The Good Soldier Szwejk bench in Sanok

The monument located in Sanok at 3 Maja Street is now a part of the tourist trail "In the footsteps of the good soldier Szwejk".

The Szwejk bench in Sanok was unveiled on June 6, 2003 as the first in Poland and the fifth in the world. The ceremony was attended, among others, by the writer's grandson, Richard Hašek, and an expert on Czech literature, the journalist Leszek Mazan.

The author of the monument is the sculptor Adam Przybysz. The figure of Švejk was modeled on the most famous film impersonator of the brave soldier, Rudolf Hrušínský.

It is the present symbol of Sanok's relationship with the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. A life-size figure of Švejk in the uniform of the Imperial-Royal Army sits on a bench smoking a pipe.

Józef Szwejk is the main character of Jaroslav Hašek's novel. He is one of the most recognizable book characters. In Poland, it enjoys popularity and, above all, sympathy. That is why Švejk's bench is crowded - everyone

he sits down next to the cast metal figure of a smiling soldier, capturing the scene in a photo. It is said that rubbing Švejk's nose brings good luck, which is why this part of the sculpture is the most polished.