Krasnoludek

"Krasnoludek" - dwarf in Polish. You see many of these Krasnoludki in the streets of Warsaw. If you pay attention to it you will see so many of them, it is insane. 

Let me show you some photos I took, showing this dwarf sprayed on the ground or stickered elsewhere. Especially during the last few months, the stickers are placed all across the city.

Śródmieście district

 

City center

Now the million dollar question: who or what is this? 

It is "Krasnoludek Chodnikowy", a bit odd to translate but "Dwarf on/of the pavement" would do here. That explains why most of them are sprayed on the ground using a stencil template. 

Instagram account of Krasnoludek Chodnikowy

 

But why? Just for fun? 

I would say partially. There is a statement behind them. It is a sign of the so called "Orange Alternative".

Orange alternative
The Orange Alternative (Polish: Pomarańczowa Alternatywa) is a Polish anti-communist underground movement, started in Wrocław, a city in south-west Poland and led by Waldemar Fydrych, commonly known as Major in the 1980s. Its main purpose was to offer a wider group of citizens an alternative way of opposition against the authoritarian regime by means of a peaceful protest that used absurd and nonsensical elements.

By doing this, members of the Orange Alternative could not be arrested by the police for opposition to the regime without the authorities becoming a laughing stock. The Orange Alternative has been viewed as part of the broader Solidarity movement.

Initially it painted ridiculous graffiti of dwarfs on paint spots covering up anti-government slogans on city walls. Afterwards, beginning with 1985 through 1990, it organized a series of more than sixty happenings in several Polish cities, including Wrocław, Warsaw, Łódź, Lublin, and Tomaszów Mazowiecki.

It was the most picturesque element of Polish opposition to Stalinist authoritarianism. It suspended activity in 1989, but reactivated in 2001 and has been active on a small scale ever since. A statue of a dwarf, dedicated to the memory of the movement, stands today on Świdnicka Street in Wrocław, in the place where events took place.

Dwarfs -krasnoludki- in Warsaw
They appear everywhere, however, the most can be found in the district Ursynów. They left the Kabacki Forest and set off into the city. Many people first thought that they are advertisements.
But all it promotes is some positive energy, kids like them and it is a funny and colorful sight.

Śródmieście district

These sprayed dwarfs appeared in Warsaw in 2010. Piotr Ginalski, 'father' of many of the dwarfs, What is it all about? This is what mr Ginalski answered when he was asked:

Why dwarfs?
"Because dwarfs are cool! In my childhood, in the 1980s, I heard the legends about the Orange Alternative, later I met Gamon and the Dwarves (spelled like Tolkien spells the word). There the idea of painting dwarfs on the city streets was born."

Mokotów district

"Major Fydrych, with whom I was doing happenings in 2006 and 2010, appeared at the vernissage of the exhibition in Hoża. We met there after a few years break. But now, I do things my own way, although I do not cut myself off from the past."

Dwarfs can be found throughout Warsaw, in Lodz. Is the choice of their place random?
"Yes and no. Dwarfs emerge from the Kabacki Forest and are found on the routes that I usually move. They are also where I live, meaning Ursynów. But there are places where they are not accidental. They guard, for example, Plac Wielki Przygody - it is a pity that they have to do this instead of officials who do not want to protect this green space."

How do people react when they see the birth of a dwarf?
"Definitely positive. Ladies in the grocery store always smile warmly, in the paper shop I already have a discount on cardboard, which I use to make templates. Parents with children often ask for a dwarf, but there are also interesting situations ...
An elderly lady in Mokotów, she said that Stańczyk, whom I painted on the sidewalk as a horned devil! Another time, someone passing by called the police suspecting me of painting anti-government slogans. They were very surprised when they saw that I was painting dwarfs."

What is the police doing in such a situation? Are they arresting a dwarf?
"Yes - one of them at Dzielna street. We are planning to take it off from there. It was funny when I rang to ask if I can pick him up again because I'm organizing an exhibition for the Capital City of Warsaw. It turned out that he was evidence in the case and could spend up to three years in prison."

"An interesting situation also took place under the PiS headquarters (leading government party in Poland), where I painted patriotic white and red dwarfs. Security took my portfolio with the templates. The next day, all of them were painted blue."

Ochota district

People often think that dwarfs are advertising. But for what?
"Once I heard that it was an "Intermarche" (French retail chain) advertising, so I started to practice painting red dwarfs with black dots (like Biedronka's logo, another supermarket chain names after a ladybug).

Do the dwarfs have any specific plans for the future?
"For now, they are going to defend Placu Wielkiej Przygody (green area in Warsaw). The Ursynów district started following the profile of krasnoludki on Instagram, I would prefer that it start to observe the movements of developers around the square and the mood of the residents who want to protect the greenery in their neighborhood."

"And besides, I hope to cooperate with one of the Ursynów community centers. I see that children are very interested in dwarfs. I often give them photocopies of the characters, together we draw faces and color them with markers. I would like to do workshops for these kids."


What a nice guy :)
Take care folks!