A trophy on the lawn of Bolesławiec resident Sławomir Guzowski, a sports, photography and local-history enthusiast, was created on the day the volleyball World Championship began—Saturday, 30 August. As the Polish team performed increasingly well, the Bolesławiec fan devoted himself more and more to his work, while neighbors and acquaintances watched the trophy cut into the lawn with growing interest. “I hit the mark,” Sławomir laughs. “I’m all the more satisfied because the trophy that appeared on my lawn later ended up in the hands of our volleyball players.”
People kept asking how he had cut a circle into the lawn. “Quite simply,” Sławomir explains. “I drove a rod into the middle of the lawn and used a rope to turn the lawnmower into a compass.”
He made the inscription “2014” by hand, using scissors. The inscription had to be accompanied by Hałabała the gnome, who had already appeared on this lawn two years earlier, when Poland qualified for the European Football Championship. At that time, the friendly gnome stood right in the middle of… a huge football.
A moment later, a “tank” from Gliniada appeared on the lawn. “In this way, I try to commemorate important events in our country and city,” the fan explains. “I actively participate in Bolesławiec’s photography community. I love this city. I collect books about it and read articles. I would never want to leave.”
How does Sławomir assess the performance of our national volleyball team (he had the opportunity to watch all the matches involving the White and Reds)? “It was something fantastic. Our team played beautifully,” he says. “We deserved the victory. I knew the final against Brazil would not be easy, but it encouraged me that we had already beaten them once. And we defeated the Germans. Although in volleyball.”
Plans for the future? When the Olympics arrive, Olympic rings will appear in the snow in front of Sławomir Guzowski’s house.