Yak-23 Monument

The Yak-23 Monument is a Yak-23 jet fighter set on a plinth in the military housing estate in Kraków's Bielany district. It serves as a monument to fighter aviation.

How it got here

The history of this particular aircraft is not exactly known. According to the Lotnictwo w Obiektywie website, after being withdrawn from service the aircraft stood as an exhibit on the grounds of a military unit in Balice. Around 1964 it was moved to the newly built military housing estate in Bielany. It was then given a fictitious side number, 1616, the number of that unit, and an arrow with the inscription “Ace of fighter aviation”.

Condition

It was last repainted in 2005. According to the website, in 2018 the aircraft was in very poor technical condition, and the engine had been removed from the fuselage. Efforts to have it renovated, from the civic budget or by a sponsor, had no effect at that time; check the current condition on site.

Practical information

• Place: the military housing estate in Bielany in Kraków, by Ks. Józefa Street.
• The monument stands in an open space of the estate and can be viewed from the outside.
• Nearby are Wolski Forest and Kraków Zoo.