Hill of Crosses in Lithuania

The people of Lithuania have gone through so many periods of occupation by their enemies, but have never accepted themselves as having been conquered. Russia has always been part of their existence, or rather their cross. From the earliest days, they have battled for their own independence. In the Fifteenth century, they formed an alliance with Poland called the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This was in an effort to keep Russia out. It had its good points and its bad points. The good points were that they converted to Christianity under their alliance with the Poles. They even accepted the Polish customs and language.