Lithuania Depicts Jailed Vladimir Putin Likeness at Former Nazi Prison

A new Google Maps image depicts Russian President Vladimir Putin locked behind bars inside a notorious Lithuanian prison used by Nazis during World War II.

Google Street View shows a cardboard likeness of the Russian president standing inside a cell at Lukiškės Prison, which is centrally located in the Lithuanian capital city of Vilnius. The prison, which was closed in 2019 and converted into a cultural complex that includes studio space for artists, has a horrific history that includes being used by both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union to house political prisoners.

The Street View image shows a stern-faced Putin standing in one of the prison's cells and staring though bars. The image was made available by Google earlier this month. The creation was a collaboration between Google Maps and Go Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital's tourism office. Putin's image consists of a full size cardboard cutout crafted by virtual photography artist Elijas Šležas.

More recently, the prison was used as a filming location for the fourth season of the popular Netflix series Stranger Things.

"Now you can check Lukiškės prison without leaving your home! Just go to Google maps street view and check it out. Also, here you can find one particular person," the Go Vilnius Twitter account tweeted on July 8 alongside a still image of Putin inside the cell and a link to the map. "We think this person fits perfectly here! What do you think?"

Lina Šetikienė, head of Strategic Projects for Go Vilnius, said in a statement to Newsweek that the image was "a form of digital protest which Vilnius has made against Russia's war on Ukraine and its aggressive authoritarian regime."

"The idea came when designing the said virtual tour of the prison's grounds on Google Street View, which allows travelers from all over the world to roam the prison's outside territory, the prisoner yards, and St. Nicholas Orthodox Church," Šetikienė said. "The guides who conduct the real-life tours of Lukiškės Prison said that many visitors expressed their thoughts that it would be a fitting place for the dictator."

Šetikienė added that the protest was only one of several "initiatives implemented in Vilnius over the past months expressing support to Ukraine and condemning Russia's invasion."

She pointed out that a street name outside the Russian Embassy in Vilnius was changed to "Ukrainian Heroes Street" and that Vilnius Mayor Remigijus Šimašius put the words "Putin, the Hague is waiting for you" outside the embassy and on the Vilnius Municipality building.

Multiple international observers and world leaders including President Joe Biden have deemed Putin a "war criminal" following Russia's invasion Ukraine on February 24.

Some have argued that Putin and Russian military leaders should be prosecuted for war crimes in the International Criminal Court for allegedly deliberately targeting civilians during the war.

Meanwhile, Russian authorities have been cracking down on critics of the war by handing them long prison sentences for daring to challenge Putin's policies.

Last week, Moscow municipal deputy Alexei Gorinov was sentenced to seven years in a penal colony for speaking out against the war and allegedly spreading "false information" about civilian casualties.

Shortly after the most recent season of Stranger Things was released, a cell inside Lukiškės Prison appeared for rent on Airbnb at 107 Euros per night, according to Primetimer.

The rental reportedly came with a tour of the prison grounds and 1980s-themed cell decor, in keeping with the atmosphere of the show. However, the listing came down soon after and was no longer "available for booking" for unknown reasons.

Newsweek reached out to the Russian government and Google for comment.

Update 07/14/22, 4:24 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and background.