Interesting places

A mural of Ryszard Szurkowski, an outstanding Polish cyclist of all times, was created in September 2024 in his hometown - on the building of the School Complex in Krosnice (our Master was born and grew up a few kilometres away, in Świebodów). The mural covers an area of 100 m2. It is easy to find, also because it is located on a building by the provincial road no. DW439 Milicz - Syców. Since its appearance, it has aroused great interest among local residents and attracted Szurkowski's fans.

The author of the design of the mural and its execution on the wall is Konrad Moszyński, a graphic artist from Ostrów Wielkopolski, the author of two other murals in our area - the Nicolaus Copernicus one and the Wisława Szymborska one in Milicz. The Szurkowski mural was inspired by a photograph taken during one of Ryszard Szurkowski's victorious races from the collection of the East News Agency. Let us just remind ourselves that the period of the greatest successes of the world-class cyclist from Swiebodzin was in the 1970s: two-time Olympic vice-champion (1972 in Munich and 1976 in Montreal), four-time World Championship medallist, and twelve-time Polish champion, best known for dominating the Peace Race for several years in a row. The dates and races in which Szurkowski won are also included in the mural. The figure of the cyclist is depicted in a very dynamic way, with the effort and determination with which the champion won successive podiums visible on his face. The retro-style colour scheme alludes to the 1970s, the period when Szurkowski reached the peak of his career.

Mural of Ryszard Szurkowski by Konrad Moszyński Mucha Design, photo. Konrad Moszyński

Ryszard Szurkowski, apart from being an outstanding athlete of whom we are proud, was a very friendly and good neighbour. Many locals remember very well how he raced alone against himself on desolate asphalt roads somewhere between Krosnice and Trzebnica. His excellent form was only broken by a fatal accident during a race in Germany. Until the accident he was practically always present at the Cycling Rallies on Ryszard Szurkowski's Traces organised by the Municipality of Krosnice twice a year - on the last Saturday of April and the first Saturday of September.

The mural is a memorial to Ryszard Szurkowski. We want the Master to continue to be with us and we with him. In this way we pay tribute to him, we take an oath that we will always remember him and tell about his will to fight, honest sportsmanship and decency in every aspect of life to the next generation - young cyclists and riders who did not have the chance to get to know Ryszard Szurkowski personally or to witness his victories.
The mural is also a supplement to the Museum of Ryszard Szurkowski, which is being created in Krośnice on the initiative of the Lion's Club in Poznań, where the Master's sporting memorabilia - cups, medals, diplomas, cycling clothes, bicycles, photographs, films, press articles and many others - will be exhibited. The museum will be located in the same building complex in Krośnice. Completing the whole will be the 100-kilometre-long Ryszard Szurkowski Trail, which is being built between Krośnice, Zawonia, Trzebnica and Milicz. The route of the trail connects places connected with Ryszard Szurkowski - both with his childhood, early youth, as well as the road sections that he used to ride when he retired from sport and trained constantly. So the route will include his hometown of Swiebodzin, his primary school, the parish church, Prababka hill in the Kocichy mountains and Ryszard Szurkowski street in Zawoja, but also his grave in the cemetery in Wierzchowice, which is constantly visited by cyclists and riders. And, of course, the museum and mural. The trail will be inaugurated in spring 2025.

The initiator of the mural and the creation of the Ryszard Szurkowski trail is the Association of Municipalities and Districts "Dolnośląska Kraina Rowerowa". For this purpose, the association obtained funds from the Budget of the Lower Silesian Self-Government - for the mural in the amount of PLN 20,000.00 and for the Ryszard Szurkowski trail in the amount of PLN 27,000.00.

The remaining funds were donated by sponsors, partners and private individuals:

- local institutions: Bank Spółdzielczy w Miliczu PLN 2000.00, Nadleśnictwo Milicz PLN 1000.00,
- non-governmental organisations: Ryszard Szurkowski Foundation PLN 5000.00, Rowerkowo Association in Barycz Valley PLN 100.00,
- local entrepreneurs: Art-Zbyt Sp.J. A. Wojtyczka, B. Michalak PLN 1,500.00, Deftrans Sp. z o.o PLN 1,500.00, Stawy Milickie SA PLN 1,000.00, U Bartka Bartłomiej Siewiera Tasting Room PLN 800.00, Ceglany Dom Rural Tourism Anna and Dariusz Moczulscy PLN 500.00, Dajczman S.C. Shop, service, bike rental PLN 300.00, Insurance Paweł Włodarczyk PLN 150.00,
- private persons donated the total amount of PLN 770.00 (Andrzej Biały, Marta Kamińska, Paweł Bejda, Beata Iwanicka, Renata Staszkiewicz, Karolina Mikołajczak, Dariusz Budnik, Damian Krystian Kłak, Krystian Kural).

Information about the funding and the donations made will be on the sponsorship board next to the mural. For all donations we thank you from the heart. Thanks to you, we can put up a monument to Ryszard Szurkowski.