Słupno has two memorials commemorating different aspects of 1920: a memorial obelisk commemorates Captain Ryszard Downar-Zapolski, while a wooden cross donated by residents remembers the victims of the Battle of Warsaw. The events of 13 and 14 August provide a specific timeframe for this historical focus. This makes it possible to explore Słupno through military events, an individual person, and local remembrance.

The events of 13 and 14 August

On 13 August 1920, shortly after Radzymin was captured by the Bolsheviks, Słupno was a rallying point for the 46th Regiment. The following day, Captain Ryszard Downar-Zapolski fell in the centre of Słupno. He commanded the 1st Battalion of the 85th Vilnius Rifle Regiment. The two dates mark different aspects of the fighting: Słupno as a rallying point for a regiment, and the death of a named commander in the centre of the town.

Residents of Słupno also supported the military during the fighting of 1920: they disarmed Bolsheviks and took them prisoner. The local history therefore includes not only military units and an officer, but also the actions of residents. To place the events in time, it is worth keeping these details distinct: the rallying point dates to 13 August, Downar-Zapolski’s death to the following day, while the residents’ support relates to the fighting of 1920 as a whole.

Two memorial sites

The memorial obelisk is dedicated to Captain Ryszard Downar-Zapolski. It stands in the courtyard of Szkoła Podstawowa nr 1 im. M. Konopnickiej in Słupno. The wooden cross commemorates the victims of the 1920 Battle of Warsaw and was donated by residents. It has been restored. The two memorials have different focuses: the obelisk centres on a named officer, while the cross commemorates the victims of the battle and recognises the residents’ role as its donors.

The locations are also described differently. The obelisk is in the courtyard of the aforementioned school. The wooden cross stands at the entrance to ul. Norwida from the old route of Road No. 8, almost opposite the Scania company. For navigation, it helps to distinguish between the school courtyard as the reference point for the obelisk and the entrance off the old route as the reference point for the cross.

If you would like to visit Słupno with a focus on its history, you can consider the memorials in light of their respective meanings: the obelisk draws attention to Downar-Zapolski and his military role; the cross to the victims of the battle and the residents’ remembrance. Together with the chronology of 13 and 14 August, they offer a clear way to approach the town’s history without conflating its different events and forms of remembrance.

Discover more destinations: Trojany, Tłuszcz, Radzymin, Nowe Załubice, Ząbki, Marki, Zielonka, Zawady

For the overview of the wider area: Wołomin.