The Hill of Three Crosses has become one of the symbols of Vilnius . This white monument on the other side of the Vilnia, on a hill, completes the silhouette of the city. The history of the Three Crosses goes back to the times of Grand Duke Algirdas. According to a legend, pagans killed seven Franciscan missionaries in Vilnius , the mission of which was to bring the Gospel to Lithuania . The monks were buried on the hill. In memory of these monks a chapel was erected, and in the 17^th century three wooden crosses depicted in early drawings of the city were built. In 1869 they collapsed, and the tsarist authorities forbade their built concrete crosses. In 1951 the Soviet authorities blew them up, but in 1989, before the proclamation of independence, they were re-erected. The Hill of Three Crosses is a symbol of Christianity and martyrdom for faith in Lithuania .