“Walking with a Fish” Sculpture in Klaipėda

“Walking with a Fish” Sculpture: a two-part Melnragė sculpture surrounded by wind and the Baltic Sea

The “Walking with a Fish” Sculpture is a public composition installed on Melnragė’s north pier on 18 August 2018. A windblown person in a hat and a fish walking beside him are made from oxidised steel, turning the work into a reflection on coastal people’s relationship with the sea, while access depends on the pier’s wind and wave conditions.

Separate steel silhouettes of a person and fish on the Melnragė pier beside the sea

Place: Klaipėda City Municipality
Region: Klaipėda
Type: public seaside sculptural composition
Address: Melnragė, north pier, Vėtros Street, Klaipėda
Coordinates: 55.73010, 21.08196
Visit duration: 30–60 minutes with a walk along the Melnragė pier
Best time: calm daylight weather when the pier is comfortable and safe to return from

Names and variants

“Walking with a Fish”, Melnragė Fisherman and Fish Sculpture

A work on Melnragė’s north pier

The “Walking with a Fish” Sculpture stands on Klaipėda’s Melnragė north pier beside the Baltic Sea. The official Klaipėda Region Guide records its installation on 18 August 2018, making it a useful stop on a coastal walk, but it should not be confused with the Melnragė piers themselves.

This is outdoor public art whose appearance depends on sky, waves, and wind. The approach follows pier surfacing rather than a museum path, so good footwear and an unhurried pace matter both for photography and for the return from the end.

Two separate figures share one seaside story

The composition includes a more-than-two-metre human silhouette wearing a hat and a coat blown wide by the wind. A smaller fish walks beside it, so the title’s walk is literal: two distinct characters travel the same imagined route by the sea.

The regional guide emphasizes the wind-shaped clothing and the person’s broad stride. From different places along the pier, the gap between the figures, the sea line, and the metal shadow change, making it worth trying more than one viewing angle.

Oxidised steel gives the work its coastal surface

The sculpture uses many four-millimetre galvanised-steel sheets coated with oxide. This is not a polished decorative surface: it absorbs sky, salt air, and changing light, so the metal can appear nearly black or grey-silver at different times of day.

The construction is made for an outdoor setting, but that does not make the plinth a place to touch or climb. Moisture, ice, and sand affect both the pier and the work’s visual presence, so observe it from the route and keep the space around the figures clear.

Makers and an idea of connection with the sea

The listed makers are sculptors Svajūnas Jurkus and Sergejus Plotnikovas, architect Vytautas Paulionis, and blacksmith Gražvydas Černiauskas. The guide names Arijus as the commissioner and links the work to a wish to mark coastal residents’ and visitors’ love of the sea in public space.

The official description interprets the fish as a sign of thought, dream, illusion, and a person’s relationship with sea and nature. That is an interpretive lens rather than a single required answer: visitors may also see an everyday coastal figure moving freely into the wind.

Pier conditions are part of the visit

There is no ticket desk or museum timetable because the sculpture is outdoors in a public seaside space. The north pier is not a neutral plaza, however: strong wind, high waves, ice, wet surfacing, or temporary restrictions can change the safe route.

Before walking onto the pier, check the weather, waves, and local warnings, and keep children on the landward side of the path.

“Walking with a Fish” Sculpture: frequently asked questions

Where is the “Walking with a Fish” Sculpture?

It is in Klaipėda on Melnragė’s north pier, near Vėtros Street. The visit point is about 55.730102, 21.08196, and the sculpture is a distinct work within the wider Melnragė piers setting.

When was this Melnragė sculpture installed?

The Klaipėda Region Guide gives 18 August 2018. Since the composition stands outdoors, its setting and the experience of reaching it change with the season and sea conditions.

What does “Walking with a Fish” depict?

The composition shows a larger stylised human figure in a hat and coat with a smaller fish walking separately beside it. The person and fish are two distinct characters, not one fused figure.

What is the sculpture made from?

The official description says it uses many four-millimetre galvanised-steel sheets coated with oxide. The finish and seaside light give the metal a dark, changing appearance suited to an open coastal setting.

Who made the sculpture by Melnragė pier?

The sculptors are Svajūnas Jurkus and Sergejus Plotnikovas, the architect is Vytautas Paulionis, and the blacksmith is Gražvydas Černiauskas. The guide names Arijus as commissioner.

What does the sculpture mean?

The regional guide links the fish with thought, dream, illusion, and a person’s relationship with the sea and nature. It can also be read as a coastal person’s everyday movement into the wind.

Can you visit the sculpture at any time?

As an outdoor work, it has no ticket desk or museum opening hours. Strong wind, waves, ice, wet surfaces, maintenance, or safety instructions can temporarily change access to the pier.

Is it safe to walk there with children?

After checking the weather and pier conditions, the walk can suit a family, but keep children on the route and away from edges, the plinth, and wet structures. Close adult supervision is essential beside the water.

When is the best time to visit the sculpture?

Choose calm weather with good light, when the pier is comfortable to walk and it is easy to return safely from the water. Access can change quickly with wind, waves, or wet surfaces.