Monument to the Revolutionary Act in Rzeszów, Poland saved from destruction

Image via Konrad Fijołek on X

Various Sources

In a rare victory in today's Eastern Europe against the forces of historical revisionism and reaction, the magnificent communist era Monument to the Revolutionary Act in Rzeszów, Poland has been saved from potential demolition after being officially added to Poland’s list of protected monuments after a local campaign.

The Monument to the Revolutionary Act, locally known as Pomnik Czynu Rewolucyjnego w Rzeszowie, was completed in 1974 and is a vast, leaf-shaped structure commemorating revolutionary efforts and battles in and around the city, particularly during World War II. Its purpose was to honour the revolutionary and communist activities and resistance in the then-Rzeszów Province.

For decades reactionaries have attempted to have it removed or destroyed and for a time it seemed they would succeed.

However, in 2017 these efforts were opposed by the city’s former mayor, Tadeusz Ferenc, a left-wing politician and former member of the communist party, who sought to have the monument added to the official register of protected monuments and permanently left in place. It was both a tourist attraction and popular with residents.

The city’s current left-wing mayor, Konrad Fijołek, also fought against the demolition of the monument and their efforts were successful.

The recent decision by the Provincial Office for the Protection of Monuments in Podkarpackie Voivodeship officially entered the structure into the register of protected monuments, formally shielding it from demolition. With this designation, the monument will now be maintained under Poland’s heritage protection regulations, ensuring its physical and historical preservation for future generations.

Sadly this rare decision is something of an anomaly and countless other communist era monuments have been destroyed in an effort to erase the history of the Polish People's Republic.