Brotherhood in Arms Monument in Warsaw

The Brotherhood in Arms monument was the first post-Second World War monument placed in Warsaw in Vilnius Square. The public contestation of the monument began after Poland gained independence in 1989, although grievances against it might have been aired within opposition circles in prior years, too. After the exit of the Soviets, right-wing and far-right nationalist movements, in particular, urged for the removal of the monument. However, city officials were unwilling to do so, citing the international obligation to preserve the monument inscribed in the 1994 agreement with Russia. The monument was temporarily removed in 2011 when the underground station in Vilnius Square was being constructed. Following a new series of contestations and controversies, the city council decided not to reinstate it in 2013. In 2018, the city finally donated the monument to the Museum of Polish History in Warsaw, and it has been displayed there since.