god carver is Vincentas Svirskis (d. 1916), whose masterful crosses once built across the Middle Lithuania are now considered of a great artistic value and examples of authenticity and kept in national museums.

The stylized crosses, Lietuviškasis kryžius, are put up along roadsides, in cemeteries, near houses, and as votive offerings in churches. The crosses combine elements of architecture, sculpture, blacksmith art, and painting. One to five meters high, they often feature floral or geometric symbols, motifs of the sun, birds, and the tree of life and are sometimes adorned with small statues. To plead for grace or to express gratitude, the crosses are built as memorials to the dead or as the signs of spiritual protection at certain places. The famous Hill of Crosses is greatest aggregate of such folk crafting, as well as a unique religious monument.

The Lithuanian cross crafting has been enrolled into the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity of 2001 by UNESCO.