Is the ‘Green Bridge’ still ‘Red’? The Politics of Heritage: Debating Problematic Issues of Socialist-Realist Monuments in Public Spaces in Post-Socialist Condition.

Looking at the Green Bridge monumental sculptures as the objects that represent a certain historical ‘truth’, there has been so much concentration on the past and how artefacts disclose and manifest the essence of that past, that it neglects important issues on how artefacts interact with a present and what they signify in present conditions. The problem of the Green Bridge is complicated precisely because of what these four monuments represent in current political and cultural situation. The issue goes way beyond a ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ memory line of reasoning as many people argue that the sculptures again (mainly because of the recent Imperialist-nature of Russian politics in Ukraine) have become the signifiers of oppression, (even after 25 years of Lithuanian independence) and are offensive to the residents of the city, devaluating ‘truthful’ Lithuanian identity and its values. Thus, this research, exploring the Socialist Realist monumental position in Post-Socialist society and...Show moreLooking at the Green Bridge monumental sculptures as the objects that represent a certain historical ‘truth’, there has been so much concentration on the past and how artefacts disclose and manifest the essence of that past, that it neglects important issues on how artefacts interact with a present and what they signify in present conditions. The problem of the Green Bridge is complicated precisely because of what these four monuments represent in current political and cultural situation. The issue goes way beyond a ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ memory line of reasoning as many people argue that the sculptures again (mainly because of the recent Imperialist-nature of Russian politics in Ukraine) have become the signifiers of oppression, (even after 25 years of Lithuanian independence) and are offensive to the residents of the city, devaluating ‘truthful’ Lithuanian identity and its values. Thus, this research, exploring the Socialist Realist monumental position in Post-Socialist society and concentrating on the Green Bridge sculptural ensemble in Vilnius, is divided into three ‘colourful’ chapters. The first one, entitled ‘Green.’, shortly reviews the historical background of the bridge giving an overview of its construction and development. The second, entitled ‘Red!’, examines the monuments in their relation to Lithuania’s history and complicated political aspects, indicating how there are many levels of interpretation while analysing art objects as time-factored symbols of an entire culture. This chapter contains the analysis of Socialist Realist style, symbols and iconography of the sculptures. It also reflects on possible benefits of adding a Post-colonial discourse to the subject, looks closer into Lithuanian Post-Socialist identity and traumatic collective memory while also indicating the dangers of a narrow two-sided ‘preserve vs. remove’ polemics escalated by Lithuanian media. Chapter ‘Pink?’ aims to propose a wider-raging interdisciplinary approach to political art emphasizing the importance of contemporary artistic practices and their abilities of meaning transformation in the former USSR countries. Moreover, a semiotic approach and the examples of Lithuanian artists in relation to the subject of memory give the opportunity to debate on alternative ways of dealing with the heritage of a totalitarian regime in a present day Post-socialist public spaces. Finally, the conclusion ‘Plato’s Ideal City: Political Decisions & Objectivity in Post-Soviet Vilnius’ examines the verdict made by the Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture and its political aspects also questioning the possibility of objectivity of the solution for the indicated problem.Show less

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Is the ‘Green Bridge’ still ‘Red’? The Politics of Heritage: Debating Problematic Issues of Socialist-Realist Monuments in Public Spaces in Post-Socialist Condition.