Frank Zappa never went to Lithuania and had absolutely no connection to the country. However, the youth of Lithuania had a connection to Zappa—he was the icon of their newfound freedoms. This is evidenced in the Frank Zappa memorial near Vilnius city center.
A bust of Frank Zappa was sculpted by 70-year-old Konstantinas Bogdanas, the same artist who made the statues of communist heroes that dotted the city so many years before. The bust, along with a psychedelic mural behind it, were unveiled in 1995. The Vilnius military band performed various Zappa singles at the ceremony, which ended with a fireworks display.
Following the memorial, Zappa’s popularity has only increased in Lithuania. The fan club is still accepting members, and a Zappa Love Letter Club functioned as a bohemian dating service for a while.