Pomnik Praskiej Kapeli Podwórkowej in Warsaw

Pomnik Praskiej Kapeli Podwórkowej, also known in English as the Praga Backyard Band Memorial, is a Warsaw monument of four brass statues depicting members of a folk band. Look for the coins around the figures as well as the musicians themselves: they are a detail connected with the street performers the monument represents.

What is the Pomnik Praskiej Kapeli Podwórkowej?

The monument stands in Warsaw, Poland, at the corner of Floriańska and Kłopotowskiego Streets. Its location is in the Praga-North district, within the Old Praga neighbourhood, making the street corner the key detail to use when you are finding it.

What does the Praga Backyard Band Memorial depict?

The design consists of four brass statues depicting members of a Warsaw folk band. The source describes the depicted band as including a violinist, accordionist, guitarist, banjoist and drummer. In other words, the four statues represent a band whose roles include those five musicians and instruments; the figures are not presented as five separate statues.

Andrzej Renes designed the monument. The combination of the brass figures and the named instruments gives you a specific way to read the sculpture: notice the musicians as a group rather than treating it as a generic memorial.

When was the monument unveiled?

The monument was unveiled on 17 September 2006. That date is the recorded milestone for the memorial.

What should you look for at the monument?

Look for and collect the coins around the statues. The related Praga district artist's studio tour connects this detail with groups that sang typical Warsaw songs and played different instruments for tips. If someone liked their music, they could reward the musicians with extra coins—and the material around the monument reflects that idea.

The monument is stop 5 of 18 on that route, so it is one point within a longer experience rather than the route's endpoint. To explore the monument as part of the interactive walk, open the Praga district tour.