These pegasus sculptures first appeared in Warsaw in August of 2008. Originally, they were set to be a temporary exhibit designed to celebrate the works of the Polish writer Zbigniew Herbert, however, their popularity led to them becoming a permanent fixture of the city’s landscape. 

The installation was part of the Norwid-Herbert Mediterranean inspirations exhibition, and the designs were chosen to pay tribute to Herbert’s piece titled “Pegasus.”

Each one of the five colorful sculptures stands over 11 feet (3.5 meters) tall and they are fitted with lights so that visitors can also see them at night. They were designed by Beata Konarska and Pawel Konarski from the Warsaw design studio Konarska-Konarski.

Their location in the square was chosen because the Krasiński Palace is home to a branch of the Polish National Library, housing special collections including manuscripts and old prints. Across from the square, visitors can see the Polish Supreme Court (worth a look itself due to its own unique architecture), as well as a prominent memorial dedicated to the Warsaw Uprising of 1944.