As an avid cyclist it is distinctly possible Lenin visited what is now Nowa Huta during his two year sojourn in Kraków. He made a high-profile comeback in 1954 when the Steelworks were named after him, and a year later a statue of him was unveiled in Strzelecki Park. The figure was moved to the Lenin Museum soon after, and thereafter mysteriously disappeared. In 1970 the decision was taken to construct a new one on Al. Róż, with Marian Konieczny winning the commission.
Strangely, the artist was at that time living in Lenin’s former flat. Perhaps inspired by this freaky turn of fate Konieczny took three years to create a cracker of a statue, with the seven tonne Lenin seen striding purposefully foreward down the centre of town with raincoat open and furrowed brow. The people of Nowa Huta however were left unimpressed, and the statue soon became the focus of creative vandals. In one such case a rusty old bicycle, battered pair of boots and a handwritten note were left below the statue which read, "Take these old boots, get on the bike and get the heel out of Nowa Huta." In 1979 a bomb was planted at his feet, though the only casualty proved to be a local man who died of shock after being awoken by the blast. During the Martial Law era more attempts to destroy him were thwarted, and he doggedly survived an effort to pull him down, as well as an arson attack. Finally, on December 10, 1989, Lenin was picked up by a giant crane, boxed up and left to rot in a disused fort. But his story doesn’t end there. Years later a Swedish philanthropist bought him for 100,000 Swedish crowns, and had him shipped to a museum outside of Stockholm. Today Nowa Huta’s former pet Lenin has been given a more youthful look by Swedish artists, and is now seen touting a pierced ear and a handrolled ciggie. But we kid.
Strangely, the artist was at that time living in Lenin’s former flat. Perhaps inspired by this freaky turn of fate Konieczny took three years to create a cracker of a statue, with the seven tonne Lenin seen striding purposefully foreward down the centre of town with raincoat open and furrowed brow. The people of Nowa Huta however were left unimpressed, and the statue soon became the focus of creative vandals. In one such case a rusty old bicycle, battered pair of boots and a handwritten note were left below the statue which read, "Take these old boots, get on the bike and get the heel out of Nowa Huta." In 1979 a bomb was planted at his feet, though the only casualty proved to be a local man who died of shock after being awoken by the blast. During the Martial Law era more attempts to destroy him were thwarted, and he doggedly survived an effort to pull him down, as well as an arson attack. Finally, on December 10, 1989, Lenin was picked up by a giant crane, boxed up and left to rot in a disused fort. But his story doesn’t end there. Years later a Swedish philanthropist bought him for 100,000 Swedish crowns, and had him shipped to a museum outside of Stockholm. Today Nowa Huta’s former pet Lenin has been given a more youthful look by Swedish artists, and is now seen touting a pierced ear and a handrolled ciggie. But we kid.
