The Little Insurrectionist’s Monument (Podwale Street)
“Varsovian children, we’ll head into battle
for every stone of yours
we shall give our blood“
A fragment of this famous insurgent song is placed on a plaque behind the statue which commemorates the youngest heroes of fighting Warsaw. The statue is of a young looking at us, wearing too large boots and a coat. Too large helmet falling on his forehead, surrounded by a white and red ribbon and his machine gun hanging over his shoulder. This view undoubtedly has an impact on our emotions. In fact, it is only a symbol – so little children were not allowed to fight armed.
The monument itself was designed in 1946 by Jerzy Jarnuszkiewicz. Over the years it was mostly known from copies. The initiative of commemorating the memory of the youngest participants of the Warsaw Uprising was made by the scouts of the Warsaw Scout Association of the Polish Scouting Association (Związek Harcerstwa Polskiego) of the name of the Heroes of Warsaw. It came out, in connection with the fifteenth anniversary of naming this honourable name. Jarnuszkiewicz donated his project, and on October 1st 1983 the the Little Insurrectionist’s monument was unveiled by a former insurgent Jerzy Świderski pseudonym “Lubicz”. It was a form of scout gathering. To this day the Little Insurrectionist’s monument is one of the most characteristic monuments of the capital city.