[ad_1]
The authors of the Vytis Memorial lodged a complaint with the Supreme Court regarding the tender for the memorial in Lukiškės Square.
A group of architects filed an appeal against the judgment of the Lithuanian Court of Appeal against them, which was unfavorable to them in October last year, the SNB was confirmed by the representatives of the Vilnius Regional Court.
The authors of the remaining Vytis Memorial, the architects Kęstutis Akelaitis, Gintaras Čaikauskas and Linas Naujokaitis, the artist Rimantas Dichavičius and the author of the sculpture Arūnas Sakalauskas, question the results of the creative workshops of the Ministry of Culture and the Center for Contemporary Art, which it took place more than three years ago.
Then the creative workshop was won by the idea of sculptor Andrius Labašauskas “Freedom Hill”, and the Vytis Memorial came in second place. However, the realization of the idea was stalled by the disagreement of the institutions, the resistance of some politicians and citizens.
The authors of Vytis ask that they demand that the decision to declare the winner be declared illegal and that the creative workshops themselves continue. Pending the outcome of the case, the suspension of the order of the Court of Appeal is also requested.
According to K. Akelaitis, head of the group of authors, the cassation complaint referred to “procedural errors of the commission in evaluating the works in the competition, which led to public opposition”, and the centenary memorial was not fulfilled.
“The last few years have shown that the idea that won the contest is not real and has no prospect of implementation, and Lukiškės Square is not being used for its intended purpose,” says K. Akelaitis.
In November 2019, the Vilnius Regional Court determined that the work of sculptor A. Labašauskas, who had won the contest, “met the requirements set by the creative workshops” and rejected the plaintiffs’ claims that the contest was organized in a non-transparent way. The plaintiffs then appealed against that decision to the Court of Appeal.
Last November, the Court of Appeal also declared that “there is no reason to affirm that the winning idea is inappropriate”, emphasizing that the artistic value of the idea was only evaluated in the creative workshops, not if the work meets the requirements of the heritage of Lukiškės Square. or building regulations.As a result, most of the questions have arisen in recent years.
The Ministry of Culture has committed 0.5 million for the work. The money transfer was promised at the end of the courts, as well as after reconciling the project with financial aspects.
Discussions on the layout of Lukiškės Square in Vilnius and commemorative accents have been going on since the restoration of independence, especially after the installation of a temporary artificial beach in Vilnius Square last summer.
Later, the Seimas passed a special law on Lukiškės square, which established that it was the main representative square of the country with the Vytis monument. Under this law, the space must be administered seriously and with due respect to the combatants and insurgents, and its use must not be contrary to public order or morals.
Culture Minister Simonas Kairys says the additional issue of the country’s main square and its monument will be discussed with the coalition partners. According to the minister, the two projects are provoking too much public opposition.
Author Ignas Jačauskas
