The Creator of Our Film Statuette
Toruń-based artist Zbigniew Mikielewicz is the author of many recognisable monuments and outdoor installations. He is also the creator of the statuette for our Pola Negri Film Award.
Zbigniew Mikielewicz graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Nicolaus Copernicus University. In 1983, he received his diploma in sculpture in the studio of Professor Barbara Bieniulis-Strynkiewicz. His works have become a permanent part of Toruń’s landscape. Among others, he is the author of the multi-element installation in the Memorial Park for the Victims of the Pomeranian Crime of 1939, created on the initiative of Marshal Piotr Całbecki. He describes the idea behind this project as follows: “I chose what seems to me a new formula of commemoration – one that does not shock with horror or aim to set people against each other. Rather, it creates a space for reflection, semi-sacral, because it concerns ultimate matters.”
Mikielewicz is also known for smaller sculptures, including the famous Filuś, the dog of Professor Filutek, which forms part of the Toruń installation commemorating Zbigniew Lengren on the Old Town Market Square.
He also designed the Marshal of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region’s Pola Negri Film Award, granted since 2022. It is a statuette in the form of a stylised film reel featuring the image of the Lipno-born global cinema icon. It is presented during film festivals held in our region to actors and creators – both prominent figures and talented newcomers – who contribute something lasting and original to Polish cinema. Its most recent laureate to date is actor Eryk Kulm, known for lead roles in Boxer, Filip and Michał Kwieciński’s latest superproduction Chopin, Chopin! He received the Pola Negri statuette during the 33rd edition of the Camerimage Festival in Toruń. One of the most expensive productions in the history of Polish cinematography, the film was financially supported by the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Film Fund.
Nagroda Filmowa im. Poli Negri, fot. Andrzej Goiński
The Pola Negri statuette is not Zbigniew Mikielewicz’s only “film-related” work. In 2006, the monument of Kargul and Pawlak – the iconic characters from Sylwester Chęciński’s comedy trilogy Sami swoi, Nie ma mocnych and Kochaj albo rzuć – was unveiled at Cinema City in Toruń. The life-size bronze figures holding suitcases are captured by Mikielewicz in a memorable scene from Kochaj albo rzuć: upon arriving in the United States, they look in astonishment at American reality. The screen portrayals by Wacław Kowalski (Kazimierz Pawlak) and Władysław Hańcza (Władysław Kargul) have become legendary in Polish cinema.
In 2010, Zbigniew Mikielewicz was honoured with the “Thorunium” medal by the Mayor of Toruń in recognition of his contributions to the city. In 2025, he received the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Marshal’s Award for lifetime artistic achievement. He is also an artistic ambassador of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region.
He works with various materials, including bronze, granite, marble, sandstone, stainless steel, Corten steel, and aluminium. However, he most often chooses stone—especially glacial erratic boulders brought by ice sheets thousands of years ago. He says that stone does not forgive mistakes, and therefore imposes discipline. It encourages focus on what is most important, avoiding unnecessary details.
Major works by Zbigniew Mikielewicz
- Memorial Park for the Victims of the Pomeranian Crime in Toruń
- Monument to General Stefan “Grot” Rowecki in Warsaw
- Reconstruction of the POW Monument in front of the Zachęta Gallery in Warsaw
- Cosmopolis Fountain in Toruń
- Monument to Bolesław III Wrymouth in Płock
- Monument to Cardinal August Hlond in Katowice
- Monument to Pope John Paul II in Los Angeles
- Epitaphs for the murdered in Katyn, Kharkiv, Mednoye and Piatykhatky – 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
- Chapel of Adoration in the Holy Spirit Church in Toruń
- Fountain and sculptural works in front of the Marshal’s Office in Toruń
Department of Promotion
5 December 2025