Kaunas - Laisvė Paminklai

Pyramide of stones (6 m high) from the battle fields of the War of Independence. At the lower part is a niche, a "fireplace", with a bronze relief of a mourning Lithuanian woman casting a bouquet of flowers on the grave of her brother. Above this a stone with the text Žuvusiems už Lietuvos laisvę 1921 (to those who died for Lithuanian independence, 1921), above this a cross and the shield and sword of Vytis (knight on horseback on Lithuania's coat of arms). On top of the pyramid is a metal ornamented cross. On both sides of the monument were crosses, shrines and a crucifix placed (among them the St. George figure depicted below).

In front of this monument is the tomb of the unknown soldier with the eternal flame.

The monument is flanked by busts of the first soldier and the first officer who died in the War of Independence

II. Tautos garbės alėja - Nation Honour Avenue, 1923-1939, 2009

Photo click on photo for enlargement	Inscription	Translation	Biography (and link to Wikipedia)
	antanas juozapavičius 1919.11.13 atgimusios lietuvos larininkas pirmas žuves dėl jos laisves	Antanas Juozapavičius 13 Nov. 1919 Reborn Lithuania's first officer killed for its freedom	Antanas Juozapavičius (Švokštonių dvaras 1894 - Alytus 1919), the first Lithuanian army officer who died for Lithuanian independence (Wikipedia). Bust by Bernardas Bučas, 1938 (restored 1990, by A. Vaura).
	povilas lukšys 1919.11.9 atgimusios lietuvos kareivis pirmas žuves dėl jos laisves	Povilas Lukšys 13 Nov. 1919 Reborn Lithuania's first soldier killed for its freedom	Povilas Lukšys (Kazokai, Panevėžys 1886 - Taučiūnai 1919), the first Lithuanian Army soldier who died for Lithuanian independence. (Wikipedia). Bust by Bernardas Bučas, 1938 (restored 1990, architect Algimantas Sprindys, and sculptor Zigmas Survila). Signed: z. survila \| 1990 m.

Photo click on photo for enlargement	Inscription	Translation	Biography (and link to Wikipedia)
1	martynas JANKUS 1858-1946 dirbsime ir vilties nenustosime	Martynas Jankus 1858-1946 We will work and hope continually	Martynas Jankus (Bittehnen, East Prussia 1858 - Flensburg, Germany 1946), Prussian-Lithuanian printer, social activist and publisher in East Prussia, called the Patriarch of Lithuania Minor (Wikipedia). Bust by Bernardas Bučas, 1939 (reconstructed 1988, architect Algimantas Sprindys).
2	petras VILEIŠIS 1851-1926 jis dar „aušrosʺ metu geriausiai suprato vienybės galybe ir nuosaikiai ja vykdė gyvenime	Petras Vileišis 1851-1926 Translation?	Petras Vileišis (Mediniai 1851 - Palanga 1926), Lithuanian engineer, political activist, and philanthropist (Wikipedia). Bust by Bernardas Bučas, 1939 (reconstructed 1988, architect Algimantas Sprindys).
3	simanas DAUKANTAS 1793-1864 …rašiau lietuvu kalba…	Simonas Daukantas 1793-1864 …I wrote the Lithuanian language…	Simonas Daukantas (Kalviai 1793 - Papilė 1864), Lithuanian/Samogitian writer, ethnographer and historian. One of the pioneers of the Lithuanian national revival, he is credited as an author of the first book on the history of Lithuania written in the Lithuanian language (Wikipedia). Bust by Juozas Zikaras, 1927 (reconstructed 1988, architect Vladimiras Dubeneckis).
4	1862-1932 juk be noru ir be kovos laisvos nebuvo lietuvos nebuvo amžiais ir nebus	1862-1932 because without volition and without a fight Lithuania was not free for centuries and will not be	Maironius (Pasandravys 1862 - Kaunas 1932), real name Jonas Mačiulis, Lithuanian romantic poet (Wikipedia). Bust by Bronius Pundzius, 1927 (reconstructed 1988, architect Algimantas Sprindys). On the side: jono masaičio \| ir sūnu \| lieykla \| kaune (Jonas Masaičius and Son, Foundry, Kaunas)
5	jonas basanavičius 1851-1927 (for the major part unreadable)	Jonas Basanavičius 1851-1927	Jonas Basanavičius (Ožkabaliai 1851 - Wilno [Vilnius] 1927) physician, activist and proponent of Lithuania's National Revival and founder of the first Lithuanian language newspaper Aušra (Wikipedia). Bust by Juozas Zikaras, 1923 (reconstructed 1988, architect Vladimiras Dubeneckis). Signed: I. Zikaras / S.C.D-ves 1923
6	vincas KUDIRKA 1858-1899 lietuva tėvyne mūsu	Vincas Kudirka 1858-1899 Lithuania Our Motherland	Vincas Kudirka (Paežeriai 1858 - Vladislavovas (now Kudirkos Naumiestis) 1899), Lithuanian poet and physician, and the author of both the music and lyrics of the Lithuanian National Anthem, Tautiška giesmė (Wikipedia). Bust by Juozas Zikaras, 1927 (reconstructed 1988, architect Vladimiras Dubeneckis).
7	generolas S. ŽUKAUSKAS 1860-1937 atgimusios lietuvos pirmasis kariuomenenes vadas	General S. Žukauskas 1860-1937 Reborn Lithuania's first Army Commander	Silvestras Žukauskas (Silvester Konstantinovich Zhukovsky - Сильвестр Константинович Жуковский) (Poškiečiai-Dovainiškiai, near Pakruojis 1860 - Kaunas 1937), general in the Russian army, and later in his native Lithuania, after it regained its independence in 1918 (Wikipedia). Bust by Bernardas Bučas, 1938 (reconstructed 1990). Signed: B. Bučas \| 1938 \| Pa�.
8	vladas putvinskis 1873-1929 šaulių sąjungos kūrėjas pirmasis pirmininkas ir viršininkas	Vladas Putvinskis 1873-1929 Creator, First President and Captain of the Riflemen's Union	Vladas Putvinskis (Riga, Latvia 1873 - Kaunas 1929), Lithuanian nobleman, landowner, writer, book smuggler, and fishing pioneer. Co-founder of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union, 1919 (Wikipedia). Bust by Bernardas Bučas, 1938 (reconstructed 1990, by Zigmas Survila). Signed: z. survila \| 1990
9	generolas J. ŽEMAITIS-VYTAUTAS 1909-1954 lietuvos laisvės kovos sajūdžio prezidiumo pirmininkas sovietu sušaudytas maskvoje 1954.11.26	General J. Žemaitis-Vytautas 1909-1954 Chairman of the Board of the Union of Lithuanian Freedom Fighters Shot by the Soviets in Moscow 26 Nov. 1954	Jonas Žemaitis - codename Vytautas (Palanga 1909 - Moscow 1954), one of the leaders of armed resistance against the Soviet occupation in Lithuania (Wikipedia). On the side: pastatyta lietuvos \| laisvės kovos \| sajūdžio kariu ir \| rėmėjų lėšomis (erected by veterans and sponsors of the Union of Lithuanian Freedom Fighters) On the other side a plaque with a very long "Deklaracija" of the Union of Lithuanian Freedom Fighters of 16 February 1946, added to the monument in 2009. Bust by Juozas Šlivinskas, 2008
10	brigados generolas P. PLECHAVIČIUS 1890-1973 lietuvos vietinės rinktines įkūrejas (1944 02 16) ir vadas pastatyta 2008 m.	Brigadier General P. Plechavičius 1890-1973 Co-founder (1944 02 16) and Commander of the Lithuanian Territorial Defense Force Erected in 2008	Povilas Plechavičius (Židikų valsčius 1890 - Chicago, Ill. 1973), Imperial Russian and then Lithuanian military officer and statesman; known for his actions during the Lithuanian Wars of Independence, for organizing the 1926 Lithuanian coup d'état and for leading a Lithuanian self-defence force during the German occupation of Lithuania (Wikipedia). On the side: pastatyta lietuvos \| vietinės rinktines kariu \| savanoriũ rėmėjų \| lėšomis 2008.10.04 (erected by veterans and sponsors of the Lithuanian Territorial Defense Force, 4 Oct. 2008) Bust by Juozas Šlivinskas, 2008 Signed: (unreadable)

III. Laisvės Paminklas - Independence Monument

Column with on top a bronze allegorical figure of Freedom: a winged angel with a flag. On the sides of the column bronze plaques with the names of important places for the War of Independence.

P. Lukšys	10 P. Plechavičius	8 V. Putvinskis	6 V. Kudirka	4 Maironius	2 P. Vileišis	III. Laisvės Paminklas Independence Monument
I Žuvusiems paminklas Monument for those Perished	II. Tautos garbės alėja - Nation Honour Avenue
A. Juozapavičius	9 J. Žemaitis-Vytautas	7 S. Žukauskas	5 J. Basanavičius	3 S. Daukantas	1 M. Jankus

Statues - Hither & Thither

Laisvė Paminklai

Freedom Monuments

Description

I. Žuvusiems už Lietuvos laisvę paminklas - Monument to Those Perished for the Freedom of Lithuania

II. Tautos garbės alėja - Nation Honour Avenue, 1923-1939, 2009

III. Laisvės Paminklas - Independence Monument

Inscription(s)

Annotation

Sculptors

Sources & Information

Tags

Locatie (N 54°53'57" - E 23°54'42") (Satellite view: Google Maps)