Soviet Soldiers' Cemetery in Katowice

A sculpture of two Red Army soldiers, formerly part of the Monument to Soviet Soldiers, now stands in the Soviet soldiers' cemetery in Tadeusz Kościuszko Park in Katowice. The monument in its original form no longer exists.

The original monument

The monument was unveiled on 27 January 1947 (some sources give the end of 1949), and its designer was Stanisław Marcinów. The models for the sculpture were students of the Katowice branch of the school of fine arts. The monument consisted of a bronze sculpture of two soldiers on a sandstone plinth, was about 10 metres high and stood on Wolności Square in the centre of Katowice. The inscription read: "To the liberators of the Red Army - Poles. 27 January 1945".

What happened to the monument

The sculpture was dismantled on 14 May 2014 and moved to the Soviet soldiers' cemetery in the park, where it remains today. The plinth stayed on Wolności Square.

Practical information

• The sculpture stands in the war cemetery in Kościuszko Park, in the Brynów-Osiedle Zgrzebnioka district.
• This is a burial place for soldiers; the rules of conduct appropriate to a cemetery apply.