Monument of the greatest Polish poet, patriot and political writer of the Romantic period was constructed in 1897-1898 by sculptor Cyprian Godebski, in Italy.
It was ceremonially unveiled on 24 December 1898 on the 100th anniversary of poet's birth.
The ceremony was planned to be much larger, but the Tsarist authorities feared it could turn into patriotic manifestation and banned all marches and speeches.
Monument of a national Polish poet was thus unveiled in silence, in front of 12,000 people.