The monumental stone blocks were the last elements to be delivered. They were placed vertically on the foundations and anchored. Earlier, symbolic granite rails and sleepers were brought to the square, bearing the names of towns—major centres of exile.
The monument, designed by Legnica artist Grzegorz Niemyjski, was created at the Piramida company in Kostrza near Strzegom. It consists of three vertical blocks. Its tallest element is over 4 metres high and weighs approximately 8 tonnes. It is topped with a bronze drapery evoking a flag with an eagle fluttering in the wind. The block bears the emblem of the Union of Siberians and the inscription: “In memory of the Polish Exiles to Siberia in the years 1940–1956, in tribute to their martyrdom and fidelity to the ideals of freedom and independence – the people of Legnica”.
The next stage of work on the monument will be its illumination. Greenery will then be planted.
Let us recall that the Legnica branch of the Union of Siberians had campaigned for the monument to be built. The monument’s design was approved by the Council for the Protection of the Memory of Combat and Martyrdom. The initiators of the project received significant support from Mayor Tadeusz Krzakowski. The cost of the project, entitled “Reconstruction of Wrocławska Street – construction of Sybiraków Square and the Monument to the Exiles to Siberia”, is over PLN 2 million. The Polska Miedź Foundation awarded a PLN 250,000 grant to co-finance the construction of the monument.
Legnica is gaining a new, representative place of national remembrance. At the same time, it is another element in the systematic revitalisation of this part of the city.
Legnica Municipal Office