GDANSK, Poland — Polish officials unveiled a statue of former President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II on Saturday, honoring two men widely credited in this Eastern European country with helping to topple communism 23 years ago.
People look at a new statue of former President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II that was unveiled in Gdansk, Poland, on Saturday, July 14, 2012. The statue honors the two men whom many Poles credit with helping to topple communism.
The statue was unveiled in Gdansk, the birthplace of Lech Walesa’s Solidarity movement, in the presence of about 120 former Solidarity activists, many of whom were imprisoned in the 1980s for their roles in organizing or taking part in strikes against the communist regime.
The bronze statue, erected in the lush seaside President Ronald Reagan Park, is a slightly larger-than-life rendering of the two late leaders. It was inspired by an Associated Press photograph taken in 1987 on John Paul’s second pontifical visit to the U.S.
Below is the original AP photo and the new statue of these two great leaders for freedom in the last century.
What’s wrong with Reagan’s face on that statue? He looks more like Lyndon Johnson.
He does not have a smile on his face like he does in the photo
I think the statues of both Reagan & J2P2 look like their “older selves”.
J2P2 is more hunched over (like in his older years) and Reagan’s face looks older.
Very cool. We took a tour of Congress last year and there is a statue of Reagan and it’s on top of a piece of the Berlin Wall.
Awesome!
And what do we get? Courtesy of the New York Arts Council we get… Ta daaa! The statue of a guy who makes a living impersonating Che Guevara by Christian Jankowski! As if impersonating Guevara lessens his evil impact.
You know if Guevara had his way, that stupid statue wouldn’t even be standing there. Still radio active, you know.
Guevara wanted to use the Russian missles in Cuba to advance Commuism in the “very heart of the U.S., inluding New York City. The victory of Socialism is well worth millions of atomic victims [emphasis, mine].”
Thanks a lot New York Arts Council. Hmm… Was Michael Bloomberg on the council when the decision was made?
Blah blah blah … Reagan… Blah Blah Blah AIDS… Blah Blah Blah Pope…
OK, George and Levi, you don’t need to comment, now.