A remarkable exhibition has recently opened in Sandomierz. Called The World of Father Matthew, it is mounted in one of the historic houses at 5 Rynek Street. The ceremonial red ribbon was cut on Wednesday April 26 by stars of the show Kinga Preis, Artur Żmijewski, Piotr Polk and Michał Piela. ‘The place resonates with the spirit of the show’, said Artur Żmijewski, who plays the part of Father Matthew.

Five interiors from the TV show have been reconstructed in painstaking detail in one of Sandomierz town houses. The fans of the Sandomierz-set show can visit the church, the bishop’s palace, the rectory kitchen, the police station and the prison cell. On display are life-size wax figures of the four main characters of the series: Father Mateusz (Artur Żmijewski), his housekeeper Natalia Borowik (Kinga Preis) and police officers Orest Możejko (Piotr Polk) and Mieczysław Nocula (Michal Piela). ‘The spitting image!’, exclaimed Kinga Preis after setting her eyes on the wax figure of Natalia. Then she took a selfie with it. All those present appreciated the fact that the Father Matthew actors were the only people in Poland with wax figures worthy of inclusion in Madame Tussaud’s exhibition.

‘The show has Sandomierz written all over it’, said the producer of the series, Krzysztof Grabowski (ATM GRUPA). All the location settings can be visited in Sandomierz, but the interiors used to pose a bit of a problem. The visitors who come to Sandomierz following in the footsteps of Father Matthew look around confusedly, trying to find the rectory, the church or the police station. But they are nowhere to be found. Now the show’s lovers will be able to practically enter the set as the interiors have been reproduced 1:1.

The producer of the show, Katarzyna Anczarska (ATM GRUPA), revealed how the actors reacted to their wax figures. ‘The actors were curious how the visitors would respond to the images’, she said. ‘I must admit I didn’t wait for the official opening but went to see the figures ‘live’ the day before. I returned to the set happy with I what I had seen. The visitors loved the figures too. I hope the other characters in the show will also get their wax figures in time.’

The exhibit was created at the instigation of Sandomierz investor and show fan Artur Wnuk in partnership with TVP S.A. It can be viewed daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The actors’ wax figures have been made by Ewa Bone and Ewa Kozubal. The sets, based on the concept of Jacek Mocny, have been created by Karolina Zalewska and Małgorzata Nawrocka.