In Vilnius' Old Town, a drunk driver in a 'Lexus' demolished the soulful city sculpture 'Water Carrier'
From Lida Street, Romualdas Kvintas' work suddenly disappeared — an old man carries water from Ugor's springs, looking up at the heavens and dreaming.
It turned out that the monument was seriously damaged as a result of a road accident, writes Delfi.lt.
The incident occurred on Friday evening, July 24. According to police data, around 9:42 PM, the driver of a Lexus lost control of the vehicle on a turn, crashed into protective bollards, and demolished the sculpture. A medical examination showed that the man was heavily intoxicated — 1.84 permille of alcohol was detected in his system.
The moment of the accident was captured on video, which spread on social networks. The footage shows the car veering off the roadway and crashing into the sculpture at full speed.
Photo: Alyaksandr Varanovich, social media
Vilnius City Hall confirmed that the monument was severely damaged. It has now been dismantled and transported to the premises of the municipal enterprise Grinda, where specialists are assessing the extent of the damage. After the examination, a decision will be made on whether the sculpture can be restored and returned to its original location.
Police initiated a criminal case for driving a vehicle while intoxicated. According to Lithuanian legislation, if a driver is found to have 1.51 permille of alcohol or more, they may face a fine, arrest, or imprisonment for a term of up to one year.
The creator of the 'Water Carrier' sculpture, Romualdas Kvintas, was inspired by the work of the Jewish writer Moyshe Kulbak (1896—1937). This native of Smarhon lived in Vilnius for some time, but in the late 1920s, he moved to Minsk, about which he wrote the novel 'The Zelmenyaners'.
'The Water Carrier' symbolizes a Jewish water carrier, who, it is believed, was often seen in the Old Town of Vilnius. The poorest residents of the city undertook this work — they drew water from the river and delivered it to shops and workshops in the Old Town, where there was no plumbing.
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