A MONUMENT TO JOHN SHOULD BE BUILT IN THE LITHUANIAN CAPITAL IN A YEAR´S TIME

“We plan it should be in place next year – in late spring or early summer,” art researcher Saulius Pilinkus told BNS.

In his words, the municipality gave a green light to building the monument on Kaunas Street back in June.Pilinkus said the first sketches are being made; however, the sculptor is yet to be picked. The initiators expect to generate money for the monument from donations.

Lennon, an icon of the 20^th century music world, was the leader of the popular Beatles in 1960-1970s.

John Lennon’s sculpture on Lukiškės Square in Vilnius

After the band split, he pursued his solo career and was a public activist. It was that time that he wrote his song ‘Imagine’, which is referred to as the “international anthem for peace”.

In December, Lennon was shot by a fan Mark David Chapman outside his home in New York City.

The idea of building a tribute monument to Lennon in Vilnius first came up nearly two decades ago.

Pilinkus said the sculpture should bring the neighbourhood next to the Vilnius railway station to new life.Pilinkus and photographer Saulius Paukstys have already seen to building a bust of another prominent musician, Frank Zappa, in Vilnius in 1996.