Monument to the Revolutionary Act – a monument located in the very center of Rzeszów at the confluence of Łukasz Ciepliński Avenue and Józef Piłsudski Avenue.

HISTORY OF THE RZESZOW’S MONUMENT

The Monument to the Revolutionary Act refers to the battles fought on the region of Rzeszów. The founder of the monument was the first secretary of the KW PZPR (County Committee of the Polish United Working Party) in Rzeszów Władyslaw Kruczek. Works started in 1967. The monument has on both sides sculptures, which are Nike and on the other side faces of a peasant, soldier and worker with the banner of revolution. The author of that sculptures is Marian Konieczny (orginating in Rzeszów) who was rector of the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts. He is also creator of the Warsaw Nike.

Apperance of the monument

The monument was set up in the Bernardine Park. Shortly after the completion of the design work in 1971, construction began. The foundations consisted of several dozen reinforced concrete piles with a length of about 10 m. The leaves of the laurel consist of 37 pairs of reinforced concrete segments with the height of over one meter each. Two years after the construction began, the sculptures of Konieczny were fixed to the concrete leaves of the laurel. Near the monument, towards the city was decided to create Procession Square. The statue was solemnly unveiled on May 1, 1974. The cost of building the monument was PLN 10,812,926.44 that time. During construction were used 180 kg of nails. The statue in its intact state stands today, the only change was to mount at the top of the monument coat of arms of the city.

Possessive matters of the Monument to the Revolutionary Act

On July 11, 2006 according to the resolution of the Council of the City of Rzeszów, the area where the monument stands, was donated for 1% of the value to the Bernardine Convent. The plot formerly in fact belonged to them. The monument was not excluded in the land transfer act and is not included in the register of monuments (that means the monument is not under conservation/protection). The monks on the site have built public gardens and underground parking, but they have no plans for the future of the monument. Due to the fact that it was decided to demolish it, there appeared internet groups of defenders of the monument.

Demolishing moods

In the year 2017 a dispute arose, initiated by the IPN, according to which the monument should be demolished by the so-called anty-communistic act. Tadeusz Ferenc, the President of Rzeszow, and the members of the Rzeszow branch of the Association of Polish Architects, stood in defense of the monument alike thousands of citizens. The monument, as the mayor said, is a monument to history, which is known for its popularity and affection for the inhabitants of the city and is one of the most famous and recognizable objects not only in Rzeszow but also throughout Poland, with artistic merits. Undoubtedly, the monument of prof. Konieczny is a work of artistic monumental art of the previous epoch, which should be preserved for future generations. The president, acting officially to the Rzeszów branch of the IPN, added that the Monument to the Revolutionary Act was created between 1971 and 1974, and the events that inspired the author of his creation were among others. peasant rebellions in the Eastern Poland region in the inter-war period, led by the peasant strike of 1937.