Maria Skłodowska-Curie monument in Warsaw, Bronze monument in Ochota district, Warsaw, Poland
The Maria Skłodowska-Curie monument is a bronze figure about three metres tall, shown walking with her head bowed and her chin resting on a bent hand. It stands on a small square at the corner of Wawelska and Skłodowskiej-Curie streets, by the former Radium Institute building in Ochota. The pedestal bears the inscription "Marji / Skłodowskiej-Curie / Stolica / 1935".
The monument was designed by Ludwika Nitschowa on the orders of Warsaw mayor Stefan Starzyński. A first version from 1932 showed Curie seated and hunched over a book; the final bronze, about 3 metres tall, depicts her walking with head bowed and chin resting on her hand. It was cast by the Bracia Łopieńscy firm and unveiled on 5 September 1935, with the inscription "Marji / Skłodowskiej-Curie / Stolica / 1935" on the plinth.
The monument sits near the Institute of Oncology, where the scientist herself laid the foundation stone and donated radium for medical treatment. The location connects memory of her work with the practical applications of her discoveries in medicine.
The monument is easily reached through Maria Skłodowska-Curie Park, which features information panels and educational pathways. Visitors can take their time exploring the surroundings and reading the details at the information cubes throughout the park.
The monument was damaged during the Warsaw Uprising, when RONA soldiers used it for target practice; bullet marks remain on its arm, back and chest. During the 1997 conservation, funded by the Ochota district office, these marks were deliberately left in place.
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