Why Do We See These Reliefs Not on the Façade of the Tadas Ivanauskas Museum, But in Another Part of Kaunas — Near Ąžuolynas and the Zoo?
That’s a question to which there is still no clear answer. It’s possible that the Soviet art censors were disturbed by the hybrid nature of the figures and the powerful impact of the imagery. The works sparked various interpretations — some of which may have seemed dangerous.
In those figures, officials saw ambiguity and a departure from the doctrine of Socialist Realism and the ideological art endorsed by the Soviet regime. As a result, the authorities simply prohibited the sculptor from continuing the project. They claimed the bas-reliefs would be too heavy for the façade — though that wasn’t true.
It’s important to note that sculptor Rimantas Šulskis was disliked by the Soviet authorities. He suffered under the regime, was suspected and interrogated by security services. He never sculpted Lenins and refused to serve ideology. His connections with dissidents may also have provided a pretext to ban him from creating and exhibiting his work.
In 1980, after casting four parts of the “Fauna” cycle in bronze, the project was halted. The remaining three compositions were never cast during that time.
Plans to Renovate the Tadas Ivanauskas Museum of Zoology Building (Known as the Central Jewish Bank Until 1940)
The idea to renovate the building began as early as the 1960s. The design process was lengthy, with several changes in the project’s authors. Ultimately, the reconstruction project was completed and realized in 1981 by architects A. Keturka and K. Zykus (1974–1981).
The monotonous façade was meant to be enlivened by a sculptural work that would reflect the museum’s zoological focus. Architect A. Keturka entrusted this task to a young and talented sculptor, Rimantas Šulskis.
**Sculptor Rimantas Šulskis and Architect Alfonsas Keturka's Expanded Vision**
Sculptor Rimantas Šulskis and architect Alfonsas Keturka agreed to expand the original architectural concept by incorporating a sculptural frieze into the museum’s façade. Architects and engineers specially designed a niche in the museum’s façade for this sculptural frieze. Between 1979 and 1980, Rimantas Šulskis created seven compositions for the *“Fauna”* cycle, depicting fantastical animals, humans, and birds. These compositions were meant to form a continuous horizontal band above the main entrance. However, as the work progressed, the project was rejected by the authorities, and the sculptor was not allowed to finish it. As a result, the museum’s façade remained empty and unfinished.
Within the artistic community, the idea of completing the original vision continued to simmer. Architect Gintaras Balčytis had prepared design proposals, which were approved by the Kaunas Architecture Expert Council (KAUET) in 2011.
