Crossroads Square

The Crossroads Square (Polish: ''Plac Na Rozdrożu'') is an urban square in Warsaw, Poland. It is located in the district of Downtown, at the crossing of Koszykowa Street, Szucha Avenue, People's Army Avenue, Ujazdów Avenue, and Wyzwolenia Avenue. It was built in 1768.

History

The Crossroads Square was built in 1768, as part of the Stanisław Axis, which included creation of several ubran squares connected with roads, with the main road centred on the Ujazdów Castle. It was designed by August Fryderyk Moszyński. The Crossroads Square was placed at the crossing of Royal Route and the Wolska Road (now Wyzwolenia Avenue and Nowowiejska Street respectively). From it branched off four avenues, of which three survive to the modern day. They are: Koszykowa Street, Szucha Avenue, and Wyzwolenia Avenue.

In 1894, next to the square, at 12 Ujazdów Avenue was opened the Russian Orthodox Church of the Archangel Michael, which mainly served Russian soldiers and civilians living in the area. Following the retreat of Russian forces from Warsaw in 1915, the building remained mostly unoccupied and unused, and begun deteriorating, and was eventually torn down in 1923.

In the late 1930s it was planed to place a large monument dedicated to Józef Piłsudski, former Chief of State of Poland. It was part of the proposed Józef Piłsudski District, which was designed at nearby Mokotów Field. Neither plans were realised. During the interwar period, the square was known as the ''Freedom Square'' (Polish: ''Plac Wolności'').

From 1939 to 1944, during the German occupation in the Second World War, the tenement building next to the park, at 11 Ujazdów Avenue, was the headquarters of the Criminal Police. After the war, from 1945 to 1954, it was the headquarters of the Ministry of Public Security.Marta Leśniakowska: ''Architektura w Warszawie''. Warsaw: Arkada Pracownia Historii Sztuki, 2005, p. 99. ISBN 83-908950-8-0. (in Polish)

Between 1971 and 1974, the People's Army Avenue, which was part of the Baths Route, an expressway connecting the city centre with the east side, was built. It crossed the square, which was severely altered in the process. Under it was dug a 46-metre-long tunnel for the Baths Way.''Wszystko o Trasie "Ł". Wywiad z Wiesławem Rososińskim''. In: ''Stolica'', no. 27 (1974), Warsaw, 7 June 1974.Kazimierz Marcinek: ''Przewodnik po Polsce. 868 stron, 100 tras, 318 wariantów i bocznic, 61 planików miast, 11 szkicowych mapek regionów, 31 rzutów obiektów zabytkowych, 81 schematów tras, mapa samochodowa Polski, ok. 34000 km opisanych szlaków, 5000 miejscowości''. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Sport i Turystyka, 1976. (in Polish) Among other changes, in the western portion was added a small square with a fountain. The Baths Way was placed diagonally in the relation to the park, distorting the shape of the historical Stanisław Axis.

In 1990, it was again proposed to place a monument dedicated to Józef Piłsudski. On 11 November 1990, the National Independence Day of Poland, there was placed a plaque informing abot such decision. It remained there until 1994. It was eventually decided to place the monument at the Piłsudski Square instead, where it was unveiled in 1995.

On 10 November 2006, at the crossing of Szucha Avenue and Ujazdów Avenue was unvailed the Monument of Roman Dmowski, who was the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland from 1923, as well as activist for Polish independence, and the founder of the National Democracy. The monument became an object of controversies and protests due to Dmowski racists and antisemitic views and policies. It was designed by Wojciech Mendzelewski, Maria Marek-Prus, and Piotr Prus.

In May 2018, at the square was established an urban vegetable garden.

On 11 November 2018, at the square, near the Ujazdów Avenue, was unvailed the Monument of Ignacy Daszyński, a politician and chairperson of the Polish Socialist Party, and the Prime Minister of the Provisional People's Government of the Republic of Poland in 1918. It was designed by Jacek Kucaba.

On 4 June 2023, the square was the starting point of the march of the anti-government protest against actions of the rulling Law and Justice Party. The protest was organized and led by Donald Tusk, Rafał Trzaskowski, and Lech Wałęsa, and was attended by over 500,000 people.

Currently, it is planed to place a monument dedicated to the 1920 Battle of Warsaw at the square. It was originally announced in 2019, and planed to be unvailed in 2020, before being rescheduled to 2021, and then to 2023, and again, to a currentlt indeterminated date in the future. It is also planed to at the same time modify the square itself, including remodeling the bus stops at Baths Route, as well as the stairs connecting them with the rest of the square, and addition of lifts. There will also be created a crossing on the Wyzwolenia Avenue, replacing the underground crossings that will be deconstructed.

Characteristics

The Crossroads Square is located at the crossing of Koszykowa Street, Szucha Avenue, People's Army Avenue, Ujazdów Avenue, and Wyzwolenia Avenue. It has the total area of 1.96 ha.

The square is divided into two parts on two different levels. The top portion includesthe main portion of the square, connected to the surroundings. In its western portion is located a small circular square with a fountain in it. Bellow is the People's Army Avenue, which is a part of the Baths Route, an expressway that connects the city centre with the east side. Its portion goes threw the 46-metre-long tunnel under the square. On its side are the bus stops, which are connected to the square via staircases.

The square includes the Ignacy Daszyński Monument by Jacek Kucaba, and Roman Dmowski Monument by Wojciech Mendzelewski, Maria Marek-Prus, and Piotr Prus.

It borders the Ujazdów Park, the Botanical Garden of the University of Warsaw, and the Stefan Kisielewski "Kisiel" Square.

Gallery

File:Pomnik Ignacego Daszyńskiego w Warszawie 2022.jpg, The Ignacy Daszyński Monument at the Crossroads Square in 2022.
File:Ujazdów, Warszawa, Poland - panoramio (147).jpg, Flowerbeds at the Crossroads Square in 2016.
File:Underpass Armii Ludowej Avenue and Ujazdowskie Avenue.jpg, The stairscases connecting the Crossroads Square with the bus stops at People's Army Avenue in 2022.
File:Wawa3DSC 0993.JPG, Commemorative plaque at the square.

References

{{Reflist

Squares in Warsaw
Śródmieście Południowe
1768 establishments in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Buildings and structures completed in 1768
Ujazdów, Warsaw