The Creator of Our Film Award Statuette to Receive the “Gloria Artis” Medal
Zbigniew Mikielewicz – the author of many recognizable monuments and outdoor artistic installations, and the creator of the statuette of our Pola Negri Film Award – will join the ranks of outstanding artists honored with the “Gloria Artis” medal.
Zbigniew Mikielewicz is a graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Nicolaus Copernicus University. In 1983, he received his diploma in sculpture from the studio of Professor Barbara Bieniulis-Strynkiewicz. His works have become a permanent part of the landscape of Toruń. He is, among others, the author of the multi-element installation in the Pomeranian Crime Victims Memorial Park of 1939 in Toruń. Speaking about the idea behind this project, he said:
“I chose a new formula of commemoration, as it seems to me – one that does not shock with horror and is not intended to antagonize people. Rather, it creates a space for reflection, semi-sacred in character, as it concerns ultimate matters.”
Mikielewicz has also created smaller sculptural forms, including the famous Filuś – the dog of Professor Filutek – from the Toruń installation commemorating Zbigniew Lengren at the Old Town Market Square.
He also designed the Marshal of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region Pola Negri Film Award, granted since 2022. The award takes the form of a stylized film strip statuette featuring the image of the world cinema icon born in Lipno. This is not Mikielewicz’s only “film-related” work. In 2006, a monument designed by him depicting Kargul and Pawlak – the heroes of Sylwester Chęciński’s comedy trilogy “Sami swoi,” “Nie ma mocnych,” and “Kochaj albo rzuć” – was unveiled in front of Cinema City in Toruń.
In 2010, Zbigniew Mikielewicz was honored by the Mayor of Toruń with the “Thorunium” medal in recognition of his contributions to the city. In 2025, for his lifetime artistic achievements, he received the award of the Marshal of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region. He is also the artistic ambassador of Kujawy and Pomorze. His nomination by the regional authorities for the prestigious “Gloria Artis” decoration is an expression of recognition for his impressive artistic output and his contribution to promoting the region.
The “Meritorious to Culture – Gloria Artis” medal is an award granted by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage to individuals and institutions for outstanding achievements in the field of art, culture, or heritage protection. The medal, whose name means “glory to art,” was established in 2005 and replaced the “Meritorious Cultural Activist” badge. It has three classes: gold, silver, and bronze.
Major Works by Zbigniew Mikielewicz
- Pomeranian Crime Victims Memorial Park in Toruń
- Monument to General Grot Rowecki in Warsaw
- Reconstruction of the Polish Military Organization Monument in front of Zachęta in Warsaw
- Cosmopolis Fountain in Toruń
- Monument to Bolesław Krzywousty in Płock
- Monument to Cardinal Hlond in Katowice
- Monument to John Paul II in Los Angeles
- Epitaphs of those murdered in Katyn, Kharkiv, Mednoye, and Pyatykhatky – Katyn Museum in Warsaw
- Monument to President Władysław Raczkiewicz in Toruń
- Memory Quarter in Oksywie, Gdynia
- Cavalryman Monument in Chełmno
- Monument to Father Jerzy Popiełuszko in Solec Kujawski
- Adoration Chapel in the Church of the Holy Spirit in Toruń
- Fountain and sculptural works in front of the Marshal’s Office in Toruń
Department of Promotion
18 February 2026