Residents of Lithuania's capital and Poland's Lublin can now see each other going about their daily lives in real time, thanks to a 'portal' sending live video to one another's cities.
Vilnius residents waved to their counterparts in Lublin, while people in the eastern Polish city waved back and danced for the camera.
The sculpture, named "Portals", stands in front of Vilnius' main railway station, while the portal in Poland stands on Lublin's Lithuanian Square. They are separated by around 415 kilometres (257 miles).
The creator of "Portals", Vilnius-based artist Benediktas Gylys, said the aim was to intended to break down barriers between different places and cultures, and the project planned to build dozens of such portals in cities around the world.
The idea was first developed five years ago, but became "even more important" during the coronavirus pandemic, Gylys said.
The 24-hour live video from each city is mute, so the only way for passers-by to communicate is via gestures and body language.
Lublin residents have been coming constantly to see people in Vilnius, Krzysztof Stanowski of the city's International Cooperation Centre told Reuters by telephone while standing on the Lublin side of the portal.
Vilnius residents said the portal's appearance was positive. Resident Jolita Staselita said it was a nice way to stay connected with people in other countries.
Jeronimas Stakisaitis said the structure erased "the illusion of distance" and reminded people in one place of others just living their lives elsewhere. "It's inspiring in a way" Stakisaitis said.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters
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