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- Juozas Zikaras (1881-1944) was a Lithuanian sculptor and artist, who created the design for pre-war Lithuanian litas coins. He is considered to be one of the first professional Lithuanian sculptors. He was born November 18, 1881 in the village of Paliūkai near Panevėžys in Lithuania (then part of Russian Empire). Between 1904 and 1906 he studied fine arts at the Vilnius-based Lev Trutnev Drawing School, as well as classes given by Józef Montwiłł. Surpassing many of his fellow art students, Zikaras in 1907 went to St. Petersburg to continue his studies at the Society for Encouragement of Fine Arts. In 1910, after three years in St. Petersburg, he was accepted to the Academy of Fine Arts, from where he graduated in 1915, already after the outbreak of World War I. Shortly before finishing his diploma work he was drafted into the Russian army. However, he was not dispatched to the front and instead was able to receive a silver award of his alma mater the following year. Demobilized, he remained in Russia and taught drawing at various schools to make the living. In 1918 he returned to Panevėžys, where he started working in a secondary school and pedagogical seminary. In 1929 he moved to Kaunas, where he started heading the studio of sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts. He held that post until the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in 1940. He continued to give classes of drawing during the German occupation and after the second Soviet occupation he was proposed a professor's seat at the academy. However, on November 10, 1944 he committed suicide. He and his wife Anelė has four children, three sons and one daughter. The sons emigrated to the Western countries after World War II. One, Teisutis became an acclaimed sculptor in Melbourne, Australia. The daughter, Alytė, remained in Lithuania and continued to live in her family's house in Kaunas. Thanks to her efforts a lot of Zikaras works survived the Soviet occupation. In 1959 she established a small exhibition in her father's workshop. Executing her will, the whole family house was turned into a museum in 2000. Another museum dedicated to Zikaras is located in the house where Zikaras spend his childhood. This house was turned into a museum in 1972. Arguably his best known work is the Statue of Liberty in Kaunas erected in 1922. It was the most important symbol of freedom in the interwar Lithuania and is featured on modern 20 litas banknotes. Another major work is the designs for all litas coins in the interwar period. It is not widely known, but Zikaras' version of the Coat of Arms of Lithuania used on his coins was adopted after Lithuania declared independence in 1990. The coat of arms design was changed in 1991. Also, in 1928 Zikaras created a sculpture for knygnešys that now stands in Alytus. It depicts a peasant with a sack full of smuggled books on his back carefully monitoring if there are any border guards to stop him. Zikaras also created a great number of bas-reliefs and busts depicting various famous Lithuanians. Although, Zikaras together with Petras Rimša are known as the first professional sculptors, Zikaras also left a number of paintings, illustrations, graphics. Most of his works are highly patriotic.
- Juozas Zikaras, war ein litauischer Bildhauer. Seine erste Ausbildung erhielt er an der Zeichenschule von Iwan Trutnew der Kunstakademie Vilnius, die er in der Zeit von 1804 bis 1806 an der Abendschule bei Josef Montwill in Vilnius fortsetzte. In den Jahren 1907 bis 1910 studierte er an der Sankt Petersburger Schule der Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Kunst. 1910 wurde er in die Petersburger Kunstakademie aufgenommen. In der Abteilung Bildhauerei studierte er unter Giro Robertowitsch Saleman und W. A. Bekljemischew. 1915 beendete er sein Studium, begann mit seiner Diplomarbeit, wurde jedoch zur Armee eingezogen. Seine dadurch unvollendete Arbeit Die Mutter (Мать) nahm dennoch an der Ausstellung der Diplomarbeiten teil, so dass Zikaras im Oktober 1916 das Diplom sowie eine Silbermedaille für seine Arbeit erhielt. Nach seiner Entlassung aus der Armee unterrichtete er an verschiedenen Petrograder Schulen. 1918 kehrte er mit seiner Familie nach Litauen zurück. In den Jahren 1918 bis 928 lehrte er an Gymnasien in Panevėžys. Seit 1928 lebte er in Kaunas - hier unterrichtete er bis 1940 an der dortigen Kunstschule sowie danach bis 1944 am Institut für Angewandte Kunst. Zikaras verstarb 1944 in Kaunas. 1972 wurde ihm zu Ehren in seinem Heimatort Paljukai ein Gedenkmuseum eingeweiht. Auch in Kaunas existiert ein entsprechendes Museum, das in seinem ehemaligen Wohnhaus untergebracht ist. Er schuf unter anderem einige Monumentaldenkmäler, Relief- sowie Porträtskulpturen. Hier schuf er nicht nur Porträts von Personen seiner Zeit, sondern auch Heiliger. Darüber hinaus zeichnete er für die Entwürfe der Münzen, die anlässlich der 10-jährigen Unabhängigkeit Litauens 1928 herausgegeben wurden.
- Юо́зас Зи́карас — литовский скульптор.
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