Polish priests have blessed an unveiled a new 6-meter (20-foot) tall bronze statue of St. Michael the Archangel in Ustrzyki Górne in the very conservative and Catholic Bieszczady Mountains in south-eastern Poland.
The monument depicts the archangel in classic triumphant pose: sword raised high, foot crushing a defeated dragon (representing Satan), with wings spread wide for dramatic effect.
The monument is a deliberate response to a nearby provocative modern art project.
A group of contemporary artists (backed by a grant from a Warsaw-based cultural foundation) installed a 4-meter abstract sculpture titled Lucifer Ascending on a nearby hillside a few months earlier.
Outraged parishioners quickly started fundraising among local Catholics to counter it with a statue of Archangel Saint Michael.
The contemporary artists described their installation as a "meditation on rebellion and enlightenment.”
The piece features a humanoid figure with elongated horns, outstretched arms, and a fiery base—explicitly inspired by John Milton's Paradise Lost and modern interpretations of the fallen angel.
While the artists framed it as a commentary on human ambition and the blurring of good and evil, many locals and Catholic groups decried it as a satanic idol glorifying the devil, especially given its placement in a region dotted with wooden churches and pilgrimage sites dedicated to Marian devotion.
The backlash was swift. Petitions circulated online, amassing over 15,000 signatures in weeks, calling for its removal. Conservative media outlets like ran headlines labeling it "Satan's Gateway to the Polish Borderlands."
Local priests from Ustrzyki Górne's Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary led prayer vigils at the site, invoking St. Michael's protection.
Fundraising began in January 2025 via church collections, GoFundMe-style campaigns, and donations from Polish diaspora groups.
By June, they had raised approximately 300 000 PLN (around $82 000 USD), enough to commission the statue from a Kraków-based sculptor known for religious works. The design was approved by the local diocese, emphasizing Michael's role as heaven's warrior against evil, directly countering the Lucifer piece's themes.
The statue was erected at Wetlina Valley, just a 2 km hike from the Lucifer installation.
Father Kowalski blessed the monument with holy water, reciting the traditional Prayer to St. Michael: "Defend us in battle... Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil."