The start of the creative work of Juozas Zikaras
Juozas Zikaras was born on 18 November 1881 in Paliukai (now a village in Panevėžys district). He was an only child, his six other brothers and sisters died early. His father was a carpenter, but the Zikaras family was very poor, so Juozas had to be a shepherd and do other work. From an early age, he had an interest in art, carving sculptures, and creating other small works. Juozas was admitted to Pumpėnai primary school when he was 16 years old. Zikaras completed his primary school course in two years. After graduating in 1889, he returned home, worked individual jobs, was a farmhand, and later — a guard at Panevėžys Gymnasium. He secretly taught children to write, and for this, he received a small income. He was involved in the national movement. This movement was patronised by the famous publicist Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė, who’s efforts led to Zikaras coming to study at the Vilnius School of Drawing. While studying there, he interacted with Lithuanian intellectuals (such as Jonas Jablonskis) and thanks to them he managed to realise his dream — to go to St Petersburg. While working as a guard at the gymnasium, he found a newspaper clipping about the St Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts, and in 1906 he was already there.
Juozas Zikaras had difficulties joining the academy and only made it on his third try in 1910 when he was almost 30 years old. However, before he joined, he had already sent his works to the first exhibitions organised by Lithuanians in Vilnius. He also received commissions from St Petersburg and from Lithuania. In 1914, he married Anelė Tūbelytė (1888–1963), a Lithuanian in St Petersburg, who posed in a studio given to Zikaras. His wife also posed for his final work, called “Mother”, for which the artist acquired the status of an artist.
In 1918, immediately after the restoration of independence, Zikaras and his family returned to Lithuania, his homeland. However, living in a young country was difficult. He was invited to teach at Panevėžys Gymnasium, the director of which was a famous public figure, Jonas Yčas. Zikaras both taught and lived there. While already working he began to receive his first orders from the state. “Freedom” (plaster model) was born in Panevėžys as well as the busts of J. Basanavicius, S. Daukantas, V. Kudirka, which today are placed in the garden of the Kaunas War Museum and elsewhere. Zikaras also created many portrait bas-reliefs (including those of famous individuals).
Juozas Zikaras and Lithuanian coins
After Lithuania regained its independence on 16 February 1918, discussions almost immediately started on the introduction of the country’s own currency. At that time, the legal means of payment was the money introduced by the German occupation — marks (ostmarks), later renamed “auksiniai.” That money was linked to the German mark. With inflation rising, the value of money falling rapidly, and confidence in German money diminished, there was a need to bring in a national currency. This was achieved only in 1922, when the Law on Currency was adopted on 9 August, and the first litas and centas appeared in circulation on 2 October. Interestingly, due to the urgency and lack of sufficient resources, both litas and centas were printed on paper.
Minting of coins was also planned. In 1923, before the adoption of the Law of Coins, a coin project competition was organised. It is not entirely clear whether Zikaras participated in this competition, but it is certainly known that more than one of his students tried their luck. And it was one of his students who eventually won. The winner was the future sculptor and husband of Salomėja Nėris, Bernardas Bučas. However, the composition did not meet the requirements and was very difficult, so the results were annulled. New projects were proposed for already famous Lithuanian artists, including Zikaras. He created 11 denomination (1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50 centas and 1, 2, 5, 10 litas) wax patterns and a common Vytas image for all the coins. Interestingly, the Vytis differed from the official version of the Vytis created by the artist Antanas Žmuidzinavičius and used in the coat of arms of Lithuania (at that time, the depiction of the Vytis was not regulated). It was the version by Zikaras, not Žmuidzinavičius, which was chosen after Lithuania regained independence in 1990. It existed until a new version of the coat of arms was adopted. This variant of the Vytis can still be seen on the remaining 1, 2, 5 centas (also called “white centas”) coins of the 1991 release. Eight denominations appeared in circulation: 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 centas (copper-aluminium) and 1.5 litas (silver) coins. In their reverses, there are motifs of typical Lithuanian plants (oak, flax, etc.). The coins were minted in England. For this work, Zikaras received a solid salary of LTL 31,000. The artist was able to live well-off, he built a house in Panevėžys. The house was designed by Zikaras’ friend and famous architect Aleksandras Gordevičius. The building, unfortunately, was destroyed during the Soviet period, and only a monumental stone reminds us of it today.
For the second time, Juozas Zikaras was invited to create coins when he lived in Kaunas. Due to the shortage of small coins in the 1930s, it was decided to establish a mint in Lithuania. This was done in 1936. A new sample of 1, 2, 5 centas, and 5 and 10 litas coins was required. Zikaras developed small coin projects like those that had previously been designed — with plant motifs. The coins of larger denominations — 5 and 10 litas — depict for the first time portraits of real persons. 5 litas featured the profile of the Lithuanian patriarch Jonas Basanavičius (that year commemorated his 85th anniversary), and on the 10 litas coin — Vytautas the Great. It is interesting that the 5 litas coin is the only one in which the initials of Juozas Zikaras are engraved.
The last coin was minted in independent Lithuania in 1938, commemorating the 20th anniversary of Lithuania’s independence. It depicts for the first time a living person — the President of Lithuania, “Father of the Nation” Antanas Smetona. His portrait was also made by Zikaras. This coin differed from the rest in that it no longer contained the “Zikaras Vytas”, but rather depicting the Pillars of Gediminas. Today, the exposition of the National M. K. Čiurlionis Art Museum, which presents the history of the national currency, allows you to see unique models of coins created by Zikaras. And not only those based on which Lithuanian coins were minted but also the prototypes which, for various reasons, were not issued. For example, one of Zikaras’ ideas was to issue coins depicting images of Vilnius, Kaunas, and Klaipėda. However, perhaps for political reasons, this coin never saw the light of day. There is also a drawing by Zikaras, most likely a joke, of a 1 litas project depicting a humorous piglet. This draft was a sort of protest against a crisis law passed by the government at the time, under which farmers had to export piglets with tails that all curled exactly the same.
The further life of Juozas Zikaras
After creating coins and earning some money, Zikaras continued his creative activities. Perhaps the most important piece which brought him fame was the sculpture of “Laisvė/Freedom” which arose near Vytautas the Great War Museum in 1928, and it became a symbol of the independence of Lithuania. Interestingly, this symbol is also related to money. We can see the image of the sculpture on 20 litas banknotes issued in 1929 and after 1990.Zikaras created sculptures, bas-reliefs, reliefs, book illustrations, and works for sacred and public buildings. In 1937, for the International Exposition of Art and Technology in Modern Life in Paris, he created a mock-up of a Lithuanian homestead, for which he received a gold medal.
One of his most beautiful surviving and publicly accessible works — the interior of the operational hall in the former Palace of the Bank of Lithuania in Panevėžys.
During the occupation, the Kaunas School of Arts, where Zikaras worked for a long time, closed. A new Institute of Applied Art was established, and Zikaras was appointed interim director in 1941. The institute was closed during the Nazi occupation. When the Soviets returned, Zikaras was given the title of professor. However, this title did not mean much, because Zikaras was interrogated by the Soviets (at the time, his three sons, who were missing, were suspected by the Soviets to be collaborating with the Nazis), and tortured. Zikaras committed suicide on 10 November 1944. He was buried in Petrašiūnai cemetery.
Literature sources:
- Dalia Grimaliauskaitė, Eduardas Remecas „Pinigai Lietuvoje“, 2016 m., Vilnius
- Miglė Banytė, Vaiva Laukaitienė „Juozas Zikaras“, 2006 m., Kaunas
- Rūta Kuncienė „Pinigai Lietuvoje 1915-1941“, 1995 m., Vilnius
