- Place
- Varėna District Municipality
- Region
- Dzūkija
- Type
- memorial ensemble with a granite sculpture and memorial wall
- Address
- Pušyno g., Pirčiupiai, Valkininkai eldership, Varėna District Municipality
- Coordinates
- 54.39349, 24.96160
- Visit duration
- 30-60 minutes
- Best time
- during the day, when the sculpture, wall, and memorial grounds can be viewed quietly
Pirčiupiai Mother Monument, Mother of the Pirčiupiai Memorial Ensemble
Mother is the memorial's central work
The Pirčiupiai Mother Memorial stands in Pirčiupiai village, Valkininkai eldership, beside the Vilnius–Varėna–Eišiškės road. Visitors first meet the tall granite sculpture Mother; the memorial wall behind it preserves the names of the victims. The memorial ensemble and the nearby burial place are separate sites.
The Pirčiupiai Memorial Ensemble consists of the sculpture Mother and the memorial wall. Pirčiupiai Mother is the familiar name for the same place visitors see, while the separate burial place should not be confused with the ensemble.
A work by Gediminas Jokūbonis, created in 1960
The memorial ensemble was created in 1960. Sculptor Gediminas Jokūbonis carved a monumental, simplified female figure from granite, while Vytautas Gabriūnas was the architect of the memorial wall. The sculpture stands on a rectangular granite-block pedestal and is about 5.5 metres high.
Mother's posture and restrained face convey grief, but the work is not a literal reconstruction of the historical event. Its force comes from the quiet, almost detail-free figure set against the open clearing. Treat the sculpture as a place of remembrance and do not climb onto the pedestal.
What the memorial wall recalls
On 3 June 1944, the village of Pirčiupiai was burned and its inhabitants were killed. In all, 119 people died: 58 men and 61 women, including 49 children under sixteen. This is a memory of an occupation-era war crime, so the history deserves precise, non-sensational language.
The memorial wall complements the sculpture's abstract language with a concrete act of remembrance: the victims' names are carved into it. Read it without rushing. Together, the wall and Mother connect individual grief with the fate of the village community.
A planned ensemble beside road and forest
The memorial sits beside a main road, yet its grounds are separated from traffic by a path and a grassy clearing. Heritage documentation describes the monument about 30 metres west of the road and the memorial wall roughly 50 metres farther west. The sequence shows a planned ensemble rather than an isolated stone.
Pine forest, open grass, and restrained granite surfaces create a quiet setting for reflection. Road noise may still be audible, so choose a moment when you can pause. When travelling on the A4, stop only in a safe designated place and never cross the road where it is prohibited.
How to visit Pirčiupiai Mother
This is an outdoor memorial without a ticket office or scheduled museum session, so 30-60 minutes is usually enough for the sculpture, memorial wall, and grounds. If you need indoor services or additional facilities, arrange them separately before travelling.
Avoid photographing in a way that interrupts another visitor's quiet reflection; do not touch or climb on the granite, and leave no litter. This is a place of remembrance, so keep a respectful tone.
