At the southern end of Freedom Square in Sabinovo costs the statue of Sabina, a brave young woman to whom, according to legend, the town owes its name. The statue captures the moment when Sabina rescues King Béla IV from the raging waters. Since 2014, it has been one of the most striking landmarks in the historic centre, commemorating one of the most famous legends of the Šariš region.
The Legend of Sabina
According to legend, in 1241, after losing a battle against the Tatars by the River Slaná, King Bela IV fled from Batu Khan’s pursuing forces as far as the River Torysa. The river was in flood that spring and the king began to drown whilst crossing it. A poor girl named Sabína, who lived nearby, came to his aid in a boat. She pulled the king out of the water and looked after him. She refused a monetary reward and asked him only not to forget her when his fortunes improved. When the Tatars had withdrawn, the king remembered his rescuer, bestowed gifts upon her and had a house built for her. The settlement that grew up on that spot was named Sabinov in her honour.
The first written mention of Sabinov dates from 1248, just a few years after the Tatar invasion, and in 1299 the town was granted town privileges. However, there are also several legends surrounding the origin of the town’s name. One of them, recorded by Alojz Mednyánszky in 1829, tells of Duke Stephen’s love for Sabina, the daughter of a knight from Kamenica Castle. Another traces the name to the Slavic tribe of the Sobov or Sabov, who settled near the Torysa.
The creation of the statue
The sculpture was created by Juraj Andraščík, a native of Sabinov, who is an artist, graphic designer, sculptor and computer game designer. He created the sculpture at his own expense and donated it to the town to mark the 2014 Sabinov Days. It was officially unveiled on 9 June 2014. Work on it took 19 months, of which nearly 500 hours were spent on welding and grinding, and a further several hundred hours on modelling, designing the geometry and bending the material.
A sculpture made of triangles
The sculpture is 220 cm tall and is made up of 1,634 stainless steel triangles. Its modern geometric design and shiny surface, which reflects light, set it apart from traditional sculptures in historic town centres. Although it depicts a figure from an ancient legend, the stainless steel symbolically points to the future. Sabina is depicted as offering a helping hand to the king, who appears as a giant. The statue thus conveys the message that even an ordinary person can possess immense inner strength.
Sabina and Oscar
At the opposite, northern end of the square stands Oscar statuette by the same artist. The two works form a contrast to one another. The light and radiant ‘Sabína’, made of stainless steel and weighing just a few tens of kilograms, greets the morning sun as it rises in the east. The two-tonne Oscar, made of rusted Corten steel, watches the sun set and serves as a reminder of the past.
Source: OOCR RŠ
Photo source: Diamond Art
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The statue of Sabina stands at the southern end of Freedom Square in Sabinov. It depicts a girl who, according to legend, saved King Béla IV from the flooded Torysa River whilst he was fleeing from the Tatars. In gratitude, the king built her a house, and the settlement was named Sabinov in her honour.
The sculpture was created by Juraj Andraščík, a native of Sabinov, who donated it to the town; it was unveiled in 2014. The sculpture is 220 cm tall and is made up of 1,634 stainless steel triangles. At the opposite end of the square stands a statue of Oscar by the same artist.
