Stanisław Moniuszko Statue

The sculpture, created by artist Jan Szczepkowski in 1936, portrayed two prominent figures associated with the Teatr Wielki: Stanisław Moniuszko and Wojciech Bogusławski. Unfortunately, during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, both statues suffered severe damage. However, the statue of Moniuszko was eventually recovered by its creator from a shed in the courtyard of the Ministry of Culture and the Arts. After restoration, both sculptures were returned to their original locations in time for the post-war reopening of the theater.

The Moniuszko statue depicts the composer leaning against a hurdy-gurdy, which symbolizes Polish folk music—a significant influence on Moniuszko's compositions, particularly his songs collected in Songbooks for Home Use. The figure of Moniuszko, dressed in a long coat over a frock coat, holds sheet music under his arm. Standing at over five meters tall, the statue features a two-meter bronze figure of the composer placed on a plinth made of Finnish pink granite. The plinth itself is adorned with six reliefs, representing folk musicians reminiscent of a highland band. These reliefs symbolize six attributes of stagecraft.

Jan Szczepkowski, the sculptor responsible for the Moniuszko statue, was a prominent Polish artist and a leading representative of Polish art deco. He received his training at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków and gained recognition after the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts in Paris. The Polish pavilion at the exhibition garnered significant acclaim, with Polish artists receiving numerous awards and accolades, including 35 Grands Prix. Szczepkowski, known for his Nativity Shrine, which he designed for the Polish pavilion, became one of the most celebrated Polish sculptors of his time. He received numerous commissions from the government, including co-designing decorations for the Sejm building and creating reliefs for the facade of Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego in Warsaw. Given his remarkable artistic achievements, it is no surprise that Szczepkowski was chosen to sculpt the monumental statues of these two instrumental figures for Polish theater and opera.

Before the unveiling of Szczepkowski's statue, Warsaw had seen previous attempts to honor Stanisław Moniuszko with memorials. In 1887, the Warsaw Music Society, with the help of Cyprian Godebski, a talented Polish sculptor based in France known for his work on the Adam Mickiewicz statue in Warsaw, commissioned a bust of Moniuszko in white marble. This sculpture was displayed at the All Saints Church in Grzybowski Square but was tragically destroyed during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. Another bust of the composer, created by Hipolit Kasjan Marczewski and unveiled at the Teatr Wielki in 1901, also did not survive the ravages of the war.

To this day, the Moniuszko statue stands proudly in front of the Teatr Wielki, serving as a lasting tribute to the renowned composer and his contribution to Polish music. It is a symbol of the enduring legacy and cultural significance of Stanisław Moniuszko in the hearts of the Polish people and the artistic community.