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I Took My Father’s Photos From 30 Years Ago And Shot The Same Locations Today (30 Pics)
1991-2021. Two photographers in their thirties. 30-year interval. 30 photos.
Two shutter button presses. Two completely different images.
Occupation/Freedom. Analog/Digital. Father/Son.
I remember why we are free. Therefore, looking at the photos taken by my father in January 1991 during the events in Lithuania, I stood there after 30 years, in January 2021, and made another shot.
Let us remember and cherish the freedom for which Lithuanian Freedom Defenders were killed in the fight against Soviet aggression.
Photographers:
1991 - Vladimiras Azanovas
2021 - Jurijus Azanovas.
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The old photos are why my grandma never wanted to return to Lithuania. She lived through WWI & left ASAP after. She was an American citizen but grew up in Lithuania. She was born in September 1906. Her father died in a coal mine in early 1907. Her mom took her back to Lithuania, thinking her money would go farther. She married a drunk/farmer. Grandma lived to 100 years, 8 months to the day. They used to hide in the forest near their orchard. Soldiers would come up behind them, signal shhhhhh & ambush the army walking on the road in front of their farm. Grandma knew the soviets would have changed things too much. She had traveled to the Russian oblast where we adopted our kids! She knew Königsberg. Yes, now Kaliningrad. Our daughter was in Sovietsk, on the Neman River. She saw our photos & said, I’m happy I have American grandchildren and great grandchildren.
I am from Vienna and I have the feeling, that we, as a society, are taking peace and democracy for granted and we so easily forget, how fragile and precious it is. Thank you for building awareness.
So brave of your father to take photos while the tanks were rolling in.
Sad about the memorials being gone (both the formal and the informal marking of where people died)... But otherwise very touching. Btw, here's a great (and instructive) meme about the fragility and preciousness of freedom and democracy: 1spm26.jpg
I couldn't comment on each picture individually, because I believe every one of them is an emotional and powerful depiction of the events and changes that occurred. It blows my mind that this was only 30 years ago. Living in America, we all take too many things for granted and it's a damn shame, to be honest.
It's amazing how much better places look when not in the midst of strife. I wonder how the US would look.
I couldn't comment on each picture individually, because I believe every one of them is an emotional and powerful depiction of the events and changes that occurred. It blows my mind that this was only 30 years ago. Living in America, we all take too many things for granted and it's a damn shame, to be honest.
It's amazing how much better places look when not in the midst of strife. I wonder how the US would look.