Monument of friendship - 24th September - 4th October 2010

In the center of Legnica, on the Slavic Square, there is "monument of gratitude", in other words “the statue of Polish-Soviet friendship”, a symbol of twentieth-century history. Placed in 1951 and since then it gives rise to much controversy. In October of 1956 people tried to overthrow it by tractor and chains. It was often a stop on the way of weddings, and soldiers on the way to the registry office. So they put flowers there. After the actions of 1989 the string of gratitude "People of Legnica for the heroic Soviet army," was broken. The author of the project, Joseph Strip, wanted to take off his work from the pedestal and buried deep in the ground in order to give archeologist in the future something to discover. Jacek Glomb tried to sell the statue for a symbolic 1 zloty. Last gossips are that it will be replaced by a statue of Henry the Pious or even Jagiello. It’s not a secret that someone put a bomb there as well...
And so it is why we want to focus on this place. It will be a meeting of young people from Russia and former USSR countries: Poland, Estonia and Latvia. We will create a performance based on previously collected personal stories of the old Soviet times Legnica and everyday situations of Polish - Russian relations. We will present with a dance (break dance, ballet, modern dance) and acting combining it with elements of performance of skating and skateboarding. Because important participants are the regulars of Slavic square: skateboarders and skaters. We want to show today's Slavic Square and people from there with their problems. What is mainly no opportunity to develop their passions.
Main aims of the project is to search for new meaning and idea of the Monument at this place, because for years there have been a problem with decision what to do with this Monument. Remove, sell, put it to a different place, or leave? Monument often reminds difficult for Legnica times - we want to change it by artistic actions, events and meetings in this place. Our goal is a change stereotypical thinking. This will be a meeting about Monument of Friendship, no longer Polish - Soviet but simply friendship.

We invite all to the performance of Monument of Friendship 3.10.2010 at 20.00 on the Slavic Square, Legnica. Entrance is for free. You can cget tickets in the Modrzejewska Theater.