A poetry reading is set to take place this Saturday at the monument of controversial Lithuanian poet Salomėja Nėris in Vilnius, as supporters rally to preserve both her literary legacy and the monument’s artistic value amid ongoing efforts to remove it.
A poetry reading is set to take place this Saturday at the monument of controversial Lithuanian poet Salomėja Nėris in Vilnius, as supporters rally to preserve both her literary legacy and the monument’s artistic value amid ongoing efforts to remove it.
The event, organised by artist, art critic, and curator Laima Kreivytė, will begin at 17:00 on May 31. Poets and members of the public are invited to gather at the monument to read their own verses and those of Nėris.
Kreivytė said the aim is to remind the public that Nėris was a foundational figure in Lithuanian poetry, not merely a Soviet collaborator.
“She had a very complicated fate, and yes, she made serious, even fatal mistakes,” Kreivytė told LRT.lt. “She was part of the delegation that signed the document for Lithuania’s incorporation into the USSR and wrote a poem about [Joseph] Stalin. No one is denying that. But now it seems only the image of Nėris as a traitor remains.”
Calling the removal of her legacy “a voluntary amputation of a vital part of our culture”, Kreivytė emphasised Nėris’s impact on Lithuanian lyrical tradition, comparing her significance to that of Maironis, another national literary icon.
The monument in question, a modernist sculpture by noted dissident artist Vladas Vildžiūnas, has also been at the centre of the debate. Kreivytė highlighted that Vildžiūnas’s work was criticised even by Soviet authorities at the time and reflects a deeper, more tragic portrayal of the poet.
“This is a powerful work of modern art,” she said. “To erase both Nėris and Vildžiūnas from history is to discard a complex but important chapter of our cultural memory.”
The monument, created by Vildžiūnas with architects Gediminas Baravykas and Gytis Ramunis, was unveiled in 1974 and added to the Cultural Heritage Register in 1993, although it is not protected by the state.
Legal battle ongoing
In August 2023, the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania (LGGRTC) ordered Vilnius city authorities to remove the monument, citing Nėris’s role in legitimising the Soviet occupation of Lithuania. She travelled to Moscow in 1940 as a delegate of the People’s Seimas to request Lithuania’s incorporation into the USSR.
Nėris’s granddaughter, Salomėja Bučaitė, and the Lithuanian Artists’ Association challenged the decision in court. Although their initial lawsuits were rejected, the legal process remains active, and Vilnius officials say they are awaiting a final court ruling before taking action.
“While the LGGRTC’s decision obliges us to act, we are holding off until the court process concludes,” said Kristina Gogelienė, chair of the city’s Historical Memory Commission. “That said, existing court rulings show a certain trend, and we are ready to begin discussions.”
She added that Nėris’s and Vildžiūnas’s families will be invited to participate in consultations about relocating the bust. Although no specific location has been proposed, Gogelienė ruled out placing it in Grūtas Park, a museum of Soviet-era artefacts.
Context of desovietisation
The call for the monument’s removal stems from Lithuania’s broader desovietisation efforts. Since May 2023, symbols of “totalitarian and authoritarian regimes” – including monuments, street names, and public memorials – have been subject to removal from public spaces.
The Desovietisation Commission determined that Nėris, through her writings and political actions, actively contributed to Soviet propaganda and supported the occupation regime.
Still, supporters like Kreivytė argue that Nėris’s literary contributions cannot be disentangled from the nation’s cultural fabric.
“She laid the foundation for our lyrical tradition,” said Kreivytė.
“We won’t protest or campaign on Saturday – we’ll simply do what Nėris did best: read poetry,” she added.
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