The Monument of the Soldiers of the 1st Polish Army

The Battle of Lenino, a crucial World War II encounter, occurred on 12 and 13 October 1943 in the Mogilev region of Byelorussia, just north of the village of Lenino. This intense battle formed a part of the Soviet Spas-Demensk offensive, aimed at clearing the eastern bank of the Dnieper River of German forces and breaching the Panther-Wotan line of defenses. For Polish military history, the Battle of Lenino holds significance as one of the first major involvements of the Polish Armed Forces in the East.

During the battle, the Polish and Soviet forces succeeded in breaking through the German defenses and dealt significant damage to their opponents. However, their advance could not be sustained due to a lack of cooperation from other Red Army units and insufficient artillery support and air cover. This shortage was a consequence of the ongoing Wehrmacht panzer counter-attack against the 10th Guards Army to the north of the 33rd Army.

As a result, the division had no choice but to adopt defensive positions and hold their ground. The hope was for the arrival of the 6th Guards Cavalry Corps, which was tasked with breaking through the German defensive line in their sector, but unfortunately, this relief never materialized. After enduring two days of fierce fighting, the Polish 1st Tadeusz Kościuszko Infantry Division suffered 25% casualties and had to be withdrawn. The remaining Soviet forces were too weakened to widen the breakthrough achieved during the battle.

The competition for the monument project was announced in 1959, but no winner was selected, and the first prize was not awarded. Marshal Marian Spychalski commissioned Xawery Dunikowski to create the monument.

Between 1962 and 1963, Dunikowski developed the design for the monument, which was realized with the collaboration of Józef Galica, Józef Potępa, Jerzy Beresie, and Leon Marek Suzin, who was responsible for the pedestal and the surroundings of the monument. Dunikowski's work remained unfinished due to his progressing illness. It was his final piece before his death in 1964.

The unveiling of the monument took place on October 12, 1963, on the 20th anniversary of the Battle of Lenino. The sculpture, made of gray granite and standing 8 meters tall, depicts a soldier of the Polish People's Army (LWP) in uniform and helmet, with a submachine gun on his chest. The pedestal of the monument bears the inscription: "1943 - Lenino, Warsaw, Kołobrzeg, Berlin - 1945," describing the military path of the soldiers of the 1st Polish Army.

The monument commemorates the fallen soldiers of the 1st Polish Army and was funded by the Polish People's Army.