One hour's drive from Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, all those leaving the "free West" towards Belarus, "the last dictatorship in Europe", must pass through a strict border control. Crossing this border is a time consuming and almost absurd performance. However, there are people who are confronted with this border on a daily basis, as it literally cuts right through their backyard. What used to be a daily routine of visiting relatives or friends, going to church or to the cemetery, has now become a complicated process involving cross point schedules, visas and other complex bureaucratic procedures. A perfect example of the forgotten 'European periphery', the paradox of the free Schengen area, which here is tearing apart communities, families and lives.