Memory of the First World War in the monumental art of Poland
Authors: KOVALENKO Tetiana 
Published: April 2023

Background. The article deals with the reflection of the First World War of 1914–1918 in the monumental art of Poland. Therefore, memorial buildings and monuments are not only the realization of the creative plan of artists, i.e. their authors, but also a re-flection of a political course of the state, the experience gained, hopes, expectations, losses of people. That is why they allow us to understand the memory of the First World War in Poland. Purpose. The aim of the article is to study how the events of the First World War are reflected in the monumental art of Poland, and on this basis to consider the for-mation of historical memory, past and present practices of commemoration of the tragic events of 1914–1918. Results. The heroes and the memory of the victims of the First World War are re-spected in Poland, which in particular can be observed in the improvement of memorial complexes, memorials and other similar constructions. At the same time, the memory of the global military conflict is identified primarily with the restoration of independence. For most Poles, November 11, 1918 is associated not so much with the end of the Great War of 1914–1918 as with the birth of the Second Polish Republic of 1918–1939. Thus, the heroes of the military conflict are seen as the fighters for independence. On the other hand, the monumental buildings reflect the difficult path to independence, i.e. the division of Polish lands on the eve of the First World War and the difficulties in the establishing borders after its end. The First World War of 1914–1918 remains an important period in history. Commemorative practices, in general, coincide with those conducted in Western European countries, and, at the same time, they are mostly visible in the above position. Key words: the First World War, monumental art, Poland, memory, places of memory, commemoration. 1915: War, Province, Man: Ukrainian-Polish Accents, 2016. Materials of the Interna-tional Scientific Symposium, Kharkiv, 17 kvitnya 2015 r. (Polish Almanac, iss. 8). Kharkiv: Majdan. (In Ukrainian) 90 Years Ago, the Remains of an Unnamed Defender of Lviv were Buried in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, 2016 [online] Available at: https://dzieje.pl/aktualnosci/90-lat-temu-w-grobie-nieznanego-zolnierza-zlozono-szczatki-bezimiennego-obroncy-lwowa [Ac-cessed 03 August 2021]. (In Polish) Baczkowski, M. i Ruszała, K., red., 2016. The Military Experiences of the Great War. Kraków: Uniwersytet Jagielloński. (In Polish) Collingwood, R. G., 1996. The Idea of History. Kyyiv, Osnovy. Available at: http://litopys.org.ua/colin/colin.htm [Accessed 01 August 2021] (In Ukrainian) Girzyński, Z. i Kłaczkow, J., red., 2018. Legions and their Influence on the Polish Cause in the Years 1914–1918. Toruń: Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek. (In Polish) Hrycak, Ya., 2011. Passions for Nationalism. Old Story in a New Way. Kyyiv: Krytyka. Available at: https://uamoderna.com/images/biblioteka/Hrytsak_Strasti.PDF [Accessed 02 August 2021] (In Ukrainian) Jamrozek-Sowa, A., Ożóg, Z. i Wal, A., red., 2016. World War I in Literature and other Cultural Texts: Reinterpretations and Additions. Rzeszów: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Rzeszowskiego. (In Polish) Kamionowska, J., 2019. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw – what is its History? [online] J. Kamionowska. Available at: https://histmag.org/Grob-Nieznanego-Zolnierza-w-Warszawie-jaka-jest-jego-historia-12135 [Accessed 03 August 2021]. (In Polish) Kowalski, W., 2016. 86 Years Ago, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was Established [online] W. Kowalski. Available at: https://dzieje.pl/aktualnosci/86-lat-temu-powstal-grob-nieznanego-zolnierza [Accessed 03 August 2021]. (In Polish) Kyrydon, A., 2011. “Memory masks” in the Conditions of Public Breaks. Kyyivs"ka starovyna, 2, pp. 161–170. (In Ukrainian) Lwówek Śląski. Monument to the Victims of World War I, 2021 [online]. Available at: http://www.polskaniezwykla.pl/web/place/26278,lwowek-slaski-pomnik-ofiar-i-wojny-swiatowej.html [Accessed 04 August 2021]. (In Polish) Monument to “Peowiak”, Małachowski Square, 2021. Fundacja “Warszawa1939.pl” [online]. Fundacja “Warszawa1939.pl”. Available at: http://www.warszawa1939.pl/ obiekt/pomnik-peowiaka [Accessed 04 August 2021]. (In Polish) Monument to Peowiak, 2021. „e-kartka z Warszawy” [online]. “e-kartka z War-szawy”. Available at: http://ekartkazwarszawy.pl/kartka/pomnik-peowiaka/ [Accessed 04 August 2021]. (In Polish) Monument to the Legions, 2021. Retropedia Radomia [online] Retropedia Radomia. Available at: http://www.retropedia.radom.pl/pomnik-czynu-legionow/ [Accessed 04 August 2021]. (In Polish) Monument to the Victims of World War I in Wrocław, 2021 [online]. Available at: https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/g11lglg1_4d [Accessed 04 August 2021]. (In Polish) Nahorna, L., 2012. Historical Memory: Theories, Discourses, Reflections. Kyyiv: IPiEND im. I. F. Kurasa NAN Ukrayiny. (In Ukrainian) Nora, P., 1989. Between Memory and History: Les Lieux de Mémoire. Representa-tions. Special Issue: Memory and Counter-Memory, 25. Available at: https://eclass.uoa.gr/modules/document/file.php/ARCH230/PierreNora.pdf [Accessed 01 August 2021] Nora, P., 2005. Universal Triumph of Memory. Neprikosnovennyj zapas, 2. Available at: https://magazines.gorky.media/nz/2005/2/vsemirnoe-torzhestvo-pamyati.html [Ac-cessed 01 August 2021] (In Russian) Obelisk on Kaim Hill, 2009 [online]. Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20140102193129/http://www.cmentarze.jasonek.pl/cmentarz.php?id=500 [Accessed 04 August 2021]. (In Polish) Osiej, D., 2019. Unveiling of the Monument to the Legionnaire in Radom – August 1930 [online]. Available at: https://www.cozadzien.pl/radom/odsloniecie-pomnika-legionisty-w-radomiu-sierpien-1930/60609 [Accessed 04 August 2021]. (In Polish) Piskun, V. M., 2011. Historical Memory and Commemoration as a Way to Unite the Community: Ukrainian Realities in the Past and Today. National and historical memory, 1. Available at: http://nbuv.gov.ua/UJRN/Ntip_2011_1_9 [Accessed 02 August 2021]. (In Ukrainian) Polovynchak, Yu. M., 2018. Commemorative Practices in Modern Information Space. Library Science. Documentation. Informology. 2. Available at: http://nbuv.gov.ua/UJRN/bdi_2018_2_15 [Accessed 02 August 2021] (In Ukrainian) Roman Kosmala. Artist’s Website, 2021 [online]. Available at: http://romankosmala.com/roman-kosmala/biografia/ [Accessed 03 August 2021]. (In Polish) Seniów, J., 2004. On the Way to Independence: the Krakow Press against the Polish Legions during World War I (1914–1918). Kraków: Księgarnia Akademicka. (In Polish) Snopko, J., 2008. The Finale of the Epic of the Polish Legions 1916–1918. Białystok: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu w Białymstoku, 2008. (In Polish) Szlanta, P., 2016. The Great Polish-Polish War. Poles in the Ranks of the Partitioning Armies during World War I. Outline of the Problem. W: Baczkowski, M. i Ruszała, K., red. Doświadczenia żołnierskie Wielkiej Wojny. Kraków: Uniwersytet Jagielloński, ss.51–76. (In Polish) The First World War and the Problems of State Formation in Central and Eastern Eu-rope (to the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War), 2009. Materials of the In-ternational Scientific Conference, Chernivci, 29–30 zhovtnya 2008 r.). Chernivci: Cher-nivec"kyj nacional"nyj universytet im. Yuriya Fed"kovycha. (In Ukrainian) The Peoples of the World and the Great War of 1914–1918, 2015. Materials of All-Ukrainian Scientific Conference, Vinnycya, 3–4 kvit. 2015 r. Vinnycya: Nilan. (In Ukraini-an) Wrocław: Consecration of the Monument to the Victims of World War I, 2007 [online]. Available at: https://www.ekai.pl/wroclaw-poswiecenie-pomnika-ofiar-i-wojny-swiatowej/ [Accessed 04 August 2021]. (In Polish)