Kraków’s iconic dragon sculpture is again breathing fire following a three week operation to modernize the gas lines inside of him.
Back in January, authorities turned off the gas pipe feeding him after noticing that the statue had been guzzling more fuel than usual. At the time, a city official informed the public that the dragon would “have to go on a diet due to his excessive gluttony.”
However, authorities stressed that cutting off the dragon’s gas supply was a standard maintenance procedure, and not the result of any threat to public safety.
Now, following an investigation to inspect, assess and repair his innards, the 52-year-old dragon is back to doing what he does best.
Found at the foot of the city’s Wawel Hill, the monument was designed in the 1960s by the acclaimed local sculptor Bronisław Chromy after the artist won a competitive process undertaken by City Hall.
However, authorities stressed that cutting off the dragon’s gas supply was a standard maintenance procedure, and not the result of any threat to public safety.
Now, following an investigation to inspect, assess and repair his innards, the 52-year-old dragon is back to doing what he does best.
Found at the foot of the city’s Wawel Hill, the monument was designed in the 1960s by the acclaimed local sculptor Bronisław Chromy after the artist won a competitive process undertaken by City Hall.
Initially, though, the sculpture was envisaged as a water-spouting dragon fountain located on Wolnica Square in the Kazimierz district. All this was to change when Chromy’s workshop was visited by the city’s mayor, Zbigniew Skolicki.
Presumably inspired by what he saw, Skolicki persuaded the director of Wawel Castle that Chromy’s dragon deserved to sit at the foot of the city’s defining landmark.
This would not be the only change. Somewhere along the line, the fountain idea was shelved and Chromy instead crafted a six-meter bronze statue mounted on a limestone boulder.
Unveiled in 1972, this would prove to be no ordinary dragon sculpture. Full in keeping with the wacky spirit of the early 1970s, it was decided that the statue would breathe fire, and to meet this end a 26-year-old engineer by the name of Feliks Prochownik was recruited to make this happen.
Presumably inspired by what he saw, Skolicki persuaded the director of Wawel Castle that Chromy’s dragon deserved to sit at the foot of the city’s defining landmark.
This would not be the only change. Somewhere along the line, the fountain idea was shelved and Chromy instead crafted a six-meter bronze statue mounted on a limestone boulder.
Unveiled in 1972, this would prove to be no ordinary dragon sculpture. Full in keeping with the wacky spirit of the early 1970s, it was decided that the statue would breathe fire, and to meet this end a 26-year-old engineer by the name of Feliks Prochownik was recruited to make this happen.
After much trial and error, Prochownik - with the help of Kazimierz Maciarz - designed a system to do so. Speaking decades later to Dziennik Polski, Prochownik, who spent much of his adolescence in an orphanage, revealed he had been inspired by his tough upbringing.
“I did it for the children back in the orphanage,” he said. “I wanted to show them that the dragon breathes - not just in fairy tales, but in reality. [I wanted to show] that miracles happen.”
In the beginning, the dragon was designed to shoot flames from its mouth every three to five minutes. However, since 2006 technological advances have allowed visitors to order flames on demand via text message - a hugely popular innovation, according to some statistics the service entertains as many as 2,500 requests per day.
It is impossible to visit Kraków without noticing the city’s fixation with dragons. This, however, is for good reason.
According to popular legend, a dragon once plagued the area during the rule of the mythical King Krakus - Kraków’s mythical founder. Sustaining himself on a diet of young maidens and sheep, the dragon terrorized the locals to such an extent that Krakus was moved to promise the hand of his daughter in marriage to whoever could slay the beast.
“I did it for the children back in the orphanage,” he said. “I wanted to show them that the dragon breathes - not just in fairy tales, but in reality. [I wanted to show] that miracles happen.”
In the beginning, the dragon was designed to shoot flames from its mouth every three to five minutes. However, since 2006 technological advances have allowed visitors to order flames on demand via text message - a hugely popular innovation, according to some statistics the service entertains as many as 2,500 requests per day.
What is the Wawel Dragon?
It is impossible to visit Kraków without noticing the city’s fixation with dragons. This, however, is for good reason.
According to popular legend, a dragon once plagued the area during the rule of the mythical King Krakus - Kraków’s mythical founder. Sustaining himself on a diet of young maidens and sheep, the dragon terrorized the locals to such an extent that Krakus was moved to promise the hand of his daughter in marriage to whoever could slay the beast.
The challenge was taken up by a cobbler - leaving a dead lamb stuffed with sulphur by the dragon’s cave, the young man then retreated to watch the dragon emerge from its lair and devour the animal.
On eating the bait, the dragon’s thirst reached such a level that he drank so much water from the Vistula River that he exploded into a ball of fire.
On eating the bait, the dragon’s thirst reached such a level that he drank so much water from the Vistula River that he exploded into a ball of fire.
Variations of this legend have circulated for centuries, and in the intervening time the dragon has morphed from being an outright villain to the city’s official mascot.
Aside from a hugely popular annual summer dragon parade, the city has also introduced a trail of miniature dragons that mimics the gnome trail of Wroclaw.
Aside from a hugely popular annual summer dragon parade, the city has also introduced a trail of miniature dragons that mimics the gnome trail of Wroclaw.
