The sculptor Rapolas Jakimavičius next to his monument of Vytautas the Great for the Church of St Nicholas in Vilnius. „Alma Mater Vilnensis“, 1930, Nr. 9

Both capitals planned to erect a monument to Grand Duke Vytautas. The original location proposed in Vilnius was the tower of the Upper Castle. Later, it was decided to build it in front of the ruins of the hall-range in the courtyard of the Upper Castle. Although the plan was never carried out, it sparked a conflict which had serious repercussions between two participants in the competition, Ludomir Sleńdziński (1889–1980), a professor at Stephen Báthory University, and the Vilnius-based Lithuanian sculptor Rapolas Jakimavičius (1893–1961). Sleńdziński accused Jakimavičius of copying his model for the monument. A court ruled in 1932 in favour of Jakimavičius. The Polish and Lithuanian press followed the story closely, and the case took on political overtones. Jakimavičius was one of the few Lithuanian artists living in Vilnius at the time. A bust by him of the grand duke, based on a different design, was unveiled in the Church of St Nicholas in Vilnius in the jubilee year.

Text authors Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album KAUNAS–VILNIUS / 1918–1945 (2021). Compilers and text authors Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė
Expositions: "1918-1945 / Kaunas-Vilnius", 27 August 2020 – 21 August 2021, Lithuanian Art Centre TARTLE (Užupio St. 40, Vilnius). Curators Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė.

Both capitals planned to erect a monument to Grand Duke Vytautas. The original location proposed in Vilnius was the tower of the Upper Castle. Later, it was decided to build it in front of the ruins of the hall-range in the courtyard of the Upper Castle. Although the plan was never carried out, it sparked a conflict which had serious repercussions between two participants in the competition, Ludomir Sleńdziński (1889–1980), a professor at Stephen Báthory University, and the Vilnius-based Lithuanian sculptor Rapolas Jakimavičius (1893–1961). Sleńdziński accused Jakimavičius of copying his model for the monument. A court ruled in 1932 in favour of Jakimavičius. The Polish and Lithuanian press followed the story closely, and the case took on political overtones. Jakimavičius was one of the few Lithuanian artists living in Vilnius at the time. A bust by him of the grand duke, based on a different design, was unveiled in the Church of St Nicholas in Vilnius in the jubilee year.

Text authors Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album KAUNAS–VILNIUS / 1918–1945 (2021). Compilers and text authors Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė
Expositions: "1918-1945 / Kaunas-Vilnius", 27 August 2020 – 21 August 2021, Lithuanian Art Centre TARTLE (Užupio St. 40, Vilnius). Curators Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė.