The decision comes after the flag was illegally removed earlier this month in what the theatre’s director described as part of an escalating campaign of intimidation.
The theatre had displayed the blue-and-yellow flag since February 2022 as a symbol of solidarity with Ukrainians defending their country against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
A similar flag was also removed from the nearby headquarters of the Polish Gymnastic Society “Sokół,” state news agency PAP reported.
Both institutions re-hung their flags shortly after the incident, but the Słowacki Theatre then received a threatening phone call demanding the flag be removed again—this time within 30 minutes—or face an attack by a group of 20 men.
In an emotional statement, theatre director Krzysztof Głuchowski said the flag would now hang inside the building alongside the Polish flag.
"I do this with pain and shame, but in light of the escalating attacks, criminal threats, and out of concern for the safety of our staff and the risk of property damage," he said. "I cannot make any other decision."
Kraków police said the individual responsible for taking down the flags has been identified and detained.
According to a police spokesperson, the suspect is being investigated for trespassing on private property and for attempting to coerce the theatre through threats
The trespassing charge relates to scaling the "Sokół" building, while the coercion charge pertains to the threatening call to the theatre, officials said.
Głuchowski said the incident was not isolated, but followed a series of harassing phone calls and emails.
"We don’t want to be part of this fight. We are a theatre, and we are not prepared for this kind of conflict," he said, adding that both the Ukrainian and Polish flags were brought inside together.
In his statement, Głuchowski called the threats and pressure to remove the flag "an attack on the theatre, on freedom, and on solidarity," values that he said should unite the nation, not divide it.
"It is with sorrow, pain and shame that I move this flag. Move it, not remove it," he wrote, emphasising that the theatre will continue to stand for openness, compassion and support for those in need.
The Ukrainian flag was originally hung on the building after Russia's February 2022 invasion as a gesture of support for Kyiv’s struggle for independence, with the intention of keeping it there until the end of the war.