A bronze bust of Tadeusz Kościuszko was recently unveiled at the Greenpoint plaza near the bridge of his name. As he is a hero of Poland and the American Revolution, it is only fair to pronounce his full name. Kosh-Choosh-Ko, it’s a local rite of passage for residents of Greenpoint.
On Saturday, November 6, Greenpoint’s Polish community celebrated the unveiling of the bronze bust created by artist Marian Szajda. The ceremony was hosted by Grzegorz Fryc, the founder of GramX Promotions and the newly elected president of the Pulaski Association of Business and Professional Men. The American anthem was sung by Tomaczek Bednarek. The Polish Anthem was sung by Halina Kalitka. Polish children were dressed in stroje ludowe, the national dress of Poland. Adrian Kubicki, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in New York and Former Assembly Member Joseph Lentol helped cut the ribbon. 2021 NYC mayoral candidate, Curtis Sliwa (who is of Polish origin) was also in attendance.
Kubicki predicted, “The monument is a final touch. It commemorates the Polish-American hero in the heart of the Polish community in New York, at the bridge that connects two wonderful, one might say Polish districts. If you look at the City’s development plans, in a few years it will be beautiful and one of the most important areas of this city.”
U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney sent a letter, which was read at the event, as she had to be in Washington D.C. “Today we have the opportunity to commemorate General Tadeusz Kościuszko. In addition to bold, innovative infrastructure solutions bearing his name, General Kosciuszko’s military engineering qualifications played a key role in the victory of the U.S. War of Independence. His importance in the birth of our country was groundbreaking and still echoes.” Maloney wrote.
The Greenline 
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