New Google The image of the map shows the President of Russia Vladimir Putin imprisoned behind bars in the infamous Lithuanian prison used by the Nazis during World War II.
Google Street View shows a cardboard likeness of the Russian president standing in a cell of the Lukiški prison in the center of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. The prison that was closed in 2019 converted to a cultural complex that houses artists’ studios has a sordid history that includes being used by both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union to house political prisoners.
Street View. view shows a stern-faced Putin standing in one of the prison cells and staring through the bars. The image was released by Google earlier this month. It was created in cooperation between Google Maps and the tourism office of the Lithuanian capital “Go Vilnius”. Putin’s image consists of a full-size cardboard cut-out created by virtual photography artist Elijas Šlež.
Most recently, the prison was used as a filming location for the fourth season of the popular series Netflix series Stranger things.
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“Now you can check Lukiškii prison without leaving your home! Just go to Google Maps street view and check. You can also find one specific person here,” said Go Vilnius. Twitter account in a tweet July 8 along with a camera still image of Putin and a link to a map. “We think this person is a perfect fit here! What do you think?”
“Go Vilnius” strategic projects manager Lina Šetikienė says in the report Newsweek that the image was a “digital protest Vilnius expressed against Russia’s war with Ukraine and its aggressive authoritarian regime”.
“The idea came from the design of the aforementioned virtual tour of the prison territory on Google Street View, which allows travelers from all over the world to wander around the outer territory of the prison, the prison yards and St. Nicholas Orthodox Church”, said Šetikienė. “Guides conducting actual tours of Lukiškii prison said that many visitors expressed the idea that it would be a suitable place for a dictator.
Šetikienė added that the protest is only one of several “initiatives implemented in Vilnius in recent months, which express support for Ukraine and condemn the Russian invasion”.
She pointed out that the name of the street near the Russian embassy in Vilnius was changed to “Ukrainas didvyrių gatvė”, and the mayor of Vilnius, Remigijus Šimašius, placed the inscription “Putin, The Hague is waiting for you” near the embassy and on the Vilnius municipality building.
Several international observers and world leaders including President Joe Biden Putin was considered a “war criminal” after Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine.
Some have argued that V. Putin and Russia’s military leaders should be prosecuted for war crimes at the International Criminal Court for allegedly deliberately targeting civilians during the war.
Meanwhile, Russian authorities are cracking down on critics of the war, handing out long prison sentences for daring to challenge Putin’s policies.
Last week, the deputy of the Moscow municipality Aleksey Gorinov was convicted up to seven years in a colony prison for speaking out against the war and allegedly spreading “false information” about civilian casualties.
Shortly after the last season Stranger things was released, there was a cell rental in Lukiški prison Airbnb According to Primetimer, €107 per night.
The lease reportedly included prison grounds and 1980s cell decor to match the show’s vibe. However, shortly after that, the listing went down and was no longer “available for booking” for unknown reasons.
Newsweek The Russian government and Google have been contacted for comment.
Update 07/14/22, 4:24 PM ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background information.
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