Location: Ustka, Polska

The Mermaid

'The Mermaid of Ustka. The mermaid first appeared in the coat of arms of the town in 1922 - placed by the painter, Wilhelm Granzow, on the shield of the statue of "The dying warrior" (the statue is located in the park in Chopin street). The mermaid, symbolising all the charms of the bathing area, is enjoying a bath in the sea with a sailing ship in the background - which, in turn, symbolises sailing. The mermaid holds a salmon, a pride of Ustka fishery. This coat of arms became official in 1924. According to a legend by Franciszek Fenikowski, the figure's name is Bryzga Rosowa and she is in the process of presenting salmons to a poor widow anxiously waiting for her only son to return from a fishing expedition.
The mermaid's statue was unveiled in 2010. It was funded by the citizens and friends of Ustka and designed by Michał Rosa, a sculptor from Ustka. The material for the statue was collected thanks to a public collection of bronze products.
A legend has it that whoever strokes the left breast of the statue of the mermaid - shall have a wish and a half come true for them. Why a wish and a half? Well, three wishes are said to come true thanks to a golden 100 per cent fish - and the Mermaid is, after all, a golden half fish - half woman... and therefore, a fish in fifty percents.'
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'W herbie miasteczka pojawiła się w 1922 roku. Umieścił ją na tarczy pomnika "Umierającego Wojownika" malarz Wilhelm Granzow (pomnik znajduje się w parku przy ulicy Chopina). Syrenka, uosobiająca uroki kąpieliska, pluska się w morzu na tle żaglowca  i trzyma w dłoni dorodnego łososia - dumę usteckiego rybołóstwa. Herb został zatwierdzony w 1924 roku. W legendzie Franciszka Fenikowskiego postać ta nosi imię Bryzga Rosowa i obdarowuje łososiami ubogą wdowę, z niepokojem oczekującą powrotu jedynego syna z połowu.
Pomnik Syrenki odsłonięto w 2010 roku. Złożyli się na niego mieszakńcy i przyjaciele Ustki. Zaprojektował go Michał Rosa, rzeźbiarz z Ustki. Materiał zgromadzono dzięki społecznej zbiórce wyrobów z brązu.
Kto pogłaszcze Syrenkę po lewej piersi, temu spełni się półtora życzenia. Półtora - bo trzy życzenia spełniają złote stuprocentowe rybki, a Syrenka to złocista pół ryba, pół kobieta, czyli ryba w pięćdziesięciu procentach.'
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11 comments:

  1. ...something that I might see in Maui!

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  2. Beautiful. I really like the silhouette too.

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  3. Wow, she is beautiful. That last shot showcases her so well. Thanks for linking up today.

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  4. I love her in silhouette!

    I have had the link to your blog messed up and did not realize it till now!

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  5. She's so beautiful! What a great symbol for the city. Both her breasts are pretty shiny though from all that rubbing! Hope people had their wishes come true! :-) Happy New year!

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  6. A beautiful sculpture and a great backstory. I am glad that I was not the first to notice that both breasts seem to be rubbed shiny. I guess if you are rubbing the left one, might as well do the right one as well.

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  7. Beautiful sculpture and images !

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  8. It's beautiful, I especially love that last shot.

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