Monument to Jurgis Ambraziejus Pabrėža

A modernist, stylized granite/concrete sculpture in a bell-like shape topped with a cross. Carved within the structure is a stylized figure in a long monastic robe, with a bowed head and outstretched arms. The large letters "J" and "P" on either side represent his name — Jurgis Pabrėža. Smaller plaques with additional reliefs are set into the base.

Who was Jurgis Ambraziejus Pabrėža (1771–1849): A renowned Samogitian naturalist, botanist, Franciscan (Bernardine) friar, preacher, and healer of body and soul, as well as an educator and a pioneer of Samogitian written language and scientific terminology. He studied at the Kretinga gymnasium, joined the Kretinga Franciscan monastery in 1816, and later served as the monastery's preacher while devoting himself to scholarly work — collecting and describing the plants of Samogitia. A process for his beatification is currently underway.

Monument details:

• Unveiled and consecrated: 26 June 1993, marking the 740th anniversary of the first documented mention of Kretinga in the Livonian Chronicle
• Location: In the square in front of the Kretinga Franciscan Monastery, on the site formerly occupied by St. George's Chapel (destroyed by fire in 1941)
• Authors: Sculptor Algirdas Bosas and architect Saulius Manomaitis