The Matas Šalcius' compass rose memorial is located on Literatu [Literature] Wall on Literatu Street in Vilnius' Old Town. The compass rose is metal and it sits atop a square piece of granite. The following inscription is on the granite:
Matas
Šalcius
1890 - 1940
Rašytojas
Žurnalistas
Keliautojas
[ENGLISH TRANSLATION]
Matas
Šalcius
1890 - 1940
Writer
Journalist
Traveler
ABOUT MATAS ŠALCIUS:
Matas Šalcius (September 30, 1890 – May 26, 1940) was a Lithuanian traveler, journalist, writer, political figure.
Šalcius was born in Ciudiškiai village in modern Prienai district, central Lithuania (at that time Russian Empire). He attended Marijampole Gymnasium. While studying he began writing articles for newspapers launching his career in journalism. Šalcius later worked as a teacher in Šilute district. He was a prominent critic of tsarist Russia so soon he had flee from political persecution. Then Šalcius began his first travel through China, Japan to the USA where he continued his work as a journalist.
After Lithuania gained independence in 1918, Šalcius returned to Lithuania and worked as a journalist (he was the director of ELTA news agency). He helped to establish the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union. Šalcius traveled across the Europe, attempted to launch the tourism industry in Lithuania. In 1929, Šalcius together with other famous Lithuanian traveler Antanas Poška began a great journey through the Balkans, Greece, Egypt, Near East to India. After this travel he published six-volume series Sveciuose pas 40 tautu (At the company of 40 nations), which was awarded the National Press Prize.
In 1936, Šalcius traveled to the South America. At first he unsuccessfully attempted to unite Lithuanian diaspora communities in the South America. Šalcius planned to journey through all the Americas to Alaska, but he became sick with malaria and encephalitis and died in town of Guayaramerín, Bolivia. In 2005, an expedition organized by Lithuanian travelers and journalists reached Guayaramerín and marked the approximate location of Šalcius burial by a bas-relief."
-- Wikipedia
ABOUT LITERATU WALL:
"The wall with the artworks mounted on it is situated in the by-street, which stretches in a broken manner and branches off Pilies Street in the direction of the St. Michael the Archangel Church direction. There were quite a few bookstores and antiquary shops here in the 19th century, and that’s where the name of the street – Literatu (meaning “writers” or “authors”) – originates from.
It is the artists’ wall with over one hundred ceramic, wooden, metal, and glass plaques installed in it.
The wall is a sort of memorial to many famous writers and poets: Sigitas Geda, Kazys Binkis, Romain Gary, Vytautas Kernagis, Janina Degutyte, Jonas Mekas, Jurga Ivanauskaite, Antanas Skema, Paulius Sirvys, Vincas Mykolaitis – Putinas, Vytaute Zilinskaite, Antanas Strazdas, Ieva Simonaityte, Bronius Radzevicius, Hendrikas Radauskas, Romualdas Granauskas, Maironis, Vanda Juknaite, Oskaras Milasius, Henrikas Nagys, Ceszlaw Milosz, Sigitas Parulskis, Saulius Saltenis, Kristina Savaliauskaite, Zemaite, Tomas Venclova, and many others.
The Literatu Street Wall was officially introduced in May 2009, since then, new pieces of art are constantly installed. The idea of the project came up in 2008, and it was supposed to be a temporary exhibition, however the articles remain up till now. With the help of private funds the wall, which was abandoned for quite a while, was decorated with works of art.
The Main condition for a new plaque to be installed – a writer needs to be related to the Lithuanian culture.
The materials used for the installations are weather resistant and safe (non-explosive, non-radioactive).
The size of all plaques is 33.3cmX33.3cm. The plaques are all the same so that they do not ruin the current coziness and romance of the Street. According to the organizers “the artworks need to naturally flow into the delicate street surroundings”.
The Street enlivened and became a place of interest for students and tourists straight after the “Literatu Wall” was unveiled."
-- Source