Intentions of politicians
Nowadays, we will see a pattern – politicians are beginning to provoke the development of monuments to personalities assessed ambiguously by specialists. For instance, the mayor of Širvintos Živilė Pinskuvienė erected a monument to Justin Marcinkevičius in her city, which some literary specialists name Soviet.
Kaunas mayor Visvaldas Matijošaitis needs a monument to former president Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas (his exercise within the Communist Occasion is recalled).
Why is it helpful for politicians to construct such monuments? What are their intentions?
A. Ramonaitė acknowledged that the politics of reminiscence in Lithuania has all the time been a subject that displays the distinction between societies: “I would not say that one thing has modified at the moment. Maybe extra funds have grow to be accessible to construct monuments. Prior to now, struggles over reminiscence manifested themselves in different methods.”
Normally, in line with A. Ramonaitė, this distinction emerges between the political left and proper: “Some destroy monuments, whereas others construct them. The truth that a monument to J. Marcinkevičius was erected in Širvintos, and that AMBrazauskas is promised to be commemorated in Kaunas, is a coincidence in time. This displays a long-standing and endless drawback. We do not have an unambiguous relationship with the Soviet previous, and people struggles are nonetheless happening.”
The development of monuments to those personalities may be helpful for politicians in giving indicators to the left aspect of the voters, highlighted A. Ramonaitė.
“Left shouldn’t be western, however in a particular Lithuanian sense, which revolves across the analysis of the Soviet period. If the rightists in Lithuania are very anti-Soviet, then the leftists take a look at it a bit of otherwise. Due to this fact, the mayors of Kaunas and Širvintais are attempting to arouse this distinction, as a result of there are extra left-wing voters in Lithuania,” mentioned the sociologist.
R. Antanavičiūtė mentioned that the work of politicians is to undertake perpetuation and commemoration. Nonetheless, she doesn’t rule out the likelihood that constructing monuments is “a easy and pretty low-cost strategy to go away your mark, create an occasion, and get within the press.”
Because the interviewee acknowledged, in democratic states everybody can provoke such tasks: “Political establishments, from municipalities to the Seimas, supervise public areas, akin to, for instance, granting permits for the development of commemorative indicators, giving names to streets and squares, so the development of monuments is normally underneath the jurisdiction of municipalities.”
In accordance with the interlocutor, politicians in democratic societies nonetheless seek the advice of with the general public and specialists: “One ought to verify what the temperature is, how the general public accepts that initiative and solely then announce a choice. Within the case of Kaunas, such a course of was lacking.”
Žygimantos Gedvilas/BNS picture/Rasa Antanavičiūtė
On this scenario, the artwork historian sees ambiguity. On the one hand, mayors of Lithuanian cities are democratically elected, voters have already had the chance to verify their strategies of operation. As well as, each V. Matijošaitis and Ž. Pinskuvienė are re-elected for a second time period. Then once more, merely saying the development of a monument and submitting the challenge to the council “shouldn’t be essentially the most civilized act.”
“Disagreement with the general public is attribute of authoritarian regimes, through which what and the right way to perpetuate public areas is set in authorities workplaces,” mentioned R. Antanavičiūtė.
AMBrazauskas monument – within the courtyard of the historic presidency?
V. Matijošaitis believes that the monument to AMBrazauskas ought to seem within the historic courtyard of the Kaunas Presidency. The Minister of Tradition Simonas Kairys and the Head of the Historic Presidency R. Mikalajūnaitė don’t agree with this.
“Many specialists have mentioned that this location shouldn’t be applicable and raises many questions on the memorialization of different presidents. If consideration is paid to one of many present presidents, it will be logical to not neglect the others as effectively”, – 15min mentioned R. Antanavičiūtė.
She additionally reminded that there’s a lack of area within the historic presidency and it’s not clear the right way to fulfill it aesthetically: “It might end in a really dense forest of immortals.”
Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas / BNS picture.
R. Antanavičiūtė mentioned that the monument to AMBrazauskas needs to be in-built a special place: “I’m not a researcher of this president’s actions, I do not understand how a lot he’s actually linked to Kaunas, however it will appear extra logical to me if memorial indicators for the presidents of our time appeared within the territory of the presidency in Vilnius, if in any respect there are such indicators are wanted.”
Talking regarding how significant it’s to construct a monument to AMBrazauskas in Kaunas, A. Ramonaitė recalled the info of the 1993 presidential election. It seems that Kaunas was the one municipality the place Stasys Lozoraitis received a majority, however not AMBrazauskas.
“Constructing a monument to AMBrazauskas in Kaunas is paradoxical,” mentioned A. Ramonaitė. “Nonetheless, I’ve little doubt that if the problem of a monument to the previous president was raised on a Lithuanian scale, many individuals would agree, however whether or not the vast majority of them can be from Kaunas is a separate query.”
In accordance with A. Ramonaitė, Kaunas has been a right-wing metropolis for a very long time, and V. Matijošaitis’ choice is said to the need to vary the political picture of Kaunas: “From this aspect, it’s a larger eyesore.”
Do you want a monument to AMBrazauskas?
June 11 within the dialogue held by the Kaunas Metropolis Municipal Council sharp disputes arose relating to the persona of AMBrazauskas. Some recalled his previous within the Communist Occasion, whereas others highlighted his contribution to Lithuania’s accession to the European Union and NATO.
A. Ramonaitė emphasised that regardless of how we consider AMBrazauskas, he contributed very clearly to the restoration of independence.
She doesn’t comply with name AMBrazauskas an ambiguous persona.
“It sounds very unusual to me when AMBrazauskas is in comparison with Roland Paks. The latter was eliminated by impeachment, and AMBrazauskas was elected by the individuals with a big majority. He led individuals to the European Union and NATO. Due to this fact, we must always not put labels on him,” mentioned the sociologist.
Are monuments even crucial at the moment?
Lately, increasingly consideration has been paid to discussions regarding historic reminiscence and monuments within the public area. Nonetheless, does Lithuania want them at the moment?
In accordance with R. Antanavičiūtė, there are sufficient monuments for now: “The historical past of Lukiški Sq., when the general public didn’t agree on a monument to freedom, exhibits that we must always wait a bit of till we’re capable of attain an settlement. Maybe the choice supplied sooner or later won’t go well with all teams of society, however the majority. On this case, it will not divide the society, however reasonably unite it. Then once more, there are individuals for whom monuments should not sufficient.”
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2024-06-12 22:28:41
