Jan Kochanowski statue comes to the birthplace of William Shakespeare

A new statue of Renaissance Polish Poet and Shakespeare's contemporary Jan Kochanowski will be unvailed in the sculpture garden at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage in Stratford-upon-Avon on Saturday 25 June 2022.
The statue sculpted by Wycombe artist Andrew Lilley is due to be unveiled at an official ceremony accompanied by free family activities running across the weekend.
Despite a substantial geographical distance, Britain and Poland have enjoyed deep historical ties, built on shared values and a common heritage, with both countries drawing abundantly on the achievements of classical antiquity and later periods in European history. This expressed itself on many levels, including literature and arts in general.
Much like Shakespeare for Britain, Jan Kochanowski came to be regarded as one of the greatest poets and playwrights of Poland and even the whole Slavic part of Europe. His robust language not only enriched but also laid the cornerstone for Polish literature. Kochanowski’s role in developing Polish literary standards and impact on the region cannot be underestimated.
To mark the occasion the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust together with the Polish Cultural Institute planned a weekend filled with celebrations under the label ShakesPEERS: Celebrating Jan Kochanowski and Poetry, aimed at the visitors of all ages. Outdoor Tudor music concert, miniature bust-making, creative writing workshops and community-led sculpture making workshops are among many other, specially-curated activities taking place at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage’s gardens across the weekend.