NOME, SWEHT NOME o moy look silly, ul the numerous nomes of Wroclow deliVer n imporlonl messoge, oy s Duncon Rhodes spend most of your ime with neck iltcrl upwards, aking in the the city's lnrncd Gothlc spires and Baroque gables. Buf Blance downwards and you'll discofer a mor€ modern addition to the tlwn's ,treasures: a mushrooming of :little leprechauns triking poseC on,$e.citys pivements. These l)atronallc lrcy lr;rvc ;ot'rr uppcarirrg arrrrrrrtl lrr: ()itl I'crwrr sirrcc 2005. Wlrcreas lrt:il :utc ;rctor night prorrrJrt cynics lc r rlisrrriss hc da[t dwarves as little nrore lrarr tourist girnrnick, ehincl thcir rosy faccs and absurd attirc li es a 'l'he gnonrc was a syrrrbol of ' th e Orange Alterrrativc Movement, which soug,ht to rrndernrinc Comrnunisrrr irr Wroclaw in th c latc l9B0s. l-cd by Waltlernal lr.y<lrych. r 'l'lrc Major, the Orangc Altcrnativc optcd against direct con[lontatioll l tlrr: overrrnrent, tagilrg instcad a rrrrrrrber f rirliculous stunts, intcndcd o rcllcct lhc ricliculcus atrrre of tltc Corrntrrrrst egirne. Sirrging Stalinist nthcrrrs o bernuscd clrirnpanzecs r r Wroclaw oo arrd caclirrg a 2,,000-stnrrrg rrarch rlernancling tlre releasc o{ Santa Claus hc d been banncd an<l cplacerl by lhe lnrrre socialist Iratlrer Fro:;t) wcle tw o ol 'flte Major's nrore rrrenrorable coups. (irrr.rnrcs, it h thcir pctrchant lo r trouble, were a natural rnascot for thc Moverncrrt an<l supprrrtcrs regularly tlressctl thcnrsclvcs in luminous orarrge hats and drcv picturcs of gnonles on builtlings wherevcr anti- governn)el)t slogans rarl ;ccn eraserl by the establishrncnt's airrtbnrslres. lbday, thc rcsrrrgencc of these mischievous nttnchkrns as oroved so popular that the littlc fellas arc bcing threatened with pest control. Twenty new Srronlcs sprung up around tlre city last auturnn alone, and many companies are cashing in on their popularity by commissiorring hern right prompting ears by the council hat the gnorne s "selling ut". 'l-hele arc no immediate lans o pull th e plug ust ye t though, nd wo more of the critters by original artist lbmasz Moczek www.moczek.com) av e lready been unveiled n 2008. Look out for a cheeky chappie making phone calls on the Rynek and one riding he tram. I-et's hope he sets a good example by validating is icket. W and chances ar e vou'll diminutive:dudes an be found riding pigecjns,,lnpphing,on umplings, aking naps pn street orners or even swingirrg from I ampposts., After you've tripped over lyout. third one, you might ask, "Wh{ exactly are these fellows, an<i wherb did thev come rom?" heri did the.ycome rom?" Wdn, hgqg glomes, or krosndle s hcy are qrown n Pplish, re he work of local artistlTomaq,lttloczek nd with thc city's t... 3i3,ifr.'liX8i,:'i: ^ & oF REsrsTANcE,,1:t;;:ir: BUT oME ORRYji,i;-;, M.I4!E^.._ ''i":t in flont o[ lhcil slurp windows.