Memorial Stone of the Defenders of the Power Station (Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie Street)
The power station in Powiśle district was supplying electricity to the whole of Warsaw, so taking control of it was a priority for insurgents. On August 1st 1944, after many hours of combat, the building was captured by the captain Stanisław Skibniewski’s pseudonym “Cubryna” squad. From March 1942 until the outbreak of the uprising he was the director of the Warsaw Power Station and his subordinates were its employees. Insurgents took control the main building, captured 50 Germans, ammunition and weapons, including 3 machineguns. It was one of the few successful actions to capture a strategically important object on the first day of the Uprising. In the following days, the whole area of the power station was controlled, with relatively small losses. The power station providing the power to the hospitals, weapons factories and the people of Warsaw was constantly attacked. 6 platoons composed of soldiers – the workers of the power plant defended it. The final attack of the Germans was on September 4th. Next day the power station capitulated.
An unknown author in the poem commemorated the defence:
“Without signs, without rank, but grey our outfit,
The heat of the machines just gives us a shine,
Workman, like a soldier ready to fight!
To fight! Power Plant Fortress!”