We are now in our fourth decade of living in an independent, free Lithuania. Separated from the Western world for a long time, we have become an integral part of it: we are in the European Union, we are in NATO. What was the road Lithuania travelled from the declaration of independence on 16 February 1918 until the last soldier of the former Soviet Union left our country? What did past generations have to endure, experience and sacrifice for the sake of a free Lithuania? In this exhibition, we recall the most important turning points in the history of Lithuania over the past century: the struggles of the first volunteers for a free, independent Lithuania; the brutal five years of Soviet and Nazi occupation (1940-1944); the inspiring, decade-long guerrilla war (1944-1953); and, finally, the incredibly unified freedom movement that emerged at the end of the 1980s, which led to the long-sought-after goal of the restoration of the Independent Lithuanian State. This exhibition not only tells the story of Lithuania, but also reflects the historical experiences and aspirations of the other countries occupied (and still occupied) by the Soviet Union - to be free, able to defend themselves, but not afraid to fight them if necessary, for the sake of their homeland.