Thinking of an inspiring weekend break? Kaunas, Lithuania’s vibrant second city, is a great spot, especially if you’re a fan of art. The city is just packed with culture everywhere you look. And speaking of local sights you can’t miss, one of its most famous (and rather bare) figures is about to celebrate a milestone.

If ‘let’s meet by the fountain’ is one of Kaunas’s popular sayings, then ‘let’s meet by Žilinskas’s boy’ – or simply ‘that naked fella’ – must be a very close second.

‘Naked’ (‘Nuogas’) is even the name of a popular café in Independence Square, inspired by the very same chap who just can’t seem to get dressed. His official title? Simply ‘The Man’ (‘Žmogus’). So, who is this ‘Man’, one of Kaunas’s most striking cultural icons?

Petras Mazūras’s creation, standing about 6 metres tall, is one of the most famous sculptures in Kaunas, perhaps even in all of Lithuania. It’s quite fitting, isn’t it, that this figure – symbolising resistance to oppression, freedom, and the Kaunesian spirit – stands proudly next to Laisvės Alėja (Freedom Avenue). Thanks to its great location – right by the Mykolas Žilinskas Art Gallery in Independence Square – it’s seen by many locals and visitors. And because of what some see as its indecency, it’s also been the subject of a lot of talk and even a few attempts to get him dressed. But let’s start from the beginning. Well, not quite Adam and Eve, but you get the picture…

It Was All Meant to Be So Different!

…it’s worth noting that ‘The Man’s’ creator, P. Mazūras, was already well-known among art critics and those in the art world in the late Soviet era. They say his works were much talked about even before anyone had seen them, and once unveiled, they always got people talking. So, it was almost certain that ‘The Man’ would be no different. But could you imagine that ‘The Man’ himself might never have… well, come to be?

Back in the late 20th century, the architects Saulius Juškys, Kęstutis Kisielius, and Eugenijus Miliūnas, who were designing the new postmodern gallery in Kaunas city centre, initially had a completely different piece in mind for this spot. It turns out, we could have had ‘The First Swallows’ (‘Pirmosios kregždės’), a work by the equally famous sculptor Juozas Mikėnas, in the square. For some reason, the authorities at the time rejected that idea, so the sculpture never made it to the M. Žilinskas Gallery. However, ‘The First Swallows’ soon became the symbol of what is now the National Gallery of Art in Vilnius. We’ll come back to those swallows in a moment, but for now, let’s see what P. Mazūras, who then came along, proposed to the architects.

And what did he propose? A woman! Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory, no less. Quite how the woman became a man is still a bit of a mystery, but ‘The Man’ certainly follows the classical tradition, with its realistic portrayal of the human body and celebration of the nude form. Legend has it that ‘The Man’ was meant to look as if he’d come down from the sky, which is why his hair is so… unusually messy.

Photos by Andrius Aleksandravičius

Sparks Fly: Passion and Protests

Back in the late 20th century, ‘The Man’s’ nudity wasn’t seen as very radical. Today, he mostly symbolises inner freedom, typical of many people from Kaunas. But, oh dear, he wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea when he was first unveiled, especially not his closest neighbours. The priests from St. Michael the Archangel Church (the Garrison Church or simply the Soboras) were very much against the novelty. Someone went as far as throwing eggs at the poor fellow one Easter.

There have also been quite a few, often humorous, attempts to give ‘The Man’ some clothes. Over the 35 years – that’s how old he’ll be next summer (let’s hope he doesn’t hit a mid-life crisis!) – there have been more than a couple. Here are some of the most memorable ones:

In 1992, students from the Kaunas Art Institute kitted him out in a pair of men’s underpants! And there was a response to that, too. In 2005, the artists’ group ‘Cooltūristės’ adorned ‘The Man’ with the main attribute of Mikėnas’s ‘The First Swallows’ (the ones originally planned for the gallery) – little birds with fluffy pink bodies. The note for this ‘artwork within an artwork’ said: ‘Thus, the sculpture of a naked man, representing all of humanity, becomes an allegory whose meaning is defined by symbolic attributes. Gender, femininity, or masculinity are socially constructed and always changing.’ Something to think about, isn’t it?

A Wardrobe for All Seasons (and Reasons!)

‘The Man’ has also been turned into Father Christmas, draped in a ‘Žalgiris’ (Kaunas’s basketball team) scarf, wore a skirt for an all-female cycling event, and even an apron during the ‘Kaunas Makes’ competition. Almost every year, he gets a nice-looking tall white snow-cap too, though, it’s true, these are becoming less common and don’t last as long, thanks to milder winters.

And here’s a fun fact: ‘The Man’ has a double! Well, half of one, anyway. The ‘Nuogas’ café we mentioned earlier has a half-size copy of the sculpture, stylishly wearing a pair of boots. There’s another bar, ‘Laukas’, a popular spot for music lovers, located right at the feet of our original naked statue.

If you, however, want ‘The Man’ all to yourself, we’ll tell you a little secret: you can get a souvenir ‘It’s Kaunastic’ series pin to wear on your lapel.