Monument to Jonas Karolis Chodkevičius in Kretinga

Monument to Jonas Karolis Chodkevičius

Description: A massive pinkish-granite monument shaped as a symbolic gateway — an arch with an open, bronze-clad door. The door bears a bronze high-relief depicting a full-length figure of J. K. Chodkevičius in a long cloak, holding a sword and an orb-like object (a symbol of authority). Above the arch is mounted the Chodkevičius family coat of arms, flanked by two griffins as heraldic supporters. The open door symbolizes the boundary between past and present — as though Chodkevičius himself is looking across the centuries at the city he founded.

Historical context: Jonas Karolis Chodkevičius (1560–1621) was Grand Hetman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Voivode of Vilnius, and Starost of Samogitia, as well as the founder of the town, church, and monastery of Kretinga. On 23 January 1609 he signed the charter establishing the town of Karolštatas (later Kretinga) and granting it Magdeburg rights; in 1602 he invited Bernardine (Observant Franciscan) friars to Kretinga and founded the monastery there.

Monument details:

• Unveiled: 12 June 2009, marking the 400th anniversary of the Kretinga municipality
• Author: Adomas Skiezgelas, an architect from Kretinga
• Weight: approx. 12 tonnes
• Material: Lithuanian granite (base) and bronze (relief, coat of arms)
• Location: Northern part of Kretinga's Town Hall (Rotušės) Square