Hi all, I’m on a short holiday in Kaunas with my girlfriend, shes from Kaunas originally but has lived in Ireland most of her life (I’m Irish)

So she doesn’t know much about what happens in Kaunas of Lithuania in general anymore.

We noticed the new statue of the bull when we were driving in from the airport. Do anyone know what the significance of the bull is? And who made the sculpture and why it was erected?

Thanks! P.S I know I could’ve googled this but I can’t read Lithuanian and it would be interesting also to hear your opinions on it too

[Bull Image](https://www.lrt.lt/img/2023/02/27/1457792-767341-756×425.jpg)

4 comments

  3. There is a legend behind it.

    It tells that Lithuanian duke and his warriors were hunting in the forest where two big rivers (Nemunas and Neris) meet. The hunt was successful and they stabed a huge aurochs with a spear. Aurochses were considered to be rulers of the forests, therefore it was a big deal to get one.

    When hunters got to the injured beast they saw that tree twigs in between his horns formed a cross. Hunters thought that this was a sign from above and got scared that gods were angry with them. They decided to sacrifice the beast in the place where two rivers meet to please the gods and burned it on the oak wood fire (oaks were saint trees in our old pagan religion).

    Later in this place Kaunas castle was built and Kaunas city formed arround it. The aurox with the cross between his horns is our city symbol to this day.

    The sculpture was built because it got chosen by “Kauno akcentai” initiative. Basically any artist can think of something to decorate city and write a project for it. If the project is chosen it gets permisions and funding.

  4. Where it is? Have been in Kaunas often to visit my girlfriend’s family, but never seen it. Is this Hermes hotel in background?

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