Avenger (sculpture)
| Company type | Monument |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public art, Memorial |
| Founded | 1988-08-14 |
| Founder | Andrzej Pityński |
| Headquarters | Doylestown, Pennsylvania , United States |
| Products | Bronze statue of Polish hussar |
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Avenger (Polish: Mściciel) is a bronze monument honoring the victims of the Katyn massacre, situated near Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States. Positioned within the Polish military cemetery adjacent to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, this statue was crafted by Andrzej Pityński and officially revealed on August 14, 1988. Standing 32.8 feet (10 meters) tall, the sculpture depicts a Polish hussar—a heavily armored cavalryman with characteristic wings on his back—kneeling on one knee while resting on a sword plunged into the ground. The figure is mounted atop a granite base.
History
Created by Andrzej Pityński, the monument was inaugurated on August 14, 1988. Since then, it has served as a gathering place for various commemorative events organized by the Polish Army Veterans' Association in America.
On April 18, 2010, Polish diplomatic officials placed floral tributes at the site to honor the 96 individuals who perished in the Tupolev Tu-154 crash near Smolensk, Russia. Among those lost were Poland's President Lech Kaczyński, First Lady Maria Kaczyńska, and other senior government representatives. The flight was destined for ceremonies marking the anniversary of the Katyn massacre. One year later, on April 10, 2011, a plaque was installed on the monument's pedestal to memorialize this tragedy. Approximately 800 attendees participated in the dedication ceremony, including Robert Kupiecki, Poland’s ambassador to the United States, and Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka, Poland’s consul general in New York City.
On August 15, 2021, in Ulanów—Andrzej Pityński’s hometown—a mural portraying the Avenger sculpture was unveiled. The artwork was created by Michał Czerko and Michał Mach as a tribute to the sculptor.
Characteristics
Standing at a height of 32.8 ft (10 m), the monument features a bronze figure of a Polish hussar, a heavily armored cavalryman adorned with winged attachments on his back. The soldier is depicted kneeling on one knee, steadying himself with a sword embedded in the ground. This statue rests atop a granite base.[1] Observers have drawn parallels between this image and the motif of a solitary warrior, a symbol occasionally found within immigrant communities across the United States.[2]
The granite pedestal is adorned with two commemorative plaques. The first plaque, installed in 1988, prominently displays the inscription "KATYŃ 1940" and includes an excerpt inspired by the 1952 findings of the United States House Select Committee to Conduct an Investigation of the Facts, Evidence, and Circumstances of the Katyn Forest Massacre, which examined the Katyn massacre during 1951–1952.[1] The text states:
The second plaque was added in 2011 and bears the inscription "SMOLEŃSK 2010". It honors the memory of the 96 individuals who perished in the air crash involving a Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft near Smolensk, Russia. Among those commemorated are Poland’s President Lech Kaczyński, First Lady Maria Kaczyńska, and other senior government representatives.[3] The dedication is written in Polish and reads as follows: Template:Verse translation
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Stanisław Jankowski, Edward Miszczak: Powrót do Katynia. Warsaw: Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza, 1990, p. 219. ISBN 83-03-03194-5. (in Polish)
- ↑ Donald M. Reynolds: Masters of American Sculpture: The Figurative Tradition from the American Renaissance to the Millenium. New York City, Abeville Press, 1993, p. 167. ISBN 1-55859-276-8.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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