Monument at the Cemetery of Soviet Soldiers

Technique: bas-relief, sandstone

Dimensions: 30 m (length), 4.5 m (height)

Object: The monument constitutes the central part of the Cemetery of Soviet Soldiers. It occupies the terrace between the obelisk and the burial area with collective graves of Soviet soldiers. At the conceptual level, the monument was given the form of an arched monumental wall, 30 m long and 4.5 m high, adorned with a central sandstone bas-relief depicting three Soviet soldiers (footman, commander and tankman) against the background of a tank. On the sides are plaques with inscriptions in Polish and Russian, reading: “You have achieved a great victory, you were fearless in battle, you gave your lives for a just cause. To the Soviet heroes who died in 1945 while liberating Gdańsk – the inhabitants of Gdańsk”. The bas-relief was designed and made by the sculptor Alfons Łosowski, and the entire monument was built by Gdańsk stonemasons working on the reconstruction of the historic stonework in Gdańsk. The entire structure is monumental in nature and, like the rest of the cemetery’s interior, aligned with Socialist Realism forms.

Place: The Cemetery of Soviet Soldiers is located at the back of People’s Meeting Square and covers an area of 1.65 ha of the former Non-Denominational Cemetery. It borders the historic Garrison Cemetery. Construction started in 1946. The exhumation of Soviet soldiers’ bodies and their transport to the cemetery were completed in 1949, along with primary arrangement and decoration work. The cemetery was designed by Gdańsk University of Technology employees, but parts of the monument and obelisk were designed by Alfons Łosowski. The cemetery is arranged in 3 parts located at different heights of the slope and the valley’s foot, where the described object is to be found. The entire area is based on Socialist Realism guidelines and currently remains one of the few monuments in this style in Gdańsk.

Information about the author: Alfons Łosowski (04 Jan 1908–27 Jun 1988). Born in Orkiewicze in the Novogrudok region (currently in Belarus). He graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the S. Báthory University in Vilnius under the supervision of Prof. Kuna, Mikenas and Aleksandrowicz.

During the war, he was a Home Army soldier of the Vilnius district. After the war, he settled in Gdańsk. Until 1955, he was working on reconstructing sculptures as part of the Gdańsk Old Town restoration. He brought back to life sculptures decorating many façades of the most famous tenement houses, all based on modest, surviving photographic documentation. In 1955, he started independent creative work in his studio at 11/13 Mariacka Street.

He authored several outdoor sculptures within the Gdańsk area, which he donated to the city in 1966, as well as many sculptures in public buildings in Poland, in museums and private collections. Granite and wood were his primary working materials. He created a distinctive style that combined organic form with a natural stone texture.

Condition of the object: renovated (1982–84)

Owner: Gdańsk Road and Greenery Authority

Author of the entry: Kora Kowalska