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uried in its concrete jungle, Jakarta keeps the dreams of a young nation alive in the statues erected throughout the city. As years go by, these statues are gradually overlooked and their raisons d’être have become forgotten. Despite their largely unknown names, the five statues below were once glorified as city landmarks:

1. The Pancoran statue

Founding president Sukarno dreamed that Indonesia would be able to develop an aeronautical industry as sophisticated as the then Soviet Union’s. Sculptor Edhi Sunarso made the statue to represent the nation’s “glory in aviation”.

The 11-meter bronze statue of a man pointing north to where the capital’s first airport in Kemayoran was located, is situated in the middle of a road intersection in Pancoran, South Jakarta.

The Dirgantara Monument, which was completed in 1965, was the only outstanding object until two overpasses were built around it in the 1990s. Being sandwiched between two elevated roads, the statue lost its majestic aspect and its role as the area’s main landmark.

2. The Pizza Man

Anyone passing through Senayan traffic circle, which connects South and Central Jakarta, will see this statue of an overmuscled man carrying a dish of flames. Meet the Developing Youth Statue (Patung Pemuda Membangun), an icon erected in 1972 as a tribute to youth. The statue portrays Indonesian youth contributing to the country’s development. The flame carried by the statue represents the “never-ending spirit to serve the country”. However as the dish looks a like a hot pan pizza, the title “Pizza Man” has become more popular than its official name.

3. The Farmer statue

The Hero Statue that stands atop the traffic circle connecting Jl. Menteng Raya, Jl. Merdeka Utara and Jl. Ridwan Rais goes by the title Patung Pak Tani (the Farmer statue) the main figure wears a farmer’s hat and appears to carry a hoe. But on closer examination, he is actually carrying a gun. The statue depicts a villager who has decided to go to war, while his mother gives her support. Russian sculptors Matvei and Otto Manizer shipped it all the way to Indonesia in 1963. The statue reflects the spirit of fighting for national independence. An inscription under the statue reads: “A great nation is a nation that respects its heroes”.

4. The Horse statue

It goes by several names, including chariot statue. The Arjuna Wijaya chariot statue in Medan Merdeka, Central Jakarta, was the work of noted Balinese sculptor I Nyoman Nuarta in 1987.

It depicts a scene from the Bharatayudha epic when Khrisna rode the chariot with Arjuna armed with a bow and arrow. The eight divine horses reflect the life elements that mankind should use to connect with nature.

Human life is affected by the earth, sun, moon, stars, oceans, fire, rain and wind. The original statue was made of polyester resin that was damaged by the sun. It was restored in 2003 and changed to bronze.

5. The Double Six statue

This statue standing between two roads in Kuningan, Central Jakarta, commemorates the Generation of ‘66 — the university students and activists who protested against Sukarno’s support for the Communist Party at the end of his rule in 1966. Activist cum writer Soe Hok Gie was among the well-known figures of this generation.

The statue, which was made by R. Sinaga, showed that students could become a significant pressure group. The generation also inspired a younger generation of students to stage massive rallies in 1998 that ended the rule of Soeharto. The city administration has considered removing the statue as it plans to revamp the roads around it. — JP