Black Ghost (Juodasis vaiduoklis) by Svajūnas Jurkus and Sergejus Plotnikovas, Klaipėda, Lithuania
The black
ghost
Svajūnas Jurkus & Sergejus Plotnikovas · “Juodasis vaiduoklis” (Black Ghost), 2010 · By the swing bridge at the castle site, Žvejų g. 22, Klaipėda
Photo as published on Street Art Utopia
A faceless bronze ghost in a hooded robe hauls itself out of the castle canal in Klaipėda, holding up a lantern beside the old swing bridge. Sculptors Svajūnas Jurkus and Sergejus Plotnikovas based it on a legend from 1595, in which a man in a long black robe warned a castle guard that the town would run short of grain and firewood. It was unveiled in July 2010, and the newest dated photo we found shows it in place in July 2024.
5 things to know
- A ghost seen on 19 February 1595The legend is “Juodasis vyras iš Memelio” (“The Black Man from Memel”, Memel being Klaipėda’s old German name), from the book of East Prussian legends. At 9 pm a castle guard, Hans von Heidi, saw a bridge rise over the castle ditch with a man in a long black robe on it. The man asked if the castle had enough to eat, said “grain and firewood” would still run short, and vanished as the walls shook. Vakarų ekspresas, 2010 · Vakarų ekspresas, 2008 · Kraštogidas
- Unveiled at the ghost’s own hourThe ceremony was set for 9 pm on a Friday, “exactly the time the ghost appears in the authentic legend”, the paper wrote. Pupils from the S. Dachas school theatre group, led by Karolis Makauskas, were to act out the legend, and townspeople were invited to raise a glass so the mysterious forces would protect the city. Vakarų ekspresas, 8 July 2010
- It waited for the bridgeThe idea won Klaipėda municipality’s 2008 competition for small public sculptures, against three other projects. The city planned to set it up that year and expected it finished by mid-December 2008, but the swing bridge beside the site had been taken down for repair, so it had to wait. The bridge was restored in 2008–2010. Vakarų ekspresas, Aug 2008 · Oct 2008 · Wikipedia (LT)
- Not quite where the ghost appearedHistorian Dainius Elertas told Vakarų ekspresas in 2008 that the Black Man is the oldest ghost recorded in Klaipėda, but that he appeared at the old castle bridge, between the iron slipway and the castle site. That bridge is gone and the spot has been filled in with earth. Vakarų ekspresas, 31 Oct 2008
- It talksThe Black Ghost is one of eight “talking sculptures” set up by the Klaipėda Tourism and Culture Information Center: scan the QR code beside it and it tells its story in Lithuanian, English or German. KlaipėdON · Lithuania Travel
Check-in guide
- 📍
- On the wooden quay at the entrance to the Castle harbour (Pilies uostas), right beside the swing bridge, at Žvejų g. 22 in Klaipėda’s Old Town, by the Old Mill hotel (Kraštogidas, Vakarų ekspresas, uostas.info).
- 🧭
- The Maps button uses OpenStreetMap’s point for the sculpture itself. Kraštogidas and Atlas Obscura give almost the same point (55.7066, 21.1267–21.1268).
- 📱
- Look for the QR code next to it: the ghost tells its story in Lithuanian, English or German (Lithuania Travel, talking sculptures).
- 👀
- The figure sits low on the quay edge behind posts and a rope rail; the bridge and the castle site’s grass ramparts make the backdrop. The newest dated photo we found is from 3 July 2024 (Wikimedia Commons).
Sightings
- 200818 Aug
Wins city competition
- 200831 Oct
On hold: bridge in repair
- 20109 Jul
Unveiling set for 9 pm
- 201115 May
Commons photo
- 201413 Jul
Commons photo
- 201729 Mar
My Modern Met story
- 201710 Jun
Commons photo
- 201917 Dec
Atlas Obscura listing
- 202010 Nov
Commons photo
- 20243 Jul
Commons photo, in place
Every stamp links to the dated source. The 2010 stamp is the date announced for the unveiling; Commons stamps are the dates the photos were taken.
On the record
Klaipėdą papuoš dar viena skulptūra – "Vaiduoklis" (Klaipėda will get one more sculpture: “Ghost”)
„Skulptūra “Vaiduoklis“ bus pastatyta legendoje aprašytoje vietoje – piliavietės teritorijoje, įplaukos į Pilies uostą krantinėje, greta pasukamojo tiltelio.“
“The sculpture ‘Ghost’ will be put up at the place described in the legend: on the castle grounds, on the quay at the entrance to the Castle harbour, beside the swing bridge.” The report names the winning team as sculptor Svajūnas Jurkus with architects Vladas Balsys and Vaidotas Dapkevičius, brought together by the firm Pamario restauratorius.
Vaiduoklių medžioklė Klaipėdoje (Ghost hunting in Klaipėda)
„Legendoje aprašyta vieta prie senojo pilies tilto, kurio dabar nėra. Jis buvęs tarp geležinio elingo ir piliavietės. Dabar ta vieta yra užpilta žemėmis“
“The place described in the legend is by the old castle bridge, which no longer exists. It stood between the iron slipway and the castle site. That spot has now been filled in with earth.” Historian Dainius Elertas, in Jurga Petronytė’s Halloween feature.
Juodasis Klaipėdos vaiduoklis sugrįžta į piliavietę (Klaipėda’s Black Ghost returns to the castle site)
„Beveik dvejų metų kūrybinių ieškojimų rezultatas – iš vandens į krantą žengiančio Vaiduoklio siluetas.“
“The result of almost two years of creative searching is the silhouette of the Ghost stepping from the water onto the shore.” The announcement, the day before the unveiling, names the sculptors Svajūnas Jurkus and Sergejus Plotnikovas and gives the bronze a height of 2.4 metres.
Sculpture „Juodasis vaiduoklis“ („The black ghost“)
“Near the revolving bridge „Ghost“ is climbing out of the water – character from the legend of Klaipėda.”
The county library’s heritage guide, which gives the address Žvejų street 22 and names the sculptors and architects.
Creepy Ghost Statue in Lithuania Looks Like It’s Crawling Out of the Water
“This immense bronze sculpture, known as the Juodasis Vaiduoklis in Lithuanian, is 2.4 meters (7.8 feet) in height and casts an eery vibe.”
By Jessica Stewart, with images credited to Apie vija, the architect Vladas Balsys, Dalia Račkauskaitė and Yevgen Belich / Shutterstock.
The facts
- Artists
- Sculptors Svajūnas Jurkus and Sergejus Plotnikovas; architects Vaidotas Dapkevičius and Vladas Balsys (Vakarų ekspresas, Kraštogidas, Atlas Obscura, My Modern Met). The 2008 competition report names only Jurkus among the sculptors; Plotnikovas appears in the 2010 announcement Checked
- Title
- “Juodasis vaiduoklis” (The Black Ghost); the 2008 competition entry was called “Vaiduoklis” (Ghost) (Vakarų ekspresas) Checked
- Commission
- Winner of Klaipėda municipality Culture Department’s 2008 competition for small sculptures; initiated by the firm Pamario restauratorius and the municipality (2008, 2010) Checked
- Unveiled
- Ceremony announced for Friday 9 July 2010 at 9 pm (Vakarų ekspresas, published Thursday 8 July). Lithuanian Wikipedia says it was ceremonially unveiled in 2010. We found no report written after the ceremony; 8 July, sometimes given, is the date of the announcement Reported
- Material, size
- Bronze, 2.4 metres tall (Vakarų ekspresas, Lithuania Travel, My Modern Met) Checked
- Place
- On the quay at the entrance to the Castle harbour, beside the swing bridge, Žvejų g. 22 (the Old Mill hotel’s address) (Vakarų ekspresas, Kraštogidas, uostas.info); point from OpenStreetMap Checked
- Moved?
- No. The 2010 headline “returns to the castle site” means the legend’s ghost coming back to the city (the article speaks of “į miestą sugrįžęs Klaipėdos juodasis vaiduoklis”, “Klaipėda’s Black Ghost, returned to the city”); it was written before the unveiling. Dated photos from 2011 to 2024 show the sculpture at the same spot (Wikimedia Commons) Checked
- The legend
- Lithuanian texts: the guard stood on the rampart, the man in black appeared on a bridge over the castle ditch, and warned of “grūdų ir malkų” (grain and firewood) running short (2008, 2010). English retellings put the guard “by the docks” (My Modern Met) or “near the harbor” (Atlas Obscura) and speak of grain and timber, as does the Kraštogidas English page, which keeps the bridge over the ditch (My Modern Met, Atlas Obscura, Kraštogidas English page). We follow the Lithuanian texts Conflicting
- Guard’s name
- “Hansas fon der Heidė iš Didmaršeno” (2008), “Hansas fon Heidė iš Ditmaršo žemės” (2010), “Hans von Heidi from Dithmarschen” (Kraštogidas); “Hans von Heidi” (Atlas Obscura). The spellings differ; Dithmarschen is a region in Holstein Conflicting
- Legend source
- Retold from the book of East Prussian legends, “Rytprūsių padavimai” (Ostpreussische Sagen) (Vakarų ekspresas); Lithuanian Wikipedia says the legend was written down by Caspar Hennenberger (Wikipedia) Reported
- Extras
- The 2010 announcement promised that “each person who comes up to the Ghost will be greeted in a ghostly way”, and a plaque with the legend in Lithuanian and German. Atlas Obscura says the figure is hollow under the robe and lit green from inside after dark. We have not seen these features in a dated source Unconfirmed
- Photo
- Photographer not credited on Street Art Utopia; date taken not known Unconfirmed
- Status
- In place in a photo dated 3 July 2024 by Helmut Seger (Wikimedia Commons). No source reports damage or removal Checked
Related
- On Street Art Utopia: Imagination Took Over (8 Photos) (3 October 2026), where the photo above appeared.
- The other seven talking sculptures, from Ann of Tharau to the Fisherman, on the tourism office’s page. KlaipėdON
- The swing bridge itself, built in the 18th century and rebuilt in 1839 and 1885, on the county library’s heritage guide. Kraštogidas
- Another bronze that seems to come up from below street level: Čumil by Viktor Hulík, Bratislava, an Artwork File.
All sources (20)
This sculpture
- Vakarų ekspresas: “Klaipėdą papuoš dar viena skulptūra – "Vaiduoklis"” (“Klaipėda will get one more sculpture: ‘Ghost’”), 18 August 2008. Competition win, team, planned site.
- Vakarų ekspresas: “Vaiduoklių medžioklė Klaipėdoje” (“Ghost hunting in Klaipėda”), 31 October 2008. By Jurga Petronytė. Delay for the bridge repair; historian Dainius Elertas on the legend’s real spot.
- Vakarų ekspresas: “Juodasis Klaipėdos vaiduoklis sugrįžta į piliavietę” (“Klaipėda’s Black Ghost returns to the castle site”), 8 July 2010. Unveiling programme, artists, bronze, 2.4 m, full legend text.
- Kraštogidas (Klaipėda County Ieva Simonaitytė Public Library): “Sculpture „Juodasis vaiduoklis“ („The black ghost“)”, compiled 2014. Address, coordinates, sculptors, architects, legend.
- Atlas Obscura: “Juodasis Vaiduoklis (The Black Ghost)”, published 17 December 2019, added by Tony Dunnell. Artists, 2010, address, lighting.
- My Modern Met: “Creepy Ghost Statue in Lithuania Looks Like It’s Crawling Out of the Water”, 29 March 2017. By Jessica Stewart.
- Lithuania Travel (national tourism site): “The Black Ghost sculpture”, undated. Near the castle site, 2.4 m, QR code.
- Wikipedia (Lithuanian): “Klaipėdos pasukamasis tiltas” (Klaipėda swing bridge). Bridge restored 2008–2010; sculpture unveiled 2010; Hennenberger.
- pamatykLietuvoje.lt: “Skulptūra „Juodasis vaiduoklis“”, undated, text credited to klaipedainfo.lt. Repeats the 2010 announcement, so not an independent source.
- uostas.info: “7. „Vaiduoklis“”, undated. Same text as the 2010 announcement, adds “ties „Old Mill“ viešbučiu” (by the Old Mill hotel); not an independent source.
Visiting
- KlaipėdON (Klaipėda tourism office): “Klaipėda’s talking sculptures”, undated. The Black Ghost among eight talking sculptures.
- Lithuania Travel: “Talking sculptures in Klaipėda”, undated. QR stories in Lithuanian, English and German.
Dated photos (Wikimedia Commons)
- Category: Juodasis vaiduoklis (Klaipėda), seven files.
- Klaipėda – panoramio (9), taken 15 May 2011, by Modris Putns, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- SculpturesInKlaipeda20140713-11, 13 July 2014, by Patrik Nylin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Klaipeda most obrotowy 3, 10 June 2017, by Andrzej Otrębski, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- В морском порту Клайпеды Литва, 10 November 2020, by LokkLamora, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Zveju g DM Gespenst 20240703 2, 3 July 2024, by Helmut Seger, CC BY-SA 4.0. The newest dated photo we found.
The place
- OpenStreetMap: node 3624639232, “Juodasis vaiduoklis”, artwork, bronze, 55.70660, 21.12682.
- OpenStreetMap: Old Mill Hotel, Žvejų g. 22 (way 100597141).
Artwork File · Last checked 5 October 2026 · Certainty labels follow How We Verify Art · All Artwork Files