A monument to the dark Lord Darth Vader will be erected in Nowa Huta? In Krakow, there is an initiative to build a monument to Darth Vader on the Central Square in Nowa Huta, in the place where the Lenin monument once stood. Councilor Łukasz Wantuch from the presidential club Przyjazny Krakow has prepared an amendment to the city budget to reserve 10 thousand PLN for the preparation of this project. “It is enough to buy a statue of Lenin at the price of scrap metal and earn some extra head”.
Tourism will come back. The focus must go not only on Old Town but also on other locations: like Nowa Huta!
“At first glance, the idea seems completely pointless. But you only need to think a little to see its tremendous potential. And it’s not about Star Wars, monuments, or Darth Vader. Covid will end one day, maybe even before the summer of 2021 and tourists will start coming back to Krakow. In 2 or 3 years, we will again reach 13 million tourists a year. But 99% of them are concentrated in the Old Town area, which is the source of many problems”, informs councilor Łukasz Wantuch from the presidential club Przyjazny Kraków.
Divide & Conquer!
“It is in the interest of Krakow that these tourists are spread as evenly as possible, not only in the center but also on the outskirts. Nowa Huta can be such a pearl, it only needs a magnet that will attract tourists to this part of the city“ – he adds.
The idea is that next to the monument there will be a multimedia information office about the attractions of Nowa Huta, e.g. in the form of several interactive boards.
See more!
“The idea is this – a tourist comes to take a selfie at the monument, but right next to it he sees a board with the words “See more” He comes, clicks and gets info about the history of this place, people who created it and the offer of a tour around Nowa Huta” – he convinces Councilor Wantuch.
This is about the magnet. A way to draw tourists’ attention to a part of Krakow called Nowa Huta. And when he falls into the trap, when he arrives at Ronald Regan Central Square, we put an information leaflet up his nose. Darth Vader, Lenin, Ronald Reagan – it will be a hit! Free advertising time that we get on CNN, NBC, or articles in the New York Times will be worth millions. Every film crew, every journalist who comes to Krakow will have to “include” this attraction
Councilor Wantuch
Raising money should NOT be a problem!
According to the councilor, raising funds for the monument should not be a problem. “There are many military surplus monuments to Lenin, it is enough to buy it for the price of scrap metal and earn some extra head. The amount of 100,000 PLN is rather too small, but it can be increased. The problem will be the consent of the Nowa Huta district council (I cannot imagine such an action without their consent) and the conservatory, not to mention The Walt Disney Company, but the biggest problem may be the reaction of people. The first will be for sure: “Monument to Darth Vader? Anyone crazy here? There is a crisis and they are wasting money?” – comments councilor Wantuch.
Different reactions may appear
“In addition, there is a problem in the form of a possible reaction of people from the older generation, who may perceive it as a mockery of the victims of communism. I think few people will be able to reflect and imagine the potential benefits for Nowa Huta and Kraków. Each zloty spent on this monument will be returned not 10 times, but 100 times! Every person coming to Krakow will have to see this monument.
Public fundraiser or Sponsor
As for the costs, the amount of PLN 10,000 is for preparatory work. I am sure that the funds will be obtained in a public fundraiser, or maybe there will even be a sponsor, for example, a producer of an energy drink or a tourist company, who will sponsor the construction of the monument in exchange for advertising. Imagine George Lucas, Harrison Ford, and Mark Hamill coming to the unveiling of the monument. Especially for Krakow and Nowa Huta. In this way, the whole world will hear about this part of Krakow“ – he adds.
Other councilors react!
Other councilors have already started to react to the idea. “Łukasz Wantuch does not know Nowa Huta or its needs. The steelworks does not need funny greetings from councilors or the transformation of the Lenin monument into the Lord Vader monument, but municipal investments, pro-development projects, the fulfillment of promises, new jobs. The steelworks needs forward-thinking. And power is in Nowohuciany! – comments PiS councilor Stanisław Moryc.
The balance between the Dark & Light Side of the Force
Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker is a fictional character, one of the main characters of the Star Wars film saga. Father of Luke Skywalker and Lea. Initially, the Jedi Knight, under the influence of Darth Sidious, went to the dark side of the Force and assumed the title of “Darth Vader”. He destroyed the Jedi Order and helped transform the Republic into the Galactic Empire. At the end of his life, he returned to the light side of the force and pushed his master into the Death Star reactor, saving his son and thereby restoring the balance of power as prophesied by the power chosen.
The Polish Article on Gazeta Krakowska can be found here.
Stay safe everyone!
The Twisted Red LadyBug
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