On October 9, 2023, the opening ceremony of the exhibition “BUDDHA OF WARSAW” took place, introducing the two Buddha figures that remained after the production of 10,000 Buddha Amitayus figures at the Norblin factory in Warsaw, Poland, in 1913–1914 on the order of the Government of Bogd Khanate Mongolia. The exhibition was opened by H.E. Mr. B. Dorj, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to the Republic of Poland, together with Artur Setniewski, director of the Norblin Factory Museum.

Following the ceremony, an introductory meeting to this historical event was held. Ambassador B. Dorj gave a speech highlighting the efforts of the Embassy of Mongolia in expanding bilateral relations and cultural cooperation. He expressed his high appreciation for the importance of the exhibition and extended gratitude to the organizers.

Krzysztof Wittels, historian and descendant of the former owners of the Norblin factory as well as chairman of the board of the “Our Norblin” association, gave a presentation on the history of the factory. Mongol studies scholar and translator Ireneusz Roschipala presented on the development of Buddhism in Mongolia and the translation of the commissioned documents. Maciej Magura Goralski, an employee of the Pacific Museum and Asia, spoke about the Buddha Amitayus exhibition, while Janusz Mruz, a technology expert and restorer of the Norblin Industrial Museum, discussed the techniques and technology used in the production of the Warsaw Buddha.

In addition, Glenn Mullin, a Canadian scholar, author, and translator of more than 30 books on Buddhist culture, gave an engaging talk. He plays an important role in publicizing the story of the Buddha Amitayus figures produced in Poland.

The exhibition at the Norblin Factory in central Warsaw will be open to the public until the end of this year. The Buddha Amitayus figures, commissioned by the Mongolian government at the time, are considered the first mass-produced Buddha figures in the West. It is believed that the two figures on display in Warsaw were never completed and somehow remained in Poland, while in Mongolia dozens of these figures are preserved in Gandan Monastery, Erdene Zuu, and the Bogd Museum.