Warsaw Uprising Monument

Warsaw Uprising Monument (Pomnik Powstania Warszawskiego) is a monument in Warsaw, Poland, dedicated to the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. Unveiled in 1989, it was sculpted by Wincenty Kućma and the architect was Jacek Budyn. It is located on the southern side of the Krasiński Square.

The monument has been described as "the most important monument of post-war Warsaw." Gazeta Wyborcza reported in 2012 that it is one of the most visited landmarks for foreign tourists.

History
The Warsaw Uprising was one of the most important events in the history of the city of Warsaw; more than half of the city's buildings were destroyed during the hostilities. However, it was also an event that the communist authorities of the People's Republic of Poland found rather controversial, as it was organized by the opposition Home Army (Armia Krajowa); and Joseph Stalin purposefully delayed the Soviet advance to facilitate German crushing of the insurgents. This, coupled with debates about the form and location of the monument, have delayed the project for decades.

The government finally gave permission to construct the monument on 12 April 1988. It was unveiled on 1 August 1989, the 45th anniversary of the Uprising. The monument was designed by sculptor Wincenty Kućma and architect Jacek Budyn.

Description
The monument is located on the southern side of the Krasiński Square. When seen from the square, its background is the building of the Supreme Court of Poland, built in 1999. The monument is made from bronze and is about 10 m tall. Small inscriptions include the resistance symbols of Kotwica and text "POWSTANIE WARSZAWSKIE 1944" (WARSAW UPRISING 1944). There is also a larger plaque concerning the 1989 dedication.

The monument is composed of two parts, located within a short distance of one another. A smaller one shows several partisans ascending from (or descending into) a manhole – a reference to sewage canals which were used as an important avenue of transportation and communication by the insurgents. The larger, elevated element shows a group of insurgents actively engaged in combat, running from the artistic vision of a collapsing building, represented by a more abstract composition.

The realistic style of the monument has been favorably compared to a still from a movie, or a historical painting by Jan Matejko, but also criticized for its socrealist style. There have also been critical voices saying that the monument is defeatist, and that it was the "too late" reconciliation gesture of the passing communist government. A 2013 analysis suggests that the monument is in need of renovation, particularly due to deterioration caused by atmospheric pollutants.

According to the authors, it is a part of the monumental triptych, the further two parts being the Monument to the Defenders of the Polish Post Office (pl) in Gdańsk and the Monument to the Fallen in Defense of the Homeland (pl), Częstochowa.