Monument to Philemon and Boniface

On plac Lecha Kaczyńskiego in Stary Widzew stands a bronze monument to two cats from a popular animated series: black Boniface and grey Philemon. The sculpture was created for International Children's Day and is one of the stops on the route of Łódź monuments depicting characters from fairy tales.

Boniface and Philemon from a children's story

The monument depicts two characters known from the series The Adventures of Cat Philemon, produced by the Łódź studio Se-ma-for in the nineteen-seventies. The black cat Boniface stands next to a ball of wool cast in bronze, while grey and white Philemon watches the scene from a nearby wall. The unveiling took place on 1 June 2011, on International Children's Day, in front of the entrance to the Film Museum.

The sculptors

The sculpture was made by Magdalena Walczak and Marcin Mielczarek, with the design concept developed by Ludwik Kronic. These same sculptors created other monuments in the series dedicated to characters from animation by Se-ma-for studio, including the nearby Monument to Teddy Bear Uszatek.

Part of the Łódź Fairy Tale cycle

The Monument to Philemon and Boniface is part of the Łódź Fairy Tale cycle, which commemorates the legacy of Se-ma-for studio, for decades one of the most important centres of puppet animation in Poland. The sculptures in this cycle are distributed across various points in the city and form a walking route for families with children.

Next to the Film Museum

The placement of the monument in front of the museum entrance is no accident, as this institution documents the history of Łódź animation, including productions by Se-ma-for studio. A walk around plac Lecha Kaczyńskiego can therefore be treated as an introduction to visiting the museum itself, and for children familiar with the series it offers an additional attraction before going inside.

Practical information

• Address: plac Lecha Kaczyńskiego 1, Stary Widzew, Łódź
• Getting there: city centre, accessible by public transport
• What to expect: a bronze sculpture of two cats from the story, accessible at all times, right at the entrance to the Film Museum
• A good place to combine with a visit to the museum and a walk past other monuments in the Łódź Fairy Tale cycle