The contrast between the project of Szukalski’s Monument of Independence and most sculptures commemorating, celebrating a person, an event or an idea is that in the very instance of encountering his captivating vision the viewer is awaken in a different world. Instantly a viewer is in a world of hyper-reality, one where Nationality, belonging to a Great Volume of History suddenly is real. One where all the great battles, all berms of sculls and rivers of our Polish blood exist in an eternal Now.

In that truest, final view of who we are and where we belong, we see Szukalski’s Monument of Independence. He is consisting of a hussar with a body of horse. He leaps toward some kind of future we cannot imagine. He appeared before us coming from the repository of our deepest past where he is personifying the Polish Spirit: spirit of independence, of dignity and of courage.

The Monument of Independence is not a commemorative statue; it is not looking to the past, even if to pay homage to it. The Monument of Independence is in mid-stride toward the great future of Poland. We believe that our people need a big statue pointing toward the future of our country. Stylistically it cannot be meek, it cannot be timid, it has to be as assertive and commanding as the Hussars.

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