During renovation of service premises, which for nearly 70 years had been used by Warsaw's legendary milk bar "Złota Kurka", a set of historic ceramic panels has been discovered. The panels are covered with paintings showing animals and plants. "Most likely more such items will be found inside" - said Warsaw's historic preservation officer.
Workers renovating the premises of Warsaw's closed-down legendary milk bar "Złota Kurka" (Golden Hen) at 55/73 Marszałkowska street have made an incredible discovery. Under a layer of PVC wall panels, a set of historic ceramic panels with coloured paintings from the 1950s have been found. "Most likely more such items will be found inside" - said Warsaw's historic preservation officer Michał Krasucki.
Established in 1952, the "Złota Kurka" milk bar was closed down in March. Renovation of its premises has been launched under guidelines of the preservation office. After it's been finished, the city will look for a business tenant.
Characteristic decoration elements have been preserved in the downstairs hall. "There are two wall mosaics with animal and floral motives that were made by Hanna Żuławska. In later years, the walls without mosaics were were covered with PVC panels. After this layer was removed, emerged a wall decoration made of ceramic panels size 15x15 centimeters, and a fragment of an openwork railing of the stairs leading to the upper floor" - Warsaw Historic Preservation Office informed.
The uncovered ceramic panels are either plain or patterned. They show animals: cows, goats, lions and birds, as well as floral motives. They were designed by artist Bolesław Książek, and made by artistic handcraft cooperative "Kamionka" in Łysa Góra. The plain panels were most likely made in Radom Technical Ceramics Factory.
The renovation of the historic interior is being carried out under the supervision of Warsaw's preservation officer. "Every renovation in historic locations must be handled with extreme care, as plenty interesting things are there to discover. That was the case with frescos discovered on Haller Square. It's safe to assume that many social realism interiors keep hidden treasures" - Krasucki said.
Similar decorations were placed along the stairs leading to the first floor. They are covered with paint, but the animal and plant convex motives are clearly visible. Their condition will be assessed after extraction which will be ordered by the preservation officer.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: Warsaw Historic Preservation Office