Freedom Monument, Kaunas

This bronze statue of a winged figure in the city garden of Kaunas commemorates the independence Lithuania won after the First World War. Unveiled in 1928 during the country's interwar statehood, it was hidden and later destroyed under Soviet occupation before being recreated after independence was regained. The figure raising broken chains has become a potent emblem of national freedom. Standing near the war museum and garrison church in a garden of monuments, it forms part of the memorial heart of the former provisional capital.