About the place

In central Klaipėda, on the bank of the Danė, stands the monumental sculpture “Arka”, dedicated to the idea of Lithuanian unity. It was erected in 2003 to mark the 80th anniversary of the incorporation of the Klaipėda Region into Lithuania. The sculpture weighs around 150 tonnes and rises 8.5 metres high.

The monument’s composition is rich in symbolism: the smaller red-granite column represents Lithuania Minor and its cultural heritage, while the grey column symbolises Lithuania Major. At the top is a fractured connecting element, evoking lost historical lands and a bond that, although physically broken, remains alive in memory.

Words by writer Ieva Simonaitytė are carved into the granite: “We are one nation, one land, one Lithuania.” They read like a promise linking the past with the present.

Sculptor: Arūnas Sakalauskas. More than stone, the monument is a living sign inviting visitors to feel the weight, connection and fragility of the nation’s history.