Author of the monument - Algirdas Bosas, 2005-2006, bronze, granite, 350x170x400cm. in 2005 Kėdainiai district the municipality announced a competition for the creation of a monument to Radvils. 13 sculptors took part in it, the work of Algirdas Bos was recognized as the best. According to the laws in force at the time, the winner had to complete the work within a year - the artist succeeded, surprising even art experts with his creative energy. According to the sculptor, he has been developing the idea of the Duke J. Radvila monument since 1994. The impressive monument is made of bronze and granite: a massive chest symbolizing the treasury of the LDK, the bust of Jonušas Radvila, the great hetman of the LDK, carved bas-reliefs of Kristupas Radvila Perkūnas and Kristupas Radvila II. The sculptor created J. Radvila's facial features from authentic surviving portraits. His hand is slightly enlarged. Next to the bust of J. Radvila, the formations of soldiers - Swedish and Lithuanian - stood up and stood in front of each other. The head of one of the fighting army soldiers is cut off and fallen down: thus symbolizing the fragility of the human being. There is a hollow in the severed head that resembles a vase: the sculptor hoped that there would always be people who would dip a flower there and thus pay respect to the common soldier - after all, he also wanted to live. The coat of arms of the city of Kėdainiai, historical symbols, the panorama of the city of Kėdainiai are depicted... 1655 is a real difficult time for Lithuania: the armies of the Moscow tsar flocked to it from one side, and the armies of the King of Sweden from the other. Jonušas Radvila and his loyal soldiers decided to retreat from Vilnius to Kėdaini, ruled by his family. Leaving the capital, he burned the Green Bridge over the Neris River, but took the state treasury with him. in 1655 on his initiative, a treaty is signed with the Swedes, the Treaty of Kėdainiai is symbolized by two hands. The chest of the monument is worn, and its lock is broken: this is how it is reflected that Lithuania had a very difficult time at that time. It is characteristic of the artist to recompose, arrange and combine historical facts in his own way. According to him, "There are situations when you have to put everything you think and what you have to say into one work (...), because next time it might not be there anymore". Therefore, while walking around the monument, you can read it like a history textbook. The monument was cast in a foundry near Vilnius and was one of the largest orders in the history of A. Bos. Architects Rytis Vieštautas, Regina Tumpienė and Vytautas Kundrotas helped A. Bos to integrate it into the environment of the old town.
Translated by Google •
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