Urban legend has it that placing a sculpture of an angel here was a suggestion made by the Dalai Lama on one of his visits in town. But in reality, the idea for a sculpture of an angel came when locals were looking for a way to commemorate Zenonas Šteinys, an artist and active member of the local community.

He was one of the people who helped turn a once unsightly and dangerous district into the Užupis we know today – a real guardian angel.