Tadeusz Kościuszko Monument, Sanok
Pomnik Tadeusza Kościuszki
w Sanoku | |
 Monument in 2012 | |
 | |
| Location | Sanok, Independence Square: Tadeusz Kościuszko Street/Adam Mickiewicz Park (Downtown) |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 49°33′37.6″N 22°12′2.0″E / 49.560444°N 22.200556°E |
| Designer | Józef Marek, Józef Wajda |
| Type | Statue on a pedestal |
| Height | 7.2 m (24 ft) |
| Opening date | 15 September 1962 |
| Restored date | After 2000 |
The Tadeusz Kościuszko Monument is a monument commemorating Tadeusz Kościuszko in Sanok, Poland.
History
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The first Tadeusz Kościuszko monument in Sanok existed from 1902 to 1941 and was located at St. John's Square. The second monument was erected as part of the celebrations marking the 800th anniversary of Sanok[1] and the 1000th anniversary of Polish statehood.[2] Although Sanok's first mention dates to 1150, the city's jubilee was delayed from 1950 and held in 1962, coinciding with the national milestone. In 1956, a Civic Committee for the Reconstruction of the Tadeusz Kościuszko Monument was formed, chaired by Tadeusz Walciszewski[1] and including members such as Jan Bezucha, Stefan Stefański, and Mieczysław Przystasz.[3] Initially, the committee planned to rebuild the monument at its original location in St. John Square, supported by individuals including Jadwiga Zaleska, Tomasz Tomasik, Emilia and Edmund Słuszkiewicz, and Jan Świerzowicz.[4] However, this plan was not realized. On 25 April 1957, Jadwiga Zaleska appealed to the Sanok National Council to reconstruct the monument at St. John Square.[5] In 1960, plans for the monument were announced in connection with the 550th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald in 1410.[6]
Ultimately, a new site was chosen in the city center at Tadeusz Kościuszko Street, near the southern slope of Parkowa Hill and the entrance to Adam Mickiewicz Park.[7][8][9] Previously, a manor house owned by Helena Stupnicka, colloquially called the "cat manor", stood nearby before being relocated to the Museum of Folk Architecture.[10]
The original designer was Karol Hukan,[9] who died before completion, with Józef Marek and Józef Wajda finalizing the design in 1958.[8] By mid-1962, the monument's foundations were laid.[7] A limestone block was prepared, and sculptor Józef Potępa, an adjunct at the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, began crafting the statue.[7][9][11] Financial support came from the Provincial Committee of the Social Fund for the Reconstruction of Warsaw and the KN Exploitation Plant.[7] The monument was crafted from sandstone sourced from a quarry in Pińczów, with the pedestal's surroundings made from sandstone from Strzegom.[9]
The statue depicts Tadeusz Kościuszko holding the Proclamation of Połaniec in one hand and a saber in the other.[1][9] The main inscription on the front of the pedestal reads "Tadeusz Kościuszko". An additional inscription on the eastern side of the sandstone pedestal states: "Built in 1962 through the efforts of a civic committee with contributions from the Social Fund for the Reconstruction of the Country and Capital". The monument stands over 7.2 meters tall, with the statue at 3.2 meters and the pedestal over 4 meters. The surrounding area was designed by Antoni Kędzierski and Henryk Machnik.[9]
The monument was placed at its designated site in late August 1962.[8] Its ceremonial unveiling took place on 15 September 1962, during the first day of Sanok's 800th anniversary celebrations,[12] officiated by Leszek Rychter, chairman of the Presidium of the Sanok National Council, and Stefan Stefański, a councilor and director of the Sanok Historical Museum.[1]
Renovations were carried out in 1979,[13] 1999,[14] and 2008.[15]
The monument's surroundings have become a venue for patriotic celebrations, including 3 May Constitution Day[16] and National Independence Day. On 10 April 2018, the Sanok City Council named the plaza around the monument Independence Square.[17]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Guziołek, M. C. (18 September 1962). "Sanocki jubileusz" [Sanok Jubilee]. Nowiny (in Polish). 222: 3. Archived from the original on 14 October 2017.
- ^ Romaniak, Andrzej (2011). Sanok. Fotografie archiwalne – Tom II. Wydarzenia, uroczystości, imprezy [Sanok. Archival Photographs – Volume II. Events, Ceremonies, Festivals] (in Polish). Sanok: Sanok Historical Museum. pp. 264–270. ISBN 978-83-60380-30-7.
- ^ Brygidyn, Andrzej (1995). "Po przełomie październikowym. W latach powojennych" [After the October Breakthrough. In the Post-War Years]. In Kiryk, Feliks (ed.). Sanok. Dzieje miasta [Sanok. History of the City] (in Polish). Kraków: Secesja. p. 794.
- ^ Zając, Edward (1998). Szkice z dziejów Sanoka [Sketches from the History of Sanok] (in Polish). Sanok: Gregory of Sanok Public Library in Sanok. p. 179. ISBN 83-909787-0-9.
- ^ Stachowicz, Władysław (2008). "Miejska Rada Narodowa w Sanoku 1950–1990" [Sanok City National Council 1950–1990]. Zeszyty Archiwum Ziemi Sanockiej (in Polish). 8. Sanok: Archiwum Ziemi Sanockiej: 160. ISSN 1731-870X.
- ^ "W 550 rocznicę Grunwaldu" [On the 550th Anniversary of Grunwald]. Nowiny (in Polish). 113: 4. 13 May 1960. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Pomnik Kościuszki stanie w Sanoku" [Kościuszko Monument to Be Erected in Sanok]. Nowiny (in Polish). 146: 3. 21 June 1962. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019.
- ^ a b c "Naczelnik na cokole" [The Leader on a Pedestal]. Nowiny (in Polish). 205: 4. 29 August 1962. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Keller, Zygmunt (25 March 1994). "Odmieniony Kościuszko" [Transformed Kościuszko]. Tygodnik Sanocki (in Polish). 12 (124): 6.
- ^ Stefański, Stefan (10 December 1993). "Pan Stefański opowiada. "Koci zamek" i "koci dworek"" [Mr. Stefański Tells. "Cat Castle" and "Cat Manor"]. Tygodnik Sanocki (in Polish). 26 (109): 5.
- ^ Zielecki, Alojzy (1995). "W epoce autonomii Galicyjskiej. Społeczeństwo Sanoka u progu XX wieku. Miasto w latach Wielkiej Wojny 1914–1918" [In the Era of Galician Autonomy. The Society of Sanok at the Dawn of the 20th Century. The City During the Great War 1914–1918]. In Kiryk, Feliks (ed.). Sanok. Dzieje miasta [Sanok. History of the City] (in Polish). Kraków: Secesja. p. 493.
- ^ "Przed 800-leciem Sanoka i 130-leciem Sanockiej Fabryki Autobusów. Konferencja prasowa w SFA" [Before Sanok's 800th Anniversary and the 130th Anniversary of the Sanok Bus Factory. Press Conference at SFA]. Nowiny (in Polish). 203: 1. 27 August 1962. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021.
- ^ "Wymierne efekty partyjnego czynu sanoczan" [Tangible Results of the Sanok Community's Efforts]. Gazeta Sanocka – Autosan (in Polish). 27 (156): 4. 20–30 September 1979.
- ^ "Wiosenna toaleta" [Spring Cleaning]. Tygodnik Sanocki (in Polish). 19 (391): 1. 7 May 1999.
- ^ Kozimor, Joanna (9 May 2008). "Zrobiony na ...żółto" [Painted... Yellow]. Tygodnik Sanocki (in Polish). 19 (861): 2.
- ^ "W 200. rocznicę Konstytucji 3 maja. Bogaty program imprez i uroczystości" [On the 200th Anniversary of the Constitution of 3 May. A Rich Program of Events and Ceremonies]. Nowiny (in Polish). 85: 2. 2–5 May 1991.
- ^ "Uchwała nr LII/438/18 Rady Miasta Sanoka z dnia 10 kwietnia 2018r. w sprawie nadania nazwy placowi w Sanoku" [Resolution No. LII/438/18 of the Sanok City Council of 10 April 2018 on Naming a Square in Sanok]. bip.um.sanok.pl (in Polish). 17 April 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2025.