Travel Love Poland Magazine – March 2021

M A R C H - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | V O L 1 | I S S U E 1 5

I S S N 2 5 1 5 - 8 5 0 3

travel.lovePoland

through the lens

Slavs

Slavic culture used to come back and go away again from the

field of interest of a wider audience. The greatest creators of

Polish culture referred to it, sometimes in regards to aesthetics,

sometimes in regards to customs, and sometimes directly in

text: Igor Górewicz

photos: Marek Kalisiński

regards to the spiritual values derived from it.

M E D I A P A R T N E R

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w i t k a c y t h e a t r e i n Z a k o p a n e

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"Life makes most sense at the height of nonsense"

Witkacy theatre is one of the most cherished theatres in Poland.

It was founded in 1984 in tribute to a Zakopane legend,

Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz.

in Poland: rebirth of nature and brighter days

Spring

time to say goodbye to winter. Goodbye, short days and long nights! Goodbye, mostly grey weather! A long-awaited spring welcomes us with the green color and brighter days.

It’s

M A R C H A N D S P R I N G

I N P O L A N D

photo: Kamchatka, Getty

text by Magdalena Piasecka

www.kidsinthecity.pl

Weather in Poland in March

Spring Weather in Poland

The astronomical first day of spring falls on March 20 – the vernal

equinox (the length of day and night is nearly equal in all parts of the

world). Meteorologically speaking, spring in Poland begins on March 21

and lasts until June 21, with summer starting on June 22.

The old Polish folk tradition of the first day of spring is to drown

Marzanna (a straw figure of a woman symbolizing winter) in the

nearest river (nowadays mostly in rural areas and by children at

schools). For children, the first day of spring is a Truant’s Day / Skip Day

(Dzień Wagarowicza). Some students skip classes but usually, it’s just a

special fun day at school – students dress up in a funny way, schools

organize competitions and games, there are no tests on this day.

Although March is technically the beginning of spring, it’s usually still

cold in Poland and the weather changes often – one week you feel as if

spring is just around the corner, and next week there is snow and frost.

An average monthly temperature in March in Poland is 3,2°C / 37.8°F,

average monthly rainfall level is 37,5 mm (the third lowest after

February and April). You can have all kinds of weather in March in

Poland. There is an old Polish proverb that says ‘W marcu jak w garncu‘,

meaning ‘March is like a pot’ (we can have anything).

What’s new in nature in March in Poland

Nature starts slowly to come back to life. You may notice first flowers

blooming: white snowdrops (przebiśnieg) and yellow, white or purple

crocuses (krokus). Another symbol of early spring in Poland – willow

twigs with buds (bazie). You may notice them in almost every park in

Poland or buy a willow twigs bunch at any florist or shopping market.

06 TRAVEL.LOVEPOLAND

March/April

March 8th

Woman's Day (Dzień Kobiet)

International Women’s Day in Poland is

a day of gift-giving and a day for

promoting greater respect for women

in general. When women meet men on

this day, regardless of whether it is

their boss, colleague, friend, or father,

they can usually count on receiving a

flower.

March 20th

Spring

(drowning of the “Winter Witch”

called Marzanna. )

The first day of spring in Poland is

actually another occasion popular

among children. It is celebrated on

March 20th and it is a day when

children traditionally play truant. In

Poland it is sometimes called a day of

being truant. If it is a school day (not

this year) Children don’t have lessons

but games and competitions.

April 1st

Prima Aprils (Fulls Day)

In Poland, prima aprilis ("1 April" in

Latin) as a day of pranks is a

centuries-long tradition. It is a day

when many pranks are played: hoaxes

– sometimes very sophisticated – are

prepared by people, media (which

often cooperate to make the

"information" more credible) and

even public institutions. Serious

activities are usually avoided, and

generally every word said on April 1

can be untrue..

April 2nd

Good Friday (Wielki Piatek)

In churches a reconstructed tomb

is placed in a special place with

the faithful praying constantly

and keeping watch. People visit

those tombs and pray.

Many Poles will fast, consuming

neither food nor beverages. It is

not an official public holiday in

Poland, but some shops may have

shorter opening hours. Some

museums, theaters and tourist

attractions may also be closed.

April 4th

Easter Sunday (Wielkanoc)

Holy Week lasts from Palm

Sunday to Easter Sunday. Palm

Sunday, the week before Easter

Sunday, is marked by church

attendance with palm-leaf

substitutes in the form of willow

branches or handmade bouquets

of dried flowers. On Easter

Saturday, baskets of Easter food

are taken to a church to be

blessed; the food that is blessed

is eaten as a part of the Easter

Sunday meal.

April / May

April 5th

May 2nd

May 3rd

May 23rd

May 26th

Easter Monday (Lany

Poniedziełek)

Easter Monday is a family holiday

in Poland and is called Smigus

Dyngus, or Wet Monday, after the

practice of men and boys pouring

water on women and girls. his is

accompanied by a number of

other rituals, such as making

verse declarations and holding

door-to-door processions, in

some regions involving boys

dressed as bears or other

creatures.

Flag Day

Polish National Flag Day is a

national holiday in Poland

introduced by an act issued on 20

February 2004.

Various types of patriotic actions

and demonstrations are organized

on this day.

In recent years, it has become

common to wear a national

cockade on that day.

Constitution Day

It is a Polish national and public

holiday that takes place on 3 May.

The holiday celebrates the

declaration of the Constitution of 3

May 1791. Festivities date back to the

Duchy of Warsaw early in the 19th

century, but it became an official

holiday only in 1919 in the Second

Polish Republic. Delisted during the

times of the Polish People's Republic,

it was reestablished after the fall of

communism in modern Poland.

Zesłanie Ducha Świętego

(Zielone Świątki)

Pentecost is a Christian festival that

celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Also called Green Week (Zielone

Świątki). By some it is connected to

Slavic rituals celebrating the full

spring. Birch-tree is particularly

important in these celebrations.

Houses, pathways and shrines with

green branches, herbs and flowers.

The Pentecost or Green Week is a

Church holiday, public holiday.

All shops are closed.

Mother's Day

Mother’s Day is celebrated on the

26th of May and it begun in 1923 in

Kraków.

Often children bring their mothers

flowers and special handmade cards,

called “laurki”(singuar: laurka). They

are decorated with drawings and

pictures.

Mother’s Day isn’t a national public

holiday, but children honor their

mothers on this day countrywide.

May/ June

June 1st

June 3rd

June 21st

June 23rd

spring

time

Children's Day

The International Children's Day was

introduced in Poland in 1952.

Schools usually organize special

activities for the pupils to celebrate

the day, and during the first week of

June, is a time of festivities

organized in parks and entertainment

centers for children.

Corpus Christi

(Boże Ciało)

This feast is celebrated in honour of

the Holy Eucharist or Blessed

Sacrament, the Body and Blood of

Christ. The Sunday after Pentecost is

Trinity Sunday, and Boże Ciało is

observed on the following Thursday.

It is a public holiday in Poland. Every

parish holds its own its

neighbourhood procession. Little girls

strewing the way the Blessed

Sacrament is due to pass with flower

petals. They are followed by altar

boys jangling bells and perfuming the

air with incense.

1st day od Summer / St

John’s Eve and Kupala

Night

The turn of 23-24 June, or St John’s

Eve, is the shortest night during the

year. To understand its special

position in our culture one needs to

go back to the custom of Kupala

Night, a Slavic holiday of Sun and

Moon which falls on 21 and 22 June,

and relates to the summer solstice. In

the tradition of Slavic peoples it was

a celebration of water, fire, love and

fertility.

Father's Day

Many Polish people celebrate and

honor their fathers or father figures

on Father’s Day. Many fathers receive

Happy Fathers’ Day comments like

“Wszystkiego najlepszego z okazji

dnia ojca”. Some fathers are given

cards and gifts. Mother’s Day, on May

26, is also an annual observance in

Poland.

Public Life

Father’s Day is not a national public

holiday in Poland.


Weather in Poland in April

April in Poland has a similar saying as March (‘Kwiecień plecień, bo

przeplata – trochę zimy trochę lata‘ – April interweaves a little bit

of winter and a little bit of summer), however, with the climate

change, April in Poland is relatively warm and considered (along

with May) by many people as the most beautiful time of year in

Poland. An average monthly temperature in April in Poland is

8,5°C / 47.3°F and average monthly rainfall level is 37,3 mm (the

second lowest after February).

What’s new in nature in April in Poland

The stork next to the eagle is the second symbol of Poland. It’s

April when over 40,000 white storks (bocian) arrive from Africa

to Poland (20% of their world population).

Shortly after arrival they are improving their old nests or are

starting to build new ones. The stork inhabits basically all of

Poland, except for the mountain ranges. The northeastern part of

the country is populated very densely. Storks spend around 5

months in Poland after which – about mid-August – they fly away

to wintering grounds in Africa.

The Polish name for April – kwiecień – leaves no doubt, and the

explanation of its origin is very simple – it comes from the

flowers that are blooming in Poland in April (kwiat means flower

in Polish).

Daffodils (żonkil) are the flowers that are associated in Poland

with the arrival of spring and Easter. Forsythia (forsycja) is

another flowering plant in Poland in April (it is frost-resistant),

very popular in Polish gardens and parks.

Other April flowers include crocuses, primroses, hyacinths, violets,

daisies, pansies, tulips. The queen of April flowers in Poland is

sweet violet (fiołek). In the second half of April, the first fruit

trees begin to bloom.

Weather in Poland in May

May in Poland is usually warm and reasonably dry. Sunny weather

can event turn hot. The Tatry mountains are the only place in

Poland you can still have snow at the beginning of May (in the

higher parts of the mountains). An average monthly temperature

in May in Poland is 13,7°C / 56,7°F, and average monthly rainfall

level is 62,1 mm. The name of the month (maj) comes from the

Latin name Maius. May and March are the only months whose

Polish names derive from Latin. Polish names of the remaining

months have Slavic roots.

What’s new in nature in May in Poland

Lilac (bez) is a queen among spring flowers that bloom in May in

Poland. In Poland, the most common are purple and white lilacs. It

smells awesome but unfortunately, it is very fragile and withers

quickly in the home vase. Lilac came to Poland from Turkey

through the Balkan Peninsula. For years, an essential part of

Polish rural gardens. Blooming usually lasts only up to two weeks

so hurry to admire lilac! Poland in May turns into an orchard full

of blooming fruit trees. It’s the time when fruit trees are in fool

bloom. Wonderful sakura cherries receive special admiration in

Japan, they are the symbol of Japan. In Poland, in the spring,

pear, apple, cherry, plum trees bloom. Apple trees, however,

dominate in Poland, with their white, slightly pinkish flowers. May

also means the start of a busy season for bees!

Weather in Poland in June

Technically, the spring season lasts until June 21 but June in

Poland is considered as a summer month. After all, it’s the time

when school summer break starts. An average monthly

temperature in June in Poland is 16,7°C / 62°F, and average

monthly rainfall level is 69,2 mm (the second highest after July).

June in Poland is a strawberry season! Gardens are in full bloom

with countless spring flowers.


Recommended Book: "The Polish Table"

"The Polish Table" has two nominations in Gourmand World Cookbook Awards

( in categories: EMBASSIES (culinary diplomacy) and FOOD TOURISM BOOKS).

The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards were founded in year 1995. Every year, they honour the best food and wine books and are

often compared by journalists to the "Oscars".The book is co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland in

the competition ‘Public Diplomacy 2020 – A New Dimension’ and the partners of the publication are the Polish Vodka Association, the

Polish Vodka Museum, the Museum of Toruń Gingerbread, branch of the District Museum in Toruń and Hanami.

Link: www.bunkatura.pl/the-polish-table

photo: fotolupa

Get your free e-book:

Free, beautiful and tasty download:

The Polish Table

by Magdalena Tomaszewska-Bolałek

The Polish Table - www.bunkatura.pl/the-polish-table

Mesa Polaca - www.bunkatura.pl/mesa-polaca

photo: emicristea

photo: martin-dm


photo: The last of a series of photos showing the fictional hero Niemir, whose fate was

based on the scenario of an archaeological exhibition on military affairs at the beginning

of the Polish State entitled "Piast Total War" at the Museum of the Origins of the Polish

State in Gniezno. His sons played the role of young Niemir. Igor was also one of the

exhibition curators.

Slaves, Triglav Strongold Warband

IGOR GÓREWICZ

all photos: Marek Kalisiński

translation: Libres, consultation Amber Acosta

Triglav Publishing House

www.triglav.com.pl

Personal website

www.igorgorewicz.pl

Youtube: triglav2002

photo: Kasia and Igor at the set of the music video "Zoriuszka"

of the Sound of Triglav project.

I heard about Igor for the first time while working with Marek Kalisiński on an

article about Wolin. It was then that Marek told me about Igor's squad. Later, we

showed the latest book by Igor: About the Slavonic Arms: In War and in Culture.

Just like that, the idea for a broader presentation of what Igor does on a daily

basis was born, as it is a fascinating and still little known topic. We are going to

talk about the Slavs (or actually about the beginnings of Poland), but also about

the way Slavonic roots still shape Polish consciousness.

I admit that although I try to get to know the cultural and spiritual heritage of

Poland, in my interests I focused more on old sagas or folk traditions and I paid

less attention to prehistoric roots (although these topics are probably intertwined

and permeated). For this reason, I invite you to an interview with Igor D. Górewicz,

during which I will try to open up my mind for a completely new field. I hope it will

be interesting for you as well. Maybe you will even visit some of the places

mentioned during your stay in Poland.

LP: Igor, while preparing for this conversation, I concluded

that both the main subject and your person are an extremely

extensive topic. You work in so many areas that I could hardly

find a "starting point". However, what is common to most, if

not all, of your activities are Slavs- their history, culture, and

traditions. So, I decided that it would be a good common

thread for further conversation.

Igor Górewicz: Well, I think I should thank you as I take it as a

compliment. The fact is, I often get itchy feet and I cannot

stand idleness. Ideas are swarming and you have to write

something, record something, and organise something. I dealt

with the Polish Army in the East in 1945 and the Germanic

peoples in the 1st-2nd centuries AD and I also love the

archaic and classical period of ancient Greek culture. The

beauty of melee weapons as such moves me greatly, and I

especially love the sword, its forms and ideas. But, indeed,

what defines me the most strongly in the sphere of culture,

both for me and in the space of social activity, is the

traditional culture of the Slavs and I am most widely

associated with it.

LP: Before we get to the main thread, I would like to start

with a short story about you. Your fascination with the

culture of the Slavs began during your studies, and now your

entire life is devoted to this subject. In fact, not only yours,

but also your family's. Do you remember what influenced your

choice of the way of life and the fact you decided to stick to

it?

Igor: The very same question allows me to tell a story

because it has been a long process. My activity in the field of

Slavic culture started during my studies, but the beginnings

of the fascination itself lie somewhere deep in my childhood,

although I have never managed to track down and indicate a

single moment or an event that particularly sparked this

interest. It has been rather a multi-threaded influence and

development. The fact that there are fascinating things

hidden in history was revealed to me by my father and

grandfather, reading about the kings of Poland or the myths

from Mythology by Parandowski. Perhaps surprisingly, from a

chronological perspective, the ancient Greeks knocked on the

door of my imagination before the Slavs did. On the other

hand, however, I grew up in the Polish People's Republic, in

which Slavonic threads (no matter how simplified or used)

were present, especially in the iconosphere, perhaps even

more than in a conscious way. However, I remember that my

father brought a figurine of a Slavic warrior from a business

trip, with an almond-shaped kite-shield, an axe, and a

characteristic shoulder-length haircut and bangs (laughing).

Although he was mine, it used to stand in the parents' room,

on the shelf above the radio playing the third programme of

Polish Radio, as the figurine was made of plaster and was not

suitable for playing with.

He just used to stand and look at me and I used to stare at

him. And so we looked at each other until this image left his

imprint on me. On top of that, there were talks with

drawings by Szymon Kobyliński about the armament and the

traditions of the Polish army. That was brilliant and so

appealing that I felt that all of this was, on the one hand,

magnificent, while on the other very "homey" and "ours".

Not only the Slavs, but mainly them, as my imagination was

also occupied by the vision of the battle of Grunwald (also

known as the First Battle of Tannenberg) and Winged

Hussars. All of this, of course, in a childish, teenage form. It

was not without significance that I listened to heavy metal

since I was a child, and then in the 1980s, warriors, combat,

swords, and axes were some of the most common themes of

lyrics and covers. And above all, Conan!! In this role, Arni, the

one and only, and Howard's books. We didn't have Conan's

comic books back then. These elements of popular culture,

on the other hand, shaped the image of a warrior and it

would not be possible without a temporary fascination with

the icon of pop culture, for example, Vikings.

Exactly on my 18th birthday, I started collecting replicas of

swords. Soon, one by one, they hit my wall. When I was at

the very beginning of my studies, the Viking Festival in Wolin

began being organized and I used to attend. I was fascinated

by melee weapons, Vikings, and Slavs. The participants of

the festivals were only foreign Vikings, mainly from England

and Denmark as it must be explained that at that time in

Poland we had no re-enactment groups of that era. One

year, some guys in Slav costumes also appeared as guests,

and when I looked at them and compared them with foreign

reenactors, I thought that it could not be like that- that we

need to recreate "ours", but at a level presented by our

foreign colleagues. So in 1998, I started working on the

design of a Slavic costume and I directed my first steps to

the library of the National Museum in Szczecin. Then

everything went rather quickly. The squad was formed, then

participation in the festival in Wolin (which soon changed its

name to the "Festival of Slavs and Vikings"), and later the

trips to events in Torgelow in Germany, Moesgaard, and

other places in Denmark and Fotevikien in Sweden.

In 2000, I graduated and was about to start a normal

professional career, but it turned out that the team was

growing and there was so much demand for shows,

presentations, and other forms of popularising the history

that I had to choose- either DGT becomes a small group and

sometimes we do something together or I develop it and try

to be a pro. It was a breakneck idea- but the world belongs

to the brave and young! Everyone tapped their foreheadshow

come? You have to earn your living! Get a normal job!

However, these voices died quickly when it turned out that I

got more work than I can do.


lovePoland: Igor, you actively organise and participate in

historical re-enactments, write books, and you are involved

in films. You also starred in An Ancient Tale directed by

Jerzy Hoffman, took part in Hollywood films, and History

Channel productions. You were the co-producer of the movie

Viking Riders: The Raven and the Cross, filmed in Szczecin.

You are also the originator, founder and voivode of Drużyna

Grodu Trzygłowa (Triglav Strongold Warband). What do all

these activities have in common?

Could you tell us about the activities of the Warband? Why

was it created and what is its purpose? What do you really

do? It is probably not just a 'big boys' game, is it?

Igor: Well, certainly not, as it is suitable for adult girls and

our children as well! But seriously, I could not give it up after

we organized, conducted or participated in about a thousand

shows, festivals, history lessons, and all other forms for the

audience. We were watched by several million live viewers.

Besides, there is a relatively large presence in traditional

media, newspapers, folders, guides, TV programs, and

interviews about us or history. All this meant that we

contributed a lot to the promotion of Slavic culture, military

history and history as such.

Today, the Warband has been operating for 23 years. After

the first ten years of activity, we started to meet young

people attending our shows who told us about others who

got interested in history after one of our previous shows at

their school or in the castle and decided to take up historical

or archaeological university studies. Sometimes they talked

about the fact that thanks to our shows and stories, they

noticed the beauty of our culture and felt proud to be a Slav.

This was a big change, since Slavic culture was considered

unattractive and passé.

Besides, the Warband is primarily a group of people

celebrating a common passion, costumes, training, and

craftsmanship. For men, warrior training is an obvious form

of self-realization, although for many of us its role

decreases with age. We are also aware that the weapons,

replicas of which we use, carry a very deep symbolic content.

This is what three of my books talk about: Swords of Europe,

On warriors of the Slavs: Squads and Battles on Land and

Sea, and On Weapons of Slavs: In War and in Culture. Those

who do not fight and our ladies deal with various aspects of

"civil" culture, such as crafts, singing, customs, herbalism,

and cuisine. In fact, there is something interesting for

everyone.

As a team, of course, in various numbers, we go to festivals

and shows all over Poland and many different countries,

visiting places related to history. We spend time together at

festivals, kids run and grow up. Just life, but colourful and

full of meaning.

lovePoland: Let's move on to the main topic, Slavs, especially

in Polish lands. Until recently, writing about the oldest Polish

traditions was not common. It was probably only in the last

two decades that books, organisations, and associations

regarding this subject began to appear.

Igor: Slavic culture used to come back and go away again

from the field of interest of a wider audience. Of course,

Romanticism brought an interest in this culture. The greatest

creators of Polish culture referred to it, sometimes in

regards to aesthetics, sometimes in regards to customs, and

sometimes directly in regards to the spiritual values derived

from it.

In the Polish People's Republic, the subject of the Slavic

culture was highly appreciated. This was for several reasons.

Partly, it was a reaction to German racist ideas before and

during World War II, and partly because of a sincere interest

in the past and a search for roots. In part, for ideological

reasons, as the Slavic thread could counterbalance

Christianity, which, as we know, used to be programmatically

rejected. Also, in connection with the Piast idea, it was

supposed to strengthen the so-called "historical right" to the

lands in the west and north, included into the territory of

Poland in 1945. This purpose was realised through so-called

"Millennium Research" or a long-term program of

archaeological and historical research on the origins of the

Polish State, preceding the celebration of the 1000th

anniversary. After 1989, the pendulum rebounded and

Slavicism was perceived as unleavened, primitive,

uninteresting, or even dangerous. It was then that the

Vikings came back in good graces and they were seen

everywhere in the early medieval scene, every sword, axe, or

an unusual grave meant a Viking. It reminds me of the

sentence uttered by one of the dwarf-prisoners in the movie

Kingsajz: “If you wear glasses, it means you’re a professor”.

Unfortunately, some people are still convinced about that.

But, at the end of the '90s, in the popular layer of the

culture, an interest in the subject among young people began

to rise: historical re-enactments, folk music inspired by Slavic

folklore. Initially, these were small groups, but the niche

swelled and expanded, and Slavic themes appeared in mass

culture, music, games, and recently also in the film.

lovePoland: Do we know much about the culture of the Slavs,

their beliefs, and finally their wider influence on the shaping

of contemporary Poland and Europe?

Igor: We know a lot about their culture and beliefs, but of

course it is never enough. It is a myth, however, that there is

nothing left and nothing can be said about it. I was precisely

motivated by such a sentence, which I have heard many

times, so I started publishing and writing, bringing the

findings of researchers closer to a wider circle of readers.


Let us take, for example, the matter of mythology or more

broadly, beliefs. We know quite a lot about these elements in

the Greeks or Scandinavians, but mainly thanks to the fact

that they had their own mythographers. Greeks had their

Homer and Hesiod, not to mention several playwrights who

used mythological threads. In Scandinavia, the one who did a

great job was Snorre Sturluson, writing his Edda. Thus, the

mythographers preserved specific scenarios, stories, and

sequences of events involving gods and other beings.

With the Slavs, however, we do not have such scenarios,

although we can reconstruct the most important ones, such

as cosmogenesis, which is the myth about the beginning of

the world. We mainly have information about statues, names,

attributes, some pictures, like Veles on the golden throne. In

addition to historical and archaeological sources,

ethnographic ones like fairy tales or folk songs, are vital to

us as they may store extremely archaic content. All this,

however, makes it more difficult to present Slavic mythology

in an attractive form of stories, and the books

about it are full of scientific research, which makes them

less attractive in the eyes of some recipients.

For me, it is very interesting, it is often even a kind of an

investigation that must be carried out to understand an

element. Therefore, some time ago I concluded that while we

have "movies" of the Scandinavian or Greek mythologies,

there are only "photos" left in the case of Slavonic myths.

The role of a researcher or populariser, in this case I play

both roles, is to arrange these photos appropriately so that

they create an interesting, beautiful album showing a whole.

I wrote about it in my book for children, entitled Borek and

Slavonic Gods, where using a boy figure, I presented the

world of beliefs, gods, rituals and temples.

All of it was in accordance with the professional literature on

the subject. tried to create a similar canon of myths about

the beginnings of Poland in Borek and the Legendary

Beginnings of Poland.

photo: As a voivode from a series of photos for the "Piast Total War" exhibition.


The Italian author of historical books about the Slavic

region, Aldo Marturano, treats the subject of his interests in

a very appealing way. Let me quote the text from the back

cover of his book, which we published in Polish in 2011.

"Marturano sees something in Poland that tends to be

forgotten by many- a part of the Slavic region, while the

Slavic region he perceives as a very rich, extremely

important, though once forgotten and today undiscovered

part of the European heritage".

It is interesting because it is seen from the perspective of

an Italian, a man immersed in classical culture. Karol

Modzelewski in his book Barbarian Europe writes that

European culture was, of course, shaped by the heritage of

classical Greek and Roman, Christian, and also Hellenistic

culture, but also by the traditions of peoples who lived

outside Limes, known as the Barbarians. The Slavic peoples,

as well as the Germanic, Celtic, Finno-Ugric and other ones,

left their mark on what we call European culture. As he

wrote, "Europe also has extensive barbaric roots."

Now let me go back to this list of sinusoidal ebbs and flows

of interest in the Slavic culture among researchers. After a

period of choking with Vikings, which, as I said, has not been

over for everyone yet, a generation of middle-aged

researchers (let's say 40-year-olds well versed in European

archaeology) approached the subject of Slavic culture

without complexes. In place of the thesis and antithesis,

synthesis is slowly being forged, that is, a reasonable

representation of the role of the Slavs in the early Middle

Ages. Thanks to the development of field and office

research, only for a few years we have been able to, in

principle, unquestionably distinguish the completely Slavic

style of beautiful elite objects. These are the bearded axes,

beautifully decorated with copper alloys and silver, typical

of the north-western Slavs. These are also ceremonial spurs

or knife sheath fittings decorated with animal figurines,

carrying an extensive symbolic program, reflecting the

Slavic vision of the construction of the world and

eschatological elements. Researchers from different

countries are also delighted and surprised, as it is also a

great novelty for them- something completely different

from the artifacts found in Scandinavia or Western Europe.

lovePoland: Is being a Slav only a cultural and national

affiliation, or maybe something more?

Igor: The ethnonym of the Slavs itself explains what works

as a bonding agent here. It is language as the name of our

people, Slavs, comes from the word słowo (which means

word). So a Slav is someone who speaks using words,

someone who might be understood. This may be related to

the phenomenon of Slavic ethnogenesis, which is more

complicated than it seems at the first glance.

The Slavs took over a third of the territory of Europe very

quickly, and most probably they did it through their culture.

There was something attractive about this culture, which

made it acceptable by the peoples encountered to the

extent they took over Slavonic habits. This is how the Avars,

who had previously been an important military factor in the

region for a long time, cooperating or dominating the Slavs,

disappeared. Eventually they vanished. This was similar to

the Proto-Bulgarians, nomads, after whom only the name of

a south Slavic-language country remained. As for the

question about being a Slav, on the one hand, thinking in the

Slavic language is a necessary and sufficient condition, but

on the other hand, it is only a gate to the Slavic spiritual

world. This is probably a topic for a book as there is

something elusive about it, something difficult to define.

The entire perception of the world, man and culture results

from it. Our love of freedom, perhaps a bit of a specific

sensitivity. After listening to many songs of Slavonic

folklore, people are deeply moved because they touch

something vulnerable.

lovePoland: What influence did the Slavic tribes have on

what we define today as the nation, shaping the Polish

state? The question about the influence of the Slavs on

shaping Poland is somewhat surprising, because Poland in

the 10th century was a country created by the Slavs, of

course with the participation of ideas taken from the

outside. I must admit that I am also fascinated by your

private story- your family. You have a wife and three

children and they are all involved in the “Slavonic way of

life”, even the choice of their names does not seem

accidental, for example, Czcibor. How does such an offbeat

Slavonic family function? A family, based on "warrior

leadership", in times when male elements are slowly

disappearing and the so-called "life roles" become blurred.

Igor: Well, the oldest is Czcibor (Borek) and he is almost 16

years old, the youngest is Racibor (Racik) is he is almost 5

years old, and in the middle (here is a surprise) is Oskar and

he is almost 12 years old. We are such a typical-offbeat

family. We have a Slavonic statue in the garden where we go

on festive occasions, eating together and lighting a bonfire.

During a normal day, we probably function like many other

families- work, kindergarten, school, lunch, extracurricular

activities, visits to grandparents, and holidays. Our ordinary

morning was quite faithfully portrayed in the first pages of

the book Borek and the Legendary Beginnings of Poland.

The difference may be that our family trips are related to

open-air museums or other historical places. Apart from

riding a bicycle, this dad trains his sons in sword fighting,

and the eldest son, despite his young age has already

become a great warrior.


Their parents, when they go to work, put on the costumes of

princes from the 10th century, or the end of the 15th

century, or uniforms from 1945. Moreover, our children

regularly see our photos or media appearances, or they take

part in the recording of programmes or music videos with us.

The house is constantly full of people. Everyday they meet,

prepare something, or sing old songs.

It was for Borek, when he was still the only child, that I once

wrote a story about his adventures in the world of gods.

When Oskar appeared, he also wanted to appear in the book.

He imagined that as there is a book, Borek and the Gods of

the Slavs, the second part would be called Borek and Oscar

and the Gods of the Slavs". We had to wait for Racik to come

to us and then I wrote the second part about the legends of

the beginnings of Poland. All three brothers appeared in it

and our cat appeared there as well. Besides, I introduced

their own words in it- various funny twisted words usually

created by small children that I used to note down over the

years and then let their book heroes use. I think that

someday when they grow up, it will be an important

keepsake for them. This is how our sons are connected to

the Slavic region, not only communing with its culture daily,

not only spending holidays at Slavic or Viking festivals in

different countries, but also becoming characters from

books that tell their peers about this fascinating world. On

the one hand, it is fun for them, on the other hand, it is

normal to be on the covers of quite popular books. It is not

that there is a warrior leadership in our family, we usually

decide together- in some cases my opinion is more

important, in others Kasia's opinion matters the most.

In our community of reenactors, we also have the function

of a couple of voivodes (a man and a woman), each of them

managing some elements of the squad. In both of these

spheres, private and social, the warrior-voivode

compliments himself with a wonderful woman who realises

her humanity and femininity on many levels.

photo: Illustrating the arrival of the Slavs to Polabia (East Germany) in the 6th-7th centuries, during the filming of the docudrama "Die Slawen - Unsere geheimnisvollen Vorfahren", 2017.


The roles of the wife and mother are of course extremely

important, but no less than that of a romantic lover or an

artist who brings her projects to life. Whenever these are

book illustrations, series of linocuts, or "motanki"

(traditional, magic Slavonic dolls). She is able to combine

modernity with tradition in an interesting way because by

being interested in classical art as well as abstract, and

especially conceptual one, she can use her tool to work on

traditionally Slavonic themes.

Illustrating our lives differently, I train in sword fighting and

boxing, and Kasia trains yoga or the so-called Slavonic

gymnastics. This is probably a good illustration of who we

are together and each one individually. Kasia runs the

household and says she regrets that she does not have so

much time to be able to give it entirely to the children

because she remembers how lucky she was to have her

mother for herself when she was at home and took care of

children. Besides, Kasia has a head full of ideas, pushing

themselves to be implemented, but everything cannot be

done at once. I know that today there is even a compulsion

for self-realisation in the first place, but it is quite an

immature attitude if you have kids. We remain ourselves, we

create something, but we must also sacrifice something to

be together and to create a wonderful home in which not

only ourselves, but also our children would feel safe and

develop. But, this is exactly what we want! Our choice is to

be together and create something together, our world. I can

assure you that nothing came easy and each of us was

somehow disadvantaged. We want it to be good and we fight

for it. People often forget about it, and then melt over

internet memes with slogans that at the end of life it turns

out that only family, loved ones, and time are important. So

if you feel touched with such a picture, then apply it! You can

have both, a happy marriage, a happy family and selffulfilment.

But it costs a lot, a lot of work.

We are also lucky that, apart from numerous trips, we work

at home, partly on our own tasks, partly together, for

example on a paper to be published or preparing shows. For

example, I am writing a book or dealing with formal or

technical matters, while Kasia is working on illustrations or

promoting our books. We spend almost all the time together

and yet we are not bored. When, for example, during my

writing work, I leave my office and Kasia is between her

activities, we catch each other for a moment and talk about

something – not only about domestic matters (I do not even

mention it) but about culture, music, art, people, or society.

We are a married couple who can argue about the meaning of

a picture or performance, haha, seriously!

lovePoland: If someone visiting Poland is interested in the

topic - where should he direct his steps?

To the most famous places like Biskupin or Wolin, or perhaps

to another one? I don't think I know any more.

Igor: Of course, Wolin, to be precise, the Wolin-Jomsborg-

Wineta Center of Slavs and Vikings. If someone likes mass

events, of course, then at the beginning of August we have

the world's largest early medieval festival, about which you

wrote in your magazine a few issues ago. Before the festival,

there are workshops, which means incomparably fewer

people, also fewer performers, but much greater access to

them, and there is live craftsmanship. Besides, the museum is

open from April until October.

Biskupin is, of course, an icon of Polish archaeology. The

most famous are the long houses, the embankment and the

gate of the reconstructed settlement from the Bronze Age,

but probably not everyone remembers that there was also an

early medieval settlement found in Biskupin and a few years

ago. It was also reconstructed exactly on the site of the

original one, preserving the original urban layout in its

entirety. Where there was a house, there is a house now, in

the places of workshops, there are workshops, and where

there was once a hearth, there is a hearth now. On top of all

this, there is also the reconstruction of Neolithic houses,

from the Younger Stone Age. In individual segments, there

are reenactors, reconstructing old activities- even the fields

are ploughed with oxen. The archaeological festival takes

place in September and lasts 9 days with a rich educational

program. If someone is in southern Poland, there is a socalled

"Karpacka Troja", a beautifully situated archaeological

open-air museum in Trzcinica. These are probably the most

important reconstructions, not to mention all the museums,

as well as historical festivals, staging battles across Poland

and regarding all historical periods, ranging from the Stone

Age events, through antiquity, the long Middle Ages,

Sarmatian Poland, until world wars, and beyond. You just

need to look them up in a calendar to check where the

seventeenth-century Swedes are besieging a castle and

where the fifteenth-century Poles and Lithuanians are going

to slaughter the Teutonic Knights. Cedynia, Grunwald,

Malbork, in winter Pomerania from 1945- you may take your

pick.

lovePoland: Your books are published mainly in Polish, but I

know that some of them are also available in English. Which

ones? Are you planning to translate other of your titles?

Igor: Yes, some of my books and others from Triglav

Publishing House are available in English- for example the

entire series Viking and Slavic Ornamental Design, Vol. 1, 2,

and 3, and Vendel and Dark Age Ornamental Design. I have

already talked about Borek and the Slavonic Gods.


All of these are available on the Triglav Publishing

House website if someone in Europe would like to buy

them, in the United States on the Winged Hussar

Publishing website, and large mail-order bookstores.

On our website and in numerous online bookstores in

different countries (England, Sweden, Finland, Norway,

Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland, France) you can

also buy these books and Viking Dress Code: Textile

and Leather Clothing in Scandinavia by Kamil Rabiega,

or Viking and Slavic Cuisine by Małgorzata Krasna-

Korycińska.

At the moment, work is underway on the translation of

the album Meet the Slavs, which should be released

this year in the USA and should be available in various

bookstores. In the relatively near future, I would like to

have an English-language edition of About Warriors of

the Slavs: Squads and Battles on Land and Sea.

Perhaps also something more serious about the beliefs

of the Slavs.

Igor Górewicz, Szczecin, February 2021

Selected from the books by Igor.


photo: Announcing one of Jomsborg victories in the battle of Wolin.

photo::

in the

Kasia,

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attire

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presents

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jewellery

Slavic women.

photo: Patryk Kosmider , Getty Images


photo:

For a while, the family has been complete. Here, the first historic trip of 3-month-old Racibor, Oslo 2016.


photos:

1. Top: Czcibor as young "Niemir" from the "Piast Total War" exhibition.

2. With Racibor in Neustadt-Glewe (Germany), June 2018.

3. Bottom left: In the role of a prince.


photos:

1. Top: Oscar as the youngest incarnation of "Niemir" from the "Piast Total War" exhibition.

2. As Mieszko I, leading the armoured squad during the Great Independence Parade on August 15, 2018 in Warsaw, organized on the

occasion of the 100th anniversary of regaining independence by Poland. In addition to military units, groups of reenactors paraded

there, presenting the traditions of the Polish Arms of various eras. "Pancerni Triglava" project was the first group attempt to recreate

the appearance of the cavalry from the First Piasts' period.

3. Bottom left: In casual clothes at one of the festivals.


Slaves, Triglav Strongold Warband IGOR GÓREWICZ

photos Marek Kalisiński

Manoeuvres of Pancerni Triglava in the "PaTaTaj" stable in Kanie, near Warsaw,

preparing us for the Independence Parade, June 2018.



During the filming for the Jomsvikings promotional video, 2017.



With Radosław Hubert and Grzegorz "Ulv" Kaczmarski, realizing the film combat

scenes, Ukranenland 2017.



With this sword signal, Igor sends Jomsborg Army to attack and begins the Battle of

Wolin.

Some of 500 Jomsborg Vikings from all over the world who came to celebrate their 30th

anniversary. Founded by four people in 1988 in London, Jomsborg today has over 1,000 Vikings

on several continents. The celebration took place at the Slavic Wallmuseum Starigard in

Oldenburg in Holstein (Germany), April 2018.





Drużyna Grodu Trzygłowa in (almost) all its glory, during the celebration of the 20th

anniversary, Szczecin, September 1,2018.

LUBACZÓW COUNTY AND EASTERN ROZTOCZE

GREEN FIELDS AND HISTORY

WORDS & PHOTOS

Krystian Kłysewicz | Imagine Pictures

www.facebook.com/RoztoczeHD/

Preparing for a conversation with Krystian about the Eastern Roztocze and the Lubaczów region, I concluded that this area of Poland can be

described in three main words: the beauty of nature, active tourism and historical monuments. Probably, like any classification or

comparison, it will have its weaknesses, but if look for generalisations, this will probably be one of the most correct...

TLP: Krystian, why have you become interested in

photographing and filming this region of Poland? Perhaps

because of family ties, your origin, but I do not suspect it to

be the only reason?

KK: My family is not related to the region. My father comes

from Słupsk, my mother is from the neighbourhood of

Leżajsk and I am the fruit of their removal to Horyniec-

Zdrój. As a result, I did not have the opportunity to listen to

stories about the history of the region at home, I got to

know it literally like a tourist who came here, only for a little

longer stay. My main interest has always been associated

with mountains, I love trekking, but with my camera, I

decided to walk around my local sites.

To break out of the pattern that the grass is

always greener on the other side of the fence.

Living in such a picturesque land, I just don't

have to travel far to have an interesting location

for my photographic work. Moreover, there is

also the history of the region. Complicated,

inconvenient but very interesting. With my films

and photos, I present the beauty of the Eastern

Roztocze not only to curious people from all

over Poland but even to residents, as many

places here are hardly visited due to the difficult

access. I treat the surrounding area as my home,

literally, such a big one. I feel good there and I do

not want to leave it.

Fruit trees in the middle of the field, typical of Roztocze. Photo: Krystian Kłysewicz | Imagine Pictures

TLP: In the Magazine, we not only present photos, but also

show newcomers around sites, tell them about the history

and discover interesting places.

The Eastern Roztocze, its Subcarpathian part, is probably

not the most frequently visited by tourists? Lubaczów

region does not appear in various publications as often as

famous, although very small, Zwierzyniec. Generally speaking

- is it justified in your opinion? What interesting has eastern

Roztocze to offer?

KK: In my opinion, the low popularity of the Eastern

Roztocze comes from the post-war turmoil. These areas

have become historically uncomfortable and thus forgotten.

Besides, there were administrative borders that separated

east Roztocze from its western part, so we have become

here a small, almost uninhabited island on the map of

Roztocze. Everything is changing, however, and the

initiatives to "unite" the whole of Roztocze make us more

noticeable.

However, you can still see the border between the provinces

- literally, it is enough to go to Susiec and then to Narol -the

same area, but two different worlds.

Do we lose our attractiveness because of this? Not at all!

We are the undiscovered gem of the whole Roztocze. We are

not yet a typical commercial area like above-mentioned

Zwierzyniec, Susiec or Krasnobród.

I can boldly say that we are an exclusive product, for

connoisseurs. Different parts of Roztocze are neither equal

nor the same. What do we have that they don't have in

Western or Central Roztocze?

We have magic, literally, hidden from the tourists. We are

more demanding for visitors. There is nothing handed on a

platter. You have to discover many attractions by yourself in

the forests.

The routes are not trampled, they are even empty. If

someone is tired of the Bieszczady Mountains or the

Western Roztocze and the crowds of people, he or she can

come to us. You have to feel and understand this area, learn

about its history. In the forests, we have remains of villages,

beautiful cemeteries, churches, wooden architecture,

roadside witnesses of history carved in Bruśno stone,

palaces. All this is surrounded by pristine nature.

TLP: I would like you to take us to some of the places shown

in your photos. At the beginning, let's go outdoors. What is

characteristic of the landscape of this area? These are not

mountains, hills or vast lakes. Can a landscape without these

values still seem appealing?

On one of the websites devoted to Roztocze, I saw a slogan

- "catch a second breath" or maybe "space and vast fields

allow for a respite from the daily rush"... What kind of active

attractions does the East Roztocze offer to tourists?

The combination of fields, meadows, hills, ravines, swamps,

rivers and forests creates a very interesting landscape. It is

the sunniest area in the whole Poland. The summer days wake

up in beautiful mists in the valleys, the colourful sunsets

delight and the night sky is very starry.

When photographing, I try to take advantage of these

qualities, and I especially like the sunrises. After all, we are in

the Eastern Roztocze and I feel obliged by the name itself.

Thanks to the rather low tourist traffic, we still have the

opportunity to commune with pristine nature. The rivers are

dominated by beavers, wild boars sleep in the swamps during

the day, in the forests you can meet deer, elk, lynx and even a

wolf. The sky is dominated by predators, with the white-tailed

eagle at the forefront. The idyllic countryside of the villages

makes time pass really slower here. The quintessence of the

"catch a second breath" slogan will surely be a summer

sunrise on Dahany - a mid-forest clearing, the site of a prewar

village. Virtually, every morning you can see it flooded

with fog on which the sun draws the shadows of trees. This

view itself forces you to take a deep breath. And this is not

the only place that impresses in this way. A visit to the

cemetery in Stare Bruśno or Stara Huta is an equally mystical

experience. The best way to explore these areas is by using a

bicycle - we have a lot of trails or forest roads that are

perfect for cycling trips.

Dome - Werchrata pearl of Roztocze - dome of the church, former Orthodox church of

St. George from 1910. Photo: Krystian Kłysewicz | Imagine Pictures


TLP: Now, the places. Some of your photos that we are showing

in the Magazine present the monuments of the Eastern

Roztocze. One of them is the Count Łosia's Palace in Narol. I

admit that I don't know much about this place. What's its story,

is it worth visiting?

KK: The Palace in Narol is the most beautiful palace in the whole

Roztocze. Some consider it an undiscovered architectural gem of

Poland. It was built in the mid-18th century on the initiative of

Antoni Feliks, on the plan of a horseshoe - the Łosias' coat of

arms. The building is situated on a hill. It consists of a main

rectangular building connected by semi-circular facades with two

smaller side pavilions. Antoni was an art lover and he managed to

gather a large collection. There was also a drama and music

school educating artistically gifted youth. Unfortunately, the

palace had also some tragic episodes – it was burned down,

plundered and its life ended for many years by the Soviets. It has

been trying to recover from the ruins since the war, and it has

been doing very well in recent years. Currently, you can enter its

site, but the works are still ongoing. In the past, there was a

beautiful garden behind the palace - now, only some monumental

old trees remained there. The road to Podlesina, planted with

chestnuts so willingly photographed during flowering and

autumn, is an extension of the palace axis. Despite the lack of

interior decoration, the palace attracts tourists from all over

Poland as it is one of the most famous attractions of the

Eastern Roztocze.

TLP: Sacred buildings seem to be an indispensable part of the

Roztocze landscape. Although we do not show many of them, on

this occasion, they are definitely worth mentioning. One of these

objects is the dome of St. Joseph the Worker Church (formerly

the Orthodox Church of St. George) from 1910, another an

Orthodox Church in Radruż entered on the UNESCO World

Heritage List. Do you think sacred buildings constitute an

important cultural element of this region? Are they an important

tourist attraction?

KK: Orthodox and Catholic churches dominate the landscape of

Roztocze and their domes, visible from a distance, are an

interesting landscape element, worth photographing. The

above-mentioned dome of the church located in Werchrata -

emerging from the fields blooming with rapeseed - is an unusual

frame - a unique view, influencing the definition of Werchrata as

the pearl of Roztocze. The main attraction of the region is

certainly the Orthodox church complex in Radruż with the

Orthodox church of St. Paraskeva. This Orthodox church is

considered to be the oldest wooden temple of the Eastern rite in

Poland. It is surrounded by a wall that used to be defensive and

there is a high bell tower next to the church. The Subcarpathian

Wooden Architecture Trail with its Lubaczów - Roztocze section

might be an interesting journey into the past.

A visit to a dark Orthodox church, smelling of old wood, with

beautiful iconostases and unusual acoustics is an extraordinary

experience. For me, churches are an element that in some way,

apart from stonework and roadside crosses, defines the Eastern

Roztocze and its specific atmosphere.

TLP: Staying with the sacred and at the same time historical

themes - such presence of various types of sacred objects may

prove the affection of the inhabitants of this land to tradition,

and at the same time it is a kind of historical monument.

Nowadays, there are not as many dissenters in this area as

there used to be before the second world war. There are almost

no Jews anymore, not many Orthodox.

KK: Before the war, the area of Eastern Roztocze was a mix of

numerous cultures. Poles, Ukrainians, Jews and even German

settlers lived here in harmony - each of the nations with their

own separate culture and, above all, religion. Hence, there are

lots of both Catholic and Orthodox churches as well as

synagogues from which those in Cieszanów, Wielkie Oczy and

Stary Dzików remained. This mix can now be touched by visiting

old cemeteries such as those in Stare Bruśno or Stara Huta,

where tombstones written in Cyrillic and Polish are mixed

together. In Lubaczów, there is the only still existing Jewish

cemetery with beautiful matzevahs. What all these religions had

in common, is the stone from the quarry under Mount Bruśno,

from which it was mined. Self-taught artists who wrote the

history of the region in their products lived in Stare Bruśno -

the largest stone centre in Roztocze. They delight not only in

cemeteries as stone crosses fit into the landscape at the

roadsides and in forests.

TLP: What's the story of the Eastern Roztocze? It is probably

not an 'easy' story, devoid of often dramatic events?

KK: The history is downright dramatic and certainly influenced

by the fact that the region, from the tourist perspective, is

being discovered only now. During the war, the occupiers

brutally dealt with the large Jewish population living in these

areas.

There used to be ghettos, deportations to extermination camps.

Already during the war, the Polish-Ukrainian conflict intensified.

The neighbours became enemies, families turned on each other.

The times were tragic when UON-UPA bands used to prowl the

area. The buildings of most towns and villages were burnt.

Villages and their inhabitants literally perished. The solution was

the Operation Vistula and resettlement. After them, dozens of

villages and hamlets disappeared from the map and landscape,

numerous Orthodox churches got deserted and fell into ruin,

and this history became a taboo subject. However, many years

have passed since those dramatic events and now the

generation that I represent treats those times as a sad episode

that cannot be forgotten but which also cannot block our

development.


A roadside shrine in Wola Wielka. Photo: Krystian Kłysewicz | Imagine Pictures


History and culture created the landscape we have today.

Picturesque, mysterious, maybe sad, but attracting like a

magnet. It is a bit sentimental here, but at least we still have

our own unique atmosphere, real, tangible, undamaged by

commerce, stalls and trash that we meet in the largest tourist

centres in Poland.

TLP: I know that you and some of your friends have recently

released an album about Roztocze. I hope that the readers will

like it and at the same time it will be a kind of inspiration for

visiting the area. As a socialite of the Eastern Roztocze - where

would you recommend tourists to go? Is it a part of Poland with

a well-developed tourist base? What are your favourite places?

KK: Our album is a story about these areas. In my, Tomek

Mielnik and Tomek Michalski's photos, we can find the essence

of the Eastern Roztocze, through beautiful landscape elements

to history, architecture and culture. It is the work of many years

of photographic expeditions, a one-of-a-kind and fully complete

study of the topic. It will surely become a bible and guide for

those wishing to visit these areas, not only for photography

enthusiasts.

Among the places worth seeing, one should mention Horyniec -

Zdrój, the best-developed tourist destination with numerous

accommodation places, a beautiful Spa Park and many

attractions in the area, such as the Orthodox church in Radruż or

the picturesque chapel on the water in Nowiny Horynieckie.

One cannot forget about the cemetery in Stare Bruśno. The next

point on the route is Narol, the palace located there, bunkers of

the Molotov line hidden in the forests, and the extraordinary

Bukowy Las (Beech Forest) nature reserve. Cieszanów is an

example of multiculturalism, there is a Catholic church, an

Orthodox church and a synagogue in sight, the CieszFanów Rock

Festival takes place here, and in the small village of Gorajec - the

Borderland Culture Festival Folkowisko.

Lubaczów is a royal city with a co-cathedral, an Orthodox church

and, above all, a great Museum of Borderlands. To taste the local

cuisine, it is worth visiting Dębowy Dwór and Cztery Stawy in

Ruda Różaniecka, Kresowa Osada in Basznia Dolna or Cafe

Sanacja in Horyniec-Zdrój. The last place that needs to be

mentioned and which is the quintessence of these areas is

Dahany, a mid-forest clearing between Werchrata and Wola

Wielka which I mentioned earlier. I cordially invite you to my

home - the Eastern Roztocze.


Landscape of Roztocze. Photo: Krystian Kłysewicz | Imagine Pictures

Count Łoś palace in Narol. Photo: Krystian Kłysewicz | Imagine Pictures


Eastern Roztocze

Top photo: A white stork in the first rays of the rising sun.

Middle left: St. Nepomuk Shrine in Nowiny Horynieckie.

Middle right: A roadside cross in Werchrat.

Bottom left: Devil's stone (Diabelski Kamień) near Manasterz - the largest "outlander' in the Eastern Roztocze.

Bottom middle: Storks and the brightest super full moon of 2020.

Bottom right: A lonely tree in the fields near Werchrata - in the background "Wielki Dział", one of the highest hill of the Eastern Roztocze

China Moses fot. Sylvain Norget

Top photo: The church in Radruż, entered on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Middle left: Werechata shrouded in fog after sunset.

Middle right: A misty sunset in the forests of Roztocze - Dahany and Wielki Dział in the distance

Bottom left: Picturesque rape fields in Huta Złomy

Bottom middle: The fox met at sunrise at the ponds in New Siola

Bottom right: ndulating fields near Łówcza

The quintessence of Eastern Roztocze - picturesque rape fields in Huta Złomy


www.facebook.com/RoztoczeHD

Chestnut avenue in Narol





You can feel the faith of the people who

built these churches here, these people

carried bricks on their backs to the church

tower, they laboriously rebuilt them after

the war, they defended them in communism

against destruction and they look after them

to this day, although in human terms they do

not get anything in return.

Marcin Gądek

on photo: originally Orthodox church St. Michael the Archangel

in Dubno, currently used as a filian church parish in Leluchów

CHURCHES FROM HEAVEN

THE PEARL OF THE POLISH ARCHITECTURE

WORDS & PHOTOS MARCIN GĄDEK

www.facebook.com/Kosciolyznieba

"Churches are the manifestation of the faith and piety of our ancestors, as well as their sense of beauty and harmony. Their soaring

towers point to heaven"

I found the photographs of priest Marcin Gądek, posted on the "Churches of Heaven" profile, nearly a year ago. At the beginning, I did not pay attention to

their author, but I was simply interested in beautiful shots of churches or, more broadly, Polish religious architecture in his lens. Only much later did I notice

their author as well; finding out that he is a priest in the parish of Our Lady of the Scapular in Szerzyny, located on the border of the picturesque Pogórze

Ciężkowickie and Beskid Niski.

lovePoland: Marcin, I wanted to ask about the origin

of your passion for photography. It is quite unusual

for a priest, but while writing this text I realised

that there is no contradiction. Your "motto" already

expresses a certain inner logic between what you

do every day as a priest and your photographic

passion. Photography, like other types of art, is

traditionally associated with faith, responding to

the need for communing with beauty, and for many,

with the Absolute. Do you see your adventure with

photography partly in this way?

Marcin Gądek: For me, photography is an attempt

to look at the world in a better light, because

everyday life is not always like that. It can be even

overwhelming, especially now, in a pandemic.

We live in a kind of shadow and such a life without

noticing the beauty can become unbearable. We need to

move away from it, experience the beauty of the

landscape, see the world in a different light. For me, it

is fascinating that to experience this beauty you do not

have to go to tourist paradises. It is enough to go to the

neighbouring hill to see the church emerging from the

mists at sunrise. This search for beauty in photography

is also a search for God. Because it was God who

created it, He composed it in such a harmonious way.

Beauty is not chaos, anarchy. Beauty is a harmonious

composition that expresses the Creator of this beauty.

When we photograph, we try to show the world in a

beautiful light, arrange the composition so that it is

interesting, and that it enchants and carries the human

spirit upwards, towards God.

on photo:

War cemetery No. 34 in Ołpiny.

This war cemetery contains 577

war graves from the First World

War: 366 Russian, 127 Austro-

Hungarian and 84 German.


lovePoland: A bit more as an introduction. I've heard that your

photographic passion started quite unusually, didn't it? What

were its beginnings? How do you share your time between

pastoral service and the necessity of, sometimes quite tedious,

preparations for photo sessions in the field, and then the work

on the picture itself? When visiting a given place, do you try to

learn its history, do you talk to people who look after the

photographed object?

Marcin: My passion for photography began with macro

photography, which also requires a lot of patience. Soon after

that I became fascinated with the mountain landscape. It was

also a form of rehabilitation and health recovery after 3 knee

surgeries (it turns out that stillness is the worst thing for

health). A few orthopaedists advised against it. They told me to

find myself another passion, but I was stubborn. This

stubbornness, I can say now, as well as the fact that I have met

some great doctors and physiotherapists, saved my health as

mountains are a great way to maintain my physical condition.

Later, I became interested in flying and sacred architecture.

I am lucky to live in a region that is very interesting in terms of

geography and culture, so you don't have to travel far (I have

my favourite cross or chapel in each of the neighbouring towns).

In summer, sunrise is very early and sunset is late. You can take

a short trip before the Holy Mass, and when there are beautiful

clouds, then also during the day. In winter, the sun sets in the

afternoon and in the evening you can photograph beautifully lit

churches. A little later, the Milky Way. Each season and time of

the day has its charms and possibilities- God does not let us get

bored, creating such an interesting and beautiful world.

Each trip is an extraordinary adventure and a person is young as

long as he is attracted to adventure (a new peak, a different

season, a different light, a sacred object, fog, people

encountered, sometimes disappointment because the light did

not flash). It teaches patience and accepting everything as a gift

because you often come back without photos, but it also allows

you to experience something beautiful and unique.

I always try to prepare for the outdoor pictures, I look for

information in various lexicons and guides, and I check from

which side I will have the sun. It is always worth talking to the

parish priest or other people who look after the church. You can

feel the faith of the people who built these churches here.

These people carried bricks on their backs to the church tower,

they laboriously rebuilt them after the war, they defended them

in communism against destruction, and they look after them to

this day (although in human terms they do not get anything in

return). But, they have much more than that as God blesses

them. You can see that churches unite small communities and

extract a lot of nobility from them.

lovePoland: You come from Lesser Poland. You have probably

spent most of your life here, haven't you? The region is one of

the richest in terms of landscape values, and probably one of

the most abundant in monuments of sacred architecture. Many

of them were entered on the UNESCO list. Does communing

with these types of "objects" (you photograph not only

churches but also roadside crosses or chapels, quite common in

this area) have a deeper, sometimes hidden meaning?

Marcin: Lesser Poland is a very beautiful and diverse land. Lots

of people who come here focus on the Tatra Mountains and

Krakow. It turns out that most of the UNESCO sites are small

wooden churches or Orthodox churches built by simple people,

with a great sense of proportion and deep sacred symbolism.

The purpose of the church is to point to heaven. That is why,

especially in Gothic, we have the soaring towers. The spatial

orientation of the church has an eschatological meaning- the

person who stands inside, turns to the east, from where Christ

is to come as the rising sun. That is why the church is a sign of

hope and resurrection. The paintings constituting the pauperum

Bible, for example, in the church in Binarowa, speak strongly.

Nothing is accidental in Orthodox churches either. The number

of domes, the division of the object, the structure of the

iconostasis, all of this has a theological meaning that was very

significant to the faithful in the past, and unfortunately is less

and less understandable to contemporaries.

Recently, I have been photographing a lot from a bird's eye

view, using a drone, as it also allows me to see the surroundings

of a church or orthodox church. They are often very charmingly

situated, a bit off the beaten track, on the hills. By going higher

you can show more planes, and it is very interesting. You can

see how human works fit in with God's creation.

Crosses and chapels are such special places for me. It can be

said they result from the faith of people. They were built

because the children recovered or someone came back, safe and

sound, from the First World War. It is beautiful that there are

always fresh flowers, someone mows the grass, May services

are sung, and then people often gather there to have some

snacks together. All this for the glory of God, the glory of Saint

Mary, and all saints. Beskid Niski and Pogórze Ciężkowickie may

not be crowded with tourists, but from Liwocz, Grzywacka

Mountain, Rotunda, through the Range of Brzanka to Tuchów,

there are many charming places.

lovePoland: The next question, somewhat related to the

previous one: the part of Lesser Poland that you show in your

photos is probably not the most famous or frequently visited

region of Poland, especially by foreign tourists. Being recently in

this area, I heard that "you don't care about some big tourist

visits". First of all, do you think that this part of Poland has a lot

to offer to visitors? What kind of attractions or experiences are

these? Do you think that the opinion I quoted above is common?

If so, where does it come from?


"When visiting Beskid Niski, or Pogórze Cieżkowickie, you look for more peace and quiet. Many beautiful untrampled trails, the Lemko

cultural heritage, the art of wooden architecture and stonework, abandoned churches, cemeteries, crosses among hills and forests."

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at feugiat quam congue sed. Nulla ipsum enim,

pellentesque at ex non. sagittis.

photos:

this photo: Collegiate Church Corpus Christi in Biecz

Bottom left: Church of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rzepiennik Biskupi.

Bottom centre: Chapel of Christ's Cross and Our Lady, Queen of Peace on Mount

Liwocz

Bottom right: Church of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rzepiennik Biskupi.


Marcin: People live very simply here. There is no such

commercialism as in other regions, nor mass tourism. I think

these are not places for someone who wants to come and party

for a few days, forgetting about everything. Many, also foreign

tourists, come to visit the Wooden Architecture Trail and I have

experienced a lot of openness and kindness of church caretakers.

When visiting Beskid Niski, or Pogórze Cieżkowickie, you look for

more peace and quiet. Many beautiful untrampled trails, the

Lemko cultural heritage, the art of wooden architecture and

stonework, abandoned churches, cemeteries, crosses among hills,

and forests. A simple stone cross or a chapel with an unusual

history, situated by a picturesque road, when the sun is rising on

the horizon and fog is rolling, and there is silence all around, you

almost feel God's presence in these places created by the faith

of the ancestors. It is also an extraordinary experience to get to

know the war cemeteries of World War I.

After the bloody Battle of Gorlice, the emperor promised every

soldier a worthy burial. That's why they are located in the most

beautiful places, on the hills above the villages. They were built

by the best architects, including Dusan Jurkovic, who used

elements of local culture. In these cemeteries, everyone, no

matter whether a soldier in the Austro-Hungarian or Russian

armies, were buried with equal respect. This respect, even for

the enemy, is very meaningful. Death unites and reconciles the

opponents. It is worth visiting Rotunda, Wzgórze Pustki,

Staszkówka, Lichwin, Ołpiny, Grab, Beskidek, and Sękowa- those

are only some of the beautifully situated war cemeteries.

lovePoland: If these are your "homelands", where would you

invite tourists who want to get to know this somewhat sleepy

part of our country? In a short conversation, before this text was

written, you mentioned Biecz (I hope we will come back to this

topic again), where else?

Marcin: If you want to experience the atmosphere of a Galician

town, you must visit Biecz. It is probably the most photogenic

town I know, situated on a hill above the Ropa River, with

preserved medieval towers and walls, a beautiful collegiate

church, market square, and executioner's tower. The history of

the city is also fascinating, especially in its heyday, with the great

merits of Bishop Marcin Kromer. Nearby, in the vicinity of my

parish of Szerzyny,

I recommend four beautiful wooden churches: St. Martin's in

Czermna, St. Anna's in Święcany, St. Michael the Archangel's in

Binarowa, and St.John the Baptist's in Rzepiennik Biskupi. Not far

away, on the top of Liwocz, there is a chapel of Our Lady Queen

of Peace with a viewing platform. There are also many historic

chapels and crosses in the area, many of which are posted on my

Facebook page Kościoły z nieba (Churches from Heaven).

have an additional comment, sometimes a fragment from the

Holy Bible. It is definitely not accidental – what is crucial about

them? You talk about light a lot and I don't think you mean just

the right sunlight, do you?

Marcin: It's like in life- we can show someone in an ugly light and

a bad perspective and then it is better not to show at all. But we

can also show it in a beautiful light.

As a priest, I try not only to show the world in nice light in the

photographs, but also to lead to this Light that gives meaning to

everything that surrounds us. This is also the meaning of sacred

architecture, to lead to God. That’s why I describe my photos,

writing about what I experienced while taking them, using the

Holy Bible or holy texts.

lovePoland: I also know that you are quite actively involved in

the promotion of the region. You participated in photo

exhibitions and you have organised a photo competition for

young people. In which direction do you want to develop your

photographic passion?

Marcin: I also teach at school and I can see how important it is

for children and teenagers to have some hobbies and passions,

especially now when people isolate themselves from one

another. Photographing both the beauty of nature and sacred

art helps to develop both physically (because you have to go to

the top of a mountain, for example), mentally (self-esteem,

gaining skills, and knowledge), and spiritually through

communing with the sacred prayers. Hence, the photo contests.

I am also happy to share my knowledge about the technique or

places I visit. I would like to do it as a passion that gives me a lot

of joy and satisfaction, opens me up to the people I meet, and at

the same time attracts young people to do something that may

not give them any material benefit at once, but will strengthen

them physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Marcin Gadek

lovePoland: Coming back to your photos – what are they for you?

Browsing through them on your profile, I noticed that they often


photo: Church of Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Domosławice

photo: church of st. Marcin Biskupa and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Consolation in Czermna


Orthodox church of the Dormition of the Mother of God

in Klimkówka.

photo:

Orthodox church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Klimkówka, currently a branch

church of the parish in Łosie. The church was erected in 1810 and reconstructed in 1876

or 1928 when, for example, the navewas widened and two vestries at the presbytery were

added and so it became a structureresembling one on a Greek-cross plan. It is a northwestern

Lemko church featuring shingled walls while the roof is irregular, with a ridge,

covered with sheet metal and topped with small sheet-metal bulbs. The interior is covered

with flat ceilings. The walls inside feature polychrome decoration of 1935. The most

precious item inside is a neo-baroque iconostasis from the turn of the 18th and 19th

centuries and baroque side altarpieces.

Photo: Marcin Gądek


additional source of information: www.drewniana.malopolska.pl


Church of Nativity of St. John the Baptist

in Gładyszów.




photo:

Church of Nativity of St. John the Baptist in Gładyszów. The Orthodox Parish

Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist was erected in 1857 as a Greek

Catholic Chapel.

In 1914 it was extended when it took on the function of the parish church,

after the other church burnt down. The walls of the oldest part are log,

covered with shingles, while the antechamber was built using post-frame

construction. The interior of the church is divided by the wall of the

iconostasis into a nave and a chancel, closed on three sides. In the chancel

there is folk polychrome with a large depiction of the Holy Trinity. The

iconostasis belonging to the church dates from the C20th.


St. Anna and Michael

the Archangel in

Żegiestów

Church of St. Anna and Michael the

Archangel in Żegiestów - built in the years

1917-1925 on the plan of the Greek cross, in

the tradition of church construction.

The building is made of stone and brick, onenave

with two sacristy annexes. The roof is

multi-hipped, covered with sheet metal,

topped with three octagonal extension

towers with bulbous domes. Symmetrical

domes are visible above the chancel and

women's gallery. The interior has a barrel

vault, with eight sections in the central part.

The interior, partly neo-Romanesque, comes

from the period 1959-1960. Its author is J.

Kania. Feretrons with the folk icons of

"Annunciation" and "Crucifixion of Christ

Pantocrator" from 1784, a Baroque chalice

of the 18th century, a carved paschal

candlestick from the turn of the 18th and

19th centuries, and a picture of "Christ in the

tomb", painted on a tin, have remained from

the old church furnishings.

The belfry is free-standing with three bells

cast in 1956-1972. The church was renamed

the Roman Catholic church of st. Anna and

St. Michael in the years 1946-1947. The

spring of St. Anna. According to the legend,

it gushed out on the day the church was

consecrated. Therefore, in the interwar

period, it became a place of pilgrimage for

local residents suffering especially from eye

diseases





Church of st. Bishop Marcin

and the Sanctuary of Our

Lady of Consolation

in Czermna

St. Martin’s church in Czermna was built in

1520 where its devastated predecessor

hadstood once. In the 1700s the church was

considerably reconstructed, e.g. a chapel

covered with an octahedral dome was added.

This larch-wood church features a pillarframework

tower and log construction of the

walls, timbered on both sides with vertical

boards. The nave and presbytery are topped

with a single-ridge roof while the tower with

a pavilion roof. The interior is adorned with

polychrome decoration (1877). The rich

original fittings (18th/19th centuries) include

five altarpieces, a pulpit and an organ. The

main altarpiece features a copy of the

miraculous image of Our Lady of Consolation

(1500s) and the original is to be found in the

new church.

Sanctuary: The oldest information about the

existence of a church in this town comes

from 1312. It was allegedly built by a Maltese

knight - Petrasjusz Frykacz. It is one of

the most valuable historic sacral architecture

with a carcass construction. The interior is

decorated with figural and ornamental

polychrome from 1877. In the main altar until

2000 - next to the holly image - one could

admire the picture of the Holy Trinity

painted in 1870. On its sides stood the

figures of the Evangelists - Saint Luke with

an ox, Saint John with an eagle, Saint Mark

with a lion and Saint Matthew with a man.

There was a tabernacle below the Madonna.





Gorlice Golgotha

In the past, there was a cross on Zamkowa

Hill (Góra Zamkowa) on which in the 1980s

there was a small plate with the inscription

"Pope John Paul II".

The father of Pope John Paul II – Karol

Wojtyła senior, probably stationed in the

uniform of an Austrian sergeant during

World War I in trenches located in the vicinity

of the hill and participated in the fights from

November 1914 to 2 May 1915. The first

Stations of the Cross were celebrated here

in 1994 by the initiator of the construction

of the Calvary – the priest of the parish

church of St. Andrzej Bobola. The inhabitants

of Gorlice have their Golgotha, to which they

make pilgrimages, where they take their

friends, which they proudly show to tourists.

It is situated on a hill more than a kilometre

away from the church of St. Andrzej Bobola.

Walking thoughtfully along the paths of

Gorlice's Golgotha, we admire the figure of

Christ in Ogrójec, the tower with Pensive

Christ, a Pieta, individual stations of the

cross and finally the Chapel of the Holy

Sepulchre. The four-meter-tall Statue of the

Risen Christ, located on a twelve-meter

pedestal, makes an amazing impression not

only over the hill, but over the entire town. It

is visible from a very long distance – it

welcomes and blesses Gorlice inhabitants,

visitors and tourists returning to their

homeland.




Greek-catholic Church

of the Protection

of the Mother of God,

currently a subsidiary

Roman Catholic church

of the parish in Łabowa

Formed Greek-Catholic Church of the Protection

of the Mother of God in Łabowa was build in

1784.

The church was entered on the list of monuments

in 1964.

The church funded by the Lubomirski family was

built of stone in 1784. After the displacement of

the Lemko people in 1945 and 1947, it stood

unused and fell into disrepair. Renovated in 1992

and since that year it serves as the Roman

Catholic branch church of the parish in Łabowa.

The building represents a type of a brick church

with a massive tower in the west elevation. It is

characterized by great architectural diversity in

terms of proportions and sizes, baroque towers in

the form of helmets on the roof of the temple, or

the tower's semicircular cornice on the clock face.

It became a model of solutions adopted in later

wooden churches. A sacristy was added to the

short chancel with a semicircular ending from the

north. The large nave has a pair of semicircular

transept chapels. The tower is topped with a

spherical cupola with a lantern, the saddle roof

and turrets are covered with sheet metal.

Inside, there is a figural and ornamental

polychrome in the tradition of Ruthenian painting

by W. Kryczewski, made in 1944. The Classicist

brick main altar, iconostasis and a music choir with

a baluster railing come from the mid-nineteenth

century.The church is surrounded by a stone wall

with a 19th century gate.




DISCOVER HISTORIC

BRIDGES IN STANCZYKI

Stańczyki

text source: poland.pl and zabytek.pl

Bibliography

Karta ewidencyjna zabytków architektury i budownictwa, Wiadukty w Stańczykach, oprac. Mackiewicz J., 1978,

archiwum Wojewódzkiego Urzędu Ochrony Zabytków w Olsztynie Delegatura w Ełku.

Rams B., Opowieść o niepotrzebnych mostach w Stańczykach, „Borussia” 2008, nr 42, s. 177-184.

The viaducts built in the early 20th century are an example of exceptional architecture.

Stańczyki is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Dubeninki, within Gołdap County,

Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland, close to the border with the Kaliningrad

Oblast of Russia. It lies approximately 7 kilometres east of Dubeninki, 23 km east of Gołdap,

and 152 km east of the regional capital Olsztyn. It is notable for two large railway viaducts of

the (now defunct) Gołdap-Żytkiejmy railway. Roughly 200 metres long and 36 metres high,

both are among the largest such constructions in Poland. Built of reinforced concrete, each of

the bridges has five arches of 15 metres of length each. The northern viaduct was constructed

between 1912 and 1914, the southern one was added between 1923 and 1926. Before 1945,

the area was part of Germany (East Prussia).

Bridges are reinforced concrete structure having five arches with

identical curves and just 15m apart. The architecture is characterised by

the size of their proportions and the pillars are decorated with reliefs

modelled on the Roman aqueducts at Pont du Gard.

The rail track was dismantled in 1945 by the Red Army. Since then no

train has passed this way. Until recently the viaducts were used by

bungee jumpers but an introduced ban has stopped the daredevils. On

the valley floor is a site for campers.

Limited access to the historic

building. The structure may be

seen from outside. The bridges are

presently private property, they

are fenced; access and parking

area are ticketed.

Address: 19-504 Wiadukty, Poland

Total length: 180 m

On the northern reaches of Masuria, near the city of Goldap are two

viaducts on the now unused railway line. Tourists to the Romincka

Forest are drawn by their unusual shape and height in this landscape.

The two viaducts were built between 1912 and 1918 and were part of

the already unused section of railway line between Goldap and

Zytkiejmy, a length of 31km.

They can be found beyond the village of Stanczyki where the railway

line crosses a huge valley, disproportionate in size to the small and

very picturesque River Biedzianka. The bridges are of a massive size

and are considered the highest in Poland. They are about 200m long

and 36m high.


photos: M. Ciszewski, polska.pl

History

The erection of the bridges was connected with the construction of the

railway line on the Gołdap-Żytkiejmy route. Not only the economic

reasons impacted the decision on launching the connection, but mainly

the military reasons. The line ran along the border with Russia, giving it

the rocade character (parallel route with respect to the potential front

line), facilitating the troops redeployment in case of war with Russia. On

the route of presently closed railway line Gołdap-Botkuny-Żytkiejmy,

apart from bridges in Stańczyki, there are also structurally-alike - also

historic - bridges and railway flyovers in Kiepojcie (by the Bludzia river)

and Galwiecie (by the Jarka river). The bridges were erected in stages:

the works commenced in 1912, finished in 1918 (southern bridge: 1912-

1914; northern bridge: 1918). The construction of bridges was the

biggest challenge for the route constructors. At the stage of design

works various structural options for the new bridges were analysed. The

cheapest one was selected, consisting in the construction of five-span

bridges of reinforced concrete. Investments were preceded by the land

survey. Railway line was put into use in 1927. In the 1930s it was mainly

used as a cargo line for the transport of aggregate. In 1938 on the

Gołdap-Żytkiejmy route three pairs of passenger trains were running

per day. Exploitation of the line was finished in 1945. On the southern

bridge no tracks were ever laid. After the end of World War II - in 1945 -

the tracks were dismantled by the Red Army; in 1949, the railway line

was never put back into use

For some period of time the owner was PKP [Polish State Railways],

which in 1993 handed over the land with bridges that was not used by

the company to the Agricultural Property of the State Treasury Agency.

In the 1990s the protection of the safety barriers of the bridge was

made, by supplementing the defects in reinforced concrete barriers

with fragments of steel profiles. In 2003 the bridges were sold to a

private person.

The bridges are located ca. 800 m to the North from the Stańczyki

village. They connect the shores of the valley, in which a small

Błędzianka river flows. The bridges were built in stages: first the pillars,

then the arches, then the padding of vaults. These are the five-span,

four-pillar (pillars with quadrangular cross-sections) structures, made

of reinforced concrete, with spans in the form of round arches with

similar dimensions. Three central spans have the clear span length of 28

m, side ones - 24 m. The total length of the bridges equals 178 m, the

height from the level of pavement of the bridge to the water surface in

the river equals 36 m, the width of the roadway between the

pavements - 3.4 m. The pavements are located higher than the

roadway; the width of the pavement equals approx. 80 cm. The facades

of the bridges are decorative (pilasters, supports with capitals). On the

external sides of each of the bridge there are concrete pavements with

a roadway in the middle; the balustrades are made of reinforced

concrete and are supplemented with fragments of steel profiles.


PLACES AND CUSTOMS

by Katarzyna Skóra

Katarzyna lived almost all her life in the Low Beskids. She is particularly interested in everyday

life in the former Lemko region. The imagination plays an important role in her life, helping to

feel the atmosphere of the visited places. She is into handicrafts, and specifically crocheting.

Working on various projects allows you to relax, in a sense it has become a way of life. She is

also passionate about photography. She tries to capture in her frames inanimate nature,

landscapes and the transience, in the broad sense of the word. Weekly photo trips have

already become a tradition.

Old Lemko traditions Easter customs

www.magurskiewyprawy.pl

Easter is the most important and joyful holiday of all Christians.

The feast of Easter is movable both in the Western Church, i.e.

Roman Catholics, and in the Eastern Church. Every few years it

happens that the followers of all rites celebrate this great feast

together. Such a situation takes place also this year. Another

such event will not happen until 2025!

In Lemko language, Easter is called “Wełykdeń”. Similarly to the

Roman Catholic church, the celebrations began on Palm Sunday,

known as "Kwitna Nedila" In the past, the Lemkos used to tie

twigs of catkins with a freshly twisted linen cord (a whip). They

were later taken to be blessed in the Orthodox church. The

catkin twigs played an important role, as they were stored and

used to incense the sick, were given to cows with their feed and

placed on the corners of newly built houses. During the storm,

the sticks of the catkins burned in the furnace were supposed

to "smoke out" the devil, after all, he was the one who caused

lightning. All these measures were supposed to bring happiness

and ward off disease. Just ordinary twigs, but they served

various purposes all year round.

In the poviat of Gorlice, there is a custom of "blessing the

fields". On Palm Sunday, a blessed cross made of sticks,

decorated like a palm tree, is stuck in the corner of each patch.

It is supposed to protect against natural disasters and hail.

Holy Thursday

is the day when Judas betrayed Jesus. There was a service

called "strast" in the Orthodox church, during which priests

would read 12 times extracts of the Gospel. The herdsmen came

to the service with whips spun for “Kwitna Nedila”, which they

used for making catkins' bunches. After reading each Gospel,

they tied one knot on it. If the shepherd happened to lose his

cattle during his work in the summer, it was enough to untie one

knot and the lost animal would immediately return.

In some villages of the Lemko region, bonfires were lit in the

fields on Thursday evening. As far as I know, this tradition is still

cultivated in many villages in Lesser Poland, not necessarily in

the Lemko lands. Making bonfires is a symbol of Judas'

punishment for the heinous act of treason.

Until today, in the south of Poland, at dusk on Holy Thursday, you

can see larger or smaller burning stakes.

It was not without reason that it was believed that on Thursday

you can see the wildfires flashing across the mountains to indicate

hidden treasures. It was believed that on that day the souls of the

dead wandered around the world. Holy Thursday began a strict

fasting that lasted until Sunday. The women started decorating

Easter eggs.

Good Friday

is the time of vigil. Fires were lit at the Orthodox churches and the

boys kept a constant watch there until Sunday.

On Holy Saturday evening or Sunday morning, baskets of food were

brought to be blessed. The basket contained cold cuts, bread, eggs,

salt and horseradish.

The most important place was occupied by "Paska" i.e. a circleshaped

wheat loaf, brought by men, which, after the blessing,

obviously acquired magical, healing and protective properties. After

blessing the food, everyone had to hurry home because whoever

reached it first, would be the first to finish the harvest. Those who

wanted to be lucky when picking mushrooms, should collect any

crackles or sticks on the way home and put them into the Easter

basket. The blessed loaves were carried around the house, and

then stored until Pentecost, i.e. “Rusala” and then they were eaten

to ensure an abundance of bread in the following year.

Eggs are certainly an indispensable element of

Easter.

Colourful Easter eggs made by Lemkos, the so-called "malowanky",

were made using the batik technique. To make them, you need hot

wax, which is used to decorate eggs by drawing lines - tears, dots,

etc. Later, when the eggs were dyed with natural dyes, such as

onion peel, it was possible to wipe off the wax layer by holding the

egg over the candle flame.

Thanks to natural dyes, it is possible to obtain such colours like:

- green - obtained thanks to a decoction of nettle, periwinkle, and,

above all, from young winter rye;


- yellow - its different shades can be obtained thanks to the onion

peelings;

- red - given by a decoction of a mixture of onion and oak bark,

crocus, as well as a decoction of dried elderberries or blueberries.

Here you can also use onion peelings, but the colour will not be

bloody red, rather a mahogany shade of red;

- purple - you can get it thanks to the dark mallow decoction.

Experienced Lemko women can make wonderful, multi-coloured

Easter eggs, and this is a very difficult art, consisting in painting

and dyeing in new colour layers several times. It is a very tedious

job.

In my family home, the decorating instrument was a pin stuck in a

stick. Young shoots of wild lilac, or the one growing in the garden,

were great, because their twigs inside are filled with a white,

spongy core, in which it is very easy to stick a pin :)

The water in which the eggs were cooked could not just be

poured out. It was used to wash cow's udders so that the witch

could not deprive them of milk. In some villages, girls used it to

wash their feet. On the first day of Easter, the Lemkos would go

to the river or a stream in the morning to look for fish in the

water. The lucky one who saw a fish was supposed to be as fit as

a fiddle (or as we say here "as healthy as a fish") all year round.

After the Sunday service, young people used to spend their time

playing and singing as Easter is a time of joy.

Speaking of that, Easter Monday usually started especially

cheerfully, when, after night-time jokes, often quite crazy, the hosts

searched the entire village to get their buried farm equipment back.

Sometimes they found them on someone's roof. All the windows

were painted over so that the hosts would not know if it was night

or day.

This custom has also been preserved in the poviat of Gorlice.

Unfortunately, the jokes are not always funny and sometimes they

end with the police visit. Tradition can and should be cultivated but

in moderation and decency to prevent hijinks from turning into

ordinary acts of vandalism.

Of course, this day is also associated with the tradition of throwing

water. Each girl had to be drenched in water. It was easier and just

as often used to throw women directly into a pond or a river.

On the second day of Easter, the Lemkos used to visit the graves of

their relatives.

And to all our readers ...

Happy Easter May this day bring you blessings of love, joy, peace

and hope. May it linger in your heart forever.

Kasia and Kamil

church in Kotan, wiktor Bubniak Getty

photo: Kasia Skora

Author: Teodor Kuziak Pascha www.magurskiewyprawy.pl


Opole Tourist Information

Rynek 23, phone: 0048 77 45 11

987

www.opole.pl

mit@mosir.opole.pl

Piast Tower. photo: Paweł Uchorczak

owing to a music festival that has been held since the

Opole,

and which has promoted hundreds of famous and

1960s,

songs, is best-known as the capital of Polish

much-loved

While the city is famed for its festival traditions, it has

song.

much more to offer. Opole, in fact, is one of the oldest

far

in Poland. Here, the wealth of 800 years of history is

cities

behind every corner of its historic tenement houses

hidden

in the narrow streets of the old town. In Opole, you can

and

take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city and

also

to the whispers and song of the surrounding primeval

listen

world. “The green lungs” of the city are the islands of

natural

and Pasieka situated on the Oder River. Whatever the

Bolko

the city entrances with its unique atmosphere,

season,

and hospitality of its inhabitants.

architecture

OPOLE THE CITY OF MUSIC

PREPARED IN COOPERATION WITH : PROMOTION DEPARTMENT OF THE OPOLE CITY HALL

www. facebook.com/MiastoOpole

www.facebook.com/OpoleOdkryj

www.opole.pl/en

PHOTOS AND TEXT

Wydział Promocji UM Opola

Wrocław

Opole

Katowice

Opole is one of the oldest cities in Poland, continuously inhabited since the 8th century and quickly becoming an important centre of

power, defense and trade. It is considered the historical capital of Upper Silesia, being much older than cities like Katowice, which grew

rapidly only during the industrial revolution of the 19th century. Opole is the capital city of Opole Voivodeship, in south west Poland. The

historical capital of Upper Silesia was badly damaged during the USSR invasion of Silesia at the end of WW II, but many fine houses in the

old town have been rebuilt. The city is known for the one of the most popular song festivals in Poland, which takes place each year in June.

LET'S GO FOR A WALK

STEP 1 Millennium Amphitheatre – National Centre of

Polish Song

Every tourist should at least once stand on the stage of the

legendary Opole Amphitheatre. One of the oldest European

festivals and the most recognized popular music events in

Poland – the National Festival of Polish Song – takes place

here. This unique stage has provided the start for the

career paths of dozens of artists and has created hundreds

of hits. This is where, to the rhythm of the most famous

Polish songs, summer begins with a stomp and has been

doing so every year for over half a century.

The administrator of the musical showpiece of Opole is the

National Centre of Polish Song (NCPP) – a spot where

concerts are held throughout the year. In the Chamber

Room, equipped with state-of-the-art technical means that

would do the largest concert halls and music clubs in the

world proud, concerts of the most important Polish bands

and performers are organised.

Thus, in the autumn-winter-spring period, the National

Centre of Polish Song turns into one of the most important

concert clubs in Poland.

STEP 2 Polish Song Museum

A museum with the greatest passion for singing in

Poland! It is modern and fully interactive, with its

seat located in the Amphitheatre. The museum

exhibition presents an outline of Polish song history

from the 1920s to the present day. Fans of the

famous Opole festivals will find here detailed

information about each edition of this event, as well

as many real props and costumes of celebrities that

can be tried on virtually. The song recording booths,

where everyone can record their favourite song and

send it by e-mail as a souvenir, are also a hit - and

for the more advanced visitors, a professional

recording studio has been opened. The Polish Song

Museum is also a cultural centre where meetings

with artists, concerts, museum lessons and

educational activities for children are held.

STEP 3 Opole Market Square

Intimate, surrounded by stylish, beautifully

renovated tenement houses, Opole Market Square is

one of the most charming places in the city. Despite

the devastating winds of history, it has retained its

medieval shape. The ambience is created by the

pastel shades of the façades and the subtle

decorations of the soaring gables of historic

buildings, which, among others, include numerous

boutiques, restaurants and cafés. The heart of this

place is the Italian-style Town Hall – almost a copy,

albeit slightly smaller, of the Florentine town hall –

the Vecchio Palace. The most characteristic element

of the Town Hall is the 65-metre tower, with the

Opole anthem played atop it every day at noon.

Presently, it is the seat of the city authorities.


STEP 4 Polish Song Walk of Fame

Located opposite the entrance to the Town Hall, it is one of the

biggest tourist attractions of the Capital of Polish Song and

one of the vivid musical accents in the city. From year to year,

more and more bronze stars with the names and autographs of

performers, composers and songwriters are added to it. Today

there are over sixty of them. Unveiling of the stars is one of

the most popular festival-related events among the media, as

well as the city residents. They gather enormous crowds and

give the opportunity to see and even chat with one’s musical

idols.

STEP 5 Opole Venice on the Młynówka

Stretching along the beautiful Młynówka Canal separating the

city centre from the quiet, residential Pasieki Island, it is one of

the most charming and romantic places in Opole. The old

tenement houses reflecting in the water surface look best at

night. The boulevards spanning along the canal are over a

kilometre long. They are made of stone paved paths, decorative

walls and rock gardens. Here, access to the water is easy and

comfortable. There are also numerous benches and a wooden

viewing platform. It is a dream route for cycling, jogging and

Nordic walking enthusiasts.

STEP 6 Grosz Bridge – “Little green bridge”

One of the most beautiful pedestrian bridges in Poland! It bears

the name ‘Grosz Bridge’ - dubbed so after the one-grosz toll

collected here ages ago.

The residents of Opole call it the ‘Green Bridge’ or the ‘Lovers’

Bridge’. This is undoubtedly one of the most characteristic,

well-known and favoured– both by locals and tourists – points

on the Opole city map. Grosz Bridge is a two-span, metal, Art

Nouveau pedestrian bridge suspended over the picturesque,

greenery-surrounded Młynówka canal – and is an ideal spot for

a romantic stroll.

At pre-set hours, the guests can also watch many species

being fed by their keepers. There are also many playgrounds,

picnic areas and food outlets amidst the lush greenery, The

ZOO in the Capital of Polish Song is a place where you can

spend many hours, without being bored for a single minute!

STEP 8 Piast Tower

Once used as a lookout to spot approaching enemies, today it

is one of the best viewpoints in Opole and its most famous

historic building. It is also among the oldest defensive

structures in Poland. Being 35 m high, and approximately 42 m

if we include the spire, its silhouette can be seen above the

Opole Amphitheatre during live TV coverages of the National

Festival of Polish Song. It is situated in the Opole district of

Ostrówek, where a stronghold in the state ruled by Mieszko I

was already located around the year of 990. The tower was

likely built at the end of the 13th or, as indicated by recent

studies, the mid-14th century. The insides of the tower used

to house a dungeon, kitchen, chamber and a guardhouse in

Medieval times. In recent years, the Piast Tower has been

thoroughly renovated and equipped with, for example,

interactive exhibitions on the history of Opole and the Castle,

among others.

STEP 9 Castle pond and music fountain

The charming pond is all that remains of the former moat

that once surrounded the Piast Castle and the castle park.

During the summer, the pond was, in former times, a place for

boat trips, and in the winter, it was transformed into a

skating rink – quite a professional one too, with artificial

lighting, a changing room and a water supply system. In

recent times, the city authorities of Opole have decided to

bring back these traditions and has been organising an ice

rink on the pond every winter - and skating here is truly

amazing – amidst the greenery, right next to the astonishing

Ice House from 1909.

STEP 7 Zoological Garden

One can set off on an exciting journey through all of the world’s

continents by visiting the ZOO in Opole! On the way you will

encounter dignified giraffes, cute red pandas, agile cougars,

elegant zebras, likeable anteaters and numerous species of

monkeys and prosimians, such as lemurs and gorillas. The Zoo

also houses a water pen for Californian Sea lions and an

enclosure for exotic gorillas! The Opole ZOO is home to a total

of more than 1.5 thousand animals. One can really feel what it

is like to be in a tropical jungle or a wild forest. Visitors, the

youngest ones in particular, can also drop in to a mini zoo and

pet the animals.

Opole Market Square, Photo. Paweł Szpala


This wooden building suffered almost no damage during World

War II, and once housed a youth hostel, a cafe and a restaurant.

Currently, the main summer-season attraction is a musicplaying

fountain, where one can hear the greatest of Poland’s

hit songs, first sung and launched into stardom right here in

Opole. The fountain nozzles spout colourful and illuminated

water columns to the rhythm of the music.

STEP 10 Tenement house

The tenement house in Opole, which constitutes a part of the

Museum of Opole Silesia, is a unique spot on the tourist map of

Poland. Initially, it was a tenement house for the Opole

bourgeoisie. Today, after its renovation, one can admire the

solutions introduced by its architect, who designed a two-story

tenement house with an attic and six small, two-room

apartments with an area of approx. 35 m2 each (two flats per

each floor) on a narrow plot. Besides the furniture, kitchen

utensils and knick-knacks, visitors can see various methods of

heating rooms in times gone by - using masonry heaters and

cast-iron heaters - as well as the sanitary equipment commonly

used at the time. The attic of the tenement house has been

changed to a small exhibition place with laundering as the main

theme. The space exhibits the entire process of laundering,

drying and mangling, and recalls the accessories widely used by

housewives from the end of the 19th century up until the

1970s.

STEP 11 Opole Rural Museum

The open-air museum in Bierkowice tells the history of the

18th-20th century Opole village. The vast, wooded and green

area stocks completely renovated corrals with conventionally

arranged wooden huts that everyone can enter. In addition to

the houses, the museum exhibits historic, wooden public

buildings and structures, among others, a church, several

chapels, a village school, a tavern, as well as a forge and two

beautiful windmills. The Opole open-air museum is a place

where you can take a break from the hustle and bustle of the

city, almost all year round. It is particularly picturesque in the

spring, when the wooden structures are surrounded with lush

greenery.

Groszowy Bridge, photo: Paweł Uchorczak


Top photo: Opole Venice on the Młynówka Canal, photo: Paweł Szpala

Middle left: High Castle, photo: Przemysław Supernak | Middle right: Groszowy Bridge, phot: Jarosław Małkowski

Bottom left: Museum of the Opole Countryside, photo: Paweł Szpala | Bottom right: Giraffes at the Opole Zoo, photo: Jarosaław Małkowski


Tysiąclecia Amphitheater

National Center of Polish Song

photo: Sławomir Mielnik

Opole Market Square with a view

of the Opole Cathedral

photo: Paweł Uchorczak

Opole Venice on the Młynówka Canal

photo: Paweł Szpala

Polish Song Museum

Muzeum Polskiej Piosenki

ul. Piastowska 14A, 45-082 Opole

muzeum@muzeumpiosneki

wwww.muzeumpiosenki.pl

POLISH SONG MUSEUM

ul. Piastowska 14A

A 15 minute walk from the

Railway Station

(Go along ul. Krakowska right to

the Market Square, then turn

towards the Open Air Theatre)

A 5 minute walk from the Market

Square

(Ask for directions to the Open

Air Theatre)

OPENING HOURS

Monday: CLOSED

Tuesday–Sunday: 10:00 AM–6:00 PM

A tour begins every hour, on the

hour. Last admission: 5:00 PM

Photo: Mariusz Cieszewski / www.polska.pl

The loudest museum in Poland! The legendary Millennium Amphitheatre houses state-ofthe-art

equipment and multimedia. Its exhibitions paint a picture of Polish music from the

1920s onward. Fans of the famous Opole festivals can find information there on every

edition of the event, as well as many original props and costumes used by performers, with

an option to try them on in the virtual dressing room as well. Song recording booths are

also very popular with visitors, enabling them to record favourite songs and receive the

recordings by email as a souvenir. More knowledgable visitors can also try out the

recording studio.

The Polish Song Museum is also a cultural centre hosting meet-the-artist sessions,

concerts, museum lessons and classes for children.

Photo: Mariusz Cieszewski / www.polska.pl photo: Paweł Szpala

PERMANENT EXHIBITION

Multimedia. Modern. Surprising. An attractive and

friendly way to see the history of Polish song since the

1920s until now. It is intended for visitors at any age

and with various knowledge of history of Polish song.

You will find there:

– 580 video clips

– 1,500 musical publications

– 2,000 photos

– 2,000 audios

– two music walls with touch screens

– isles of tablets

– recording booths

– a closet with costumes worn by stars

– virtual mirrors for dressing-ups – kids’ room

– musical exhibits

– drawing Opole full of Venice collection on from the museums Młynówka Canal

– multimedia library.

source:www.muzeumpiosenki.pl


Cycling routes in Małopolska

Beskid Sądecki www.odkryjbeskid.pl

www.facebook.com/odkryjbeskid

Euro Velo 11. part 1

text compilation: Jarek Tarański

www.facebook.com/velomalopolska/

photos: Konrad Rogoziński

cyclists Patryca Furca and Łukasz Świętach

In recent years, many kilometers of new bicycle infrastructure has

been built in the picturesque Poprad Valley in Beskid Sądecki. Below,

you will find a recipe for how to combine it into a one-day, pleasant

trip along the rivers that, cutting through this valley, have shaped

the landscape. This journey is sure to enchant you from behind the

handlebars of your bikes.

We classify this trip somewhere in the middle of the easy to medium

scale, mainly due to two fairly short bike climbs and one more, up

the stairs at the PL/SK border in Muszyna. One-third of the course

of this 60-kilometer trip runs along a separate bicycle path and the

remaining part along quiet roads in general traffic. It is suggested to

ride on the GPX trail, as a few fragments of the path have not been

marked yet.

What will await us in the Poprad valley, apart from the brilliant views

of the Beskids? Mostly new or in a very good condition asphalt roads

led with a slight slope just over the river, several new pedestrian and

bicycle footbridges, numerous springs with free mineral water, and

lots of tourist attractions located on the Polish-Slovak border. Just

add to that the network of new or revitalized hiking and mountain

bike trails- it makes quite a nice destination for at least a weekend

on two wheels. But, let's start with the simplest one-day trip.

Krakow

Warszawa

Beskid Sądecki

Rzeszów

www.bit.ly/velomaps

www.odkryjbeskid.pl


Since it is not a loop but a linear route, the easiest option will

be to take the bike on the train from Stary Sącz to Krynica.

This way you will not only make an uphill ride "up the river",

but for approx. 1.5 hours you will enjoy the journey along one

of the most picturesque railway lines in Poland. From Krynica,

you will be riding slightly downhill most of the way, along the

course of the river, although, as you can see on the graph with

the elevations (and what you will feel in your legs), you will

have to pedal a little uphill anyway.

photo: Konrad Rogoziński, A new bicycle bridge over the Poprad River in Milik, connecting two countries - Poland and Slovakia.


After leaving the train, go to the end of the platform, which

leads to the recently created VeloKrynica/AquaVelo route,

meandering along the Kryniczanka stream as far as to

Muszyna. However, before you turn and start your trip, stop

for a moment at the famous promenade of Krynica with

mineral water pump rooms and cafes.

The bicycle route between Krynica and Muszyna creates

practically a model connection of these spa towns,

guaranteeing a quiet ride along the river, without almost any

car traffic. Therefore, this section is suitable even for a ride

with small children. I will not list all the attractions that you

can visit in this section or its close vicinity, but the minimum

the so-called Zapopradzie - full of attractions and gardens

along the entire Zdrojowa Avenue. You can either soak in here

for a few hours or ride slowly with a short rest in the new part

with recreational ponds and birds' aviaries. A slight climb will

be waiting just behind the gardens, since this part of the EV11

goes along a concrete slope through forests that grow on the

banks of the river valley. It will take us to the Polish-Slovak

border where we urge you to respect the signs placed there

and get off your bike (in both directions). This short 20-30

meters temporary section is to be made smoother soon. Get

ready for a short walk along the wooden steps. After carefully

completing this section, we can ride a new gravel road to

on photo: Patryca Furca

plan is to stop in Muszyna at the regional cyclists' rest area

(MOR). There, in addition to a repair station with the possibility

of wireless mobile charging, there is also a healing water intake

"Anna", where you can refill your water bottles for free. Some

good advice: be sure to use water bottles or bidons, as filling a

Camelback with highly mineralized water may result in the

inability to wash it later. It is not the only spring that you will

meet on the trail of the trip, after all, the Poprad Valley stands

out (or maybe flows?) with mineral waters. It will be possible

to refill water later in Milek. You need to veer off the route

slightly, to the next regional MOR or right next to the route, in

Sulina or Legnava. The water has a specific taste, but I really

recommend giving it a try.

In Muszyna, after crossing two bridges, the route enters

photo: Konrad Rogoziński

the edge of the forest (approximately 0.5 km). If someone

wants to make this trip using a roadster, this is the only place

that we recommend a detour, choosing a ride among cars on

the DW971 road between Muszyna and Milek. I honestly warn

those who travel with children or beginners, as here you will

probably have a 1.5 km walk due to the elevation gain and

surface. However, to all the others, I recommend cycling this

way. After leaving the forest, we will have the freshly laid

asphalt rustling under the wheels on a completely new section

of the trail, leading as far as the buildings of Legnava. A one

time, the ride here was only on dirt roads and plowed fields,

now it has become elegant, according to the standards of the

international EuroVelo trail. This way, we will get to one of the

new pedestrian and bicycle bridges built this year.


We cross the river and national borders along the Legnava-

Milik footbridge and discover new bicycle paths on the Polish

side. They lead to Andrzejówka, from where we can return to

Mały Lipnik using another footbridge. A small note hereremember

about the basic regulations for cyclists in Slovakia

(including a mandatory helmet outside built-up areas), because

in another approximately 15 km we will cycle around this

country. The EV11/VeloNatura route uses quiet public roads in

this section, with really minimal traffic, as this is the "end of

the world" for Slovaks and only residents and cyclists use

these roads. Some of the picturesque sections charted right

There is also another pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the

Poprad, which connects this area with the EuroVelo11

route.From here, we will ride along quiet roads to Rytro.

Currently, we recommend riding through Rytro using the

sidewalks along the national road DK87, but soon the work on

the construction of a bicycle route on the section running

through the forests surrounding the Rytro's outer bailey will

be completed (it is expected to be put into use in spring

2021). In Życzanów, we return to the right bank and the

picturesque local roads along the Poprad itself. Caution! From

this point, it is possible to take a detour on one of the most

A new bicycle bridge over the Poprad River in Milik, connecting two countries - Poland and Slovakia.

on the river banks have recently received fresh asphalt

(Zavodie-Medzibrodie), but some of them, unfortunately, fall

into the last freshness category (Mały Lipnik- vicinity of the

footbridge in Żegiestów, approximately 2.5 km). For this

reason, we recommend roadster riders with super-thin tires to

be careful there. If you do not like mineral water from these

roadside springs, I recommend hydrating yourself with Kofola

in a nice cafe in Mały Lipnik or the one in Mniszek on the

Poprad, right on the border of Slovakia and Poland. This is

where we return to the Polish side and follow the old border

road to the center of Piwniczna. In Piwniczna, in addition to

visiting the market square, we also recommend a tour around

the so-called recreational center on Nakło, which includes

bicycle paths, pump track paths, and a bicycle center.


demanding climbs in the vicinity of Wola Krogulecka, from the

top of which there is a brilliant panorama from the

observation deck. We recommend it, but be warned that it is a

really steep ascent. Longer, but milder if that's what you need

is the one from the side of Barcice. From this town to the

footbridge in Stary Sącz, the route returns mostly to bicycle

paths.

What do we have besides this riverside route?

The abovementioned trail is the easiest option to cross the

entire Poprad Valley. However, I definitely recommend coming

for a longer bicycle reconnaissance since the construction of

the main riverside route (which in the future will be certified

as part of the EuroVelo11 international route), also jumpstarted

the development of a whole range of additional routes


in the Beskid Sądecki. Just remember that we are in the

mountains and each side-jump from the river will result in a

return climb, rewarded later with beautiful views from the peaks

and the pass of Beskid Sądecki. For gravelers and those whose

tourist bikes have slightly wider tires, I recommend the Mineral

Water Trail, which connects probably the most mineral water

springs per kilometre in Poland as well as numerous monuments

of wooden architecture. It connects with the proposed route in

Podjastrzębik, Muszyna, Milik, and Żegiestów. In the latter, I

recommend visiting the renovated spa and jumping to the

Slovak side using the bicycle footbridge that was built here a

few years ago.

For those who prefer wider tires and challenges, I recommend

the renewed network of mountain biking trails in Krynica-Zdrój

and the first of several announced flow/single-track routes in

Słotwiny-Arena center, where in addition to the lift for bikes,

you will also find a magnificent lookout tower to visit during the

break between the rides. For enthusiasts of fast downhill riding,

I also recommend a new bicycle park on the sledge-slope in

Muszyna. If one gets bored with this constant downhill ride, I

recommend MTB classics in this area, such as a trip to Bacówka,

Wierchomla, and Kotylniczy Wierch loop, which can also be

extended by a ride through Runek to Krynica or through Hala

Łabowska towards Piwniczna, which you can reach cycling down

the Aquavelo trail.

Speaking of AquaVelo, its easiest sections were used in the

trip, so you will come across its characteristic green markings.

The remaining parts of this trail in Poland are much more

demanding in terms of general condition and required

equipment. For example, the road from Piwniczna to Obidza is

ranked 10th place in the category of Polish climbs, and the

descent to Jaworki itself is still very off-road. The same

applies to its sections near Piwniczna and Rytro, which are

dedicated to mountain bikers. In addition, there is also a part

of this trail on the Slovak side, along with a whole range of

other bicycle trails and a temporary route (currently marked

only along public roads) of the EuroVelo11 route to Prešov. As

you can see, there is a lot to choose from.

A newly concreted section of EuroVelo 11 near Życzanów

The EuroVelo 11 route in the Beskid Sądecki runs along the Polish and Slovak side with very attractive

scenic areas along the Poprad River.


Encouraged? I can also reveal to you that the Poprad Valley is

the most beautiful in autumn colours. I also invite you to the

FB profile VeloMałopolska, where the latest reports from the

Małopolska routes are published, so you will find out which of

the "under construction" sections mentioned in this text have

already changed their status to "ready". You can find a map

with the progress of work on this and other cycling routes in

Małopolska at www.bit.ly/velomaps. In additional layers, you

will also find there recommended cycling routes and trips, as

well as the location of rest areas and parking lots.




On the route, several bicycle service places have been

opened for the use of bicycle tourists, which allow for rest

and minor bicycle repairs.


www.odkryjbeskid.pl


The EuroVelo route near the town of Andrzejówka


www.odkryjbeskid.pl


EuroVelo 11 route on the Slovak side near the town of

Zavodie.


www.odkryjbeskid.pl


Palaces of Poland


Ł Ó D Ź . P O Z N A Ń S K I P A L A C E .

source: www.muzeum-lodz.pl/en/


History of the Palace

text source: www.muzeum-lodz.pl/en/

The Palace – the culmination of the 19th-century empire of

Izrael Poznański, called ‘the cotton king’, was built as part of an

enormous factory and residential compound, typical of the

industrial architecture of the 19th century. Factory, lavish

residence, houses for workers,

school, hospital, and even a church – in times of glory it all

resembled a true ‘state within state’. In less than half a century,

Izrael Kalmanowicz Poznański changed from a lowly merchant,

who contributed a manufactory worth merely 500 roubles into

his marriage with Leonia Hertz, into a powerful factory owner

with 11 million in his account.

In 1877, Poznański bought a multi-storey, brick-built house

together with detached buildings: a ground-floor dyeing mill,

wooden outbuildings, a square and a garden at the intersection

of Ogrodowa and Stodolniana (today Zachodnia) Streets. The

compound was then extended and the palace itself was

modernised during three main renovations.

Despite the common opinion, it did not originate as a residential

building: its main intended use was its representative and

commercial function with a residential part, designed by the

contemporary city architect, Hilary Majewski, based on models

of the French Neo-Renaissance. The residence was surrounded

by a huge garden, with the total surface area of 4,255 m²,

which expanded from Ogrodowa Street to Drewnowska Street,

all the way up to the bed of the Łódka River. The part situated

in the closest vicinity of the palace was a strolling garden, the

farther one was functional: a vegetable garden with

greenhouses, conservatory, shooting range and pond.

Interestingly enough, until today we can admire in that garden

the greenery that remembers the family strolls of the

Poznańskis. The enormous diversity of the plants that grow

here – nearly 60 species of trees, shrubs and vines that appear

here – is a characteristic feature of the palace garden. Among

them, there is the yellow-leafed ‘Worley’ sycamore and an

absolute rarity in the form of two unique strains of maple.

Their peculiarity is testified by the fact that they do not have

Polish names and they cannot be found in Polish dendrology

companions. According to Professor Romuald Olaczek, they are

true botanical phenomena, freaks of nature of a kind,

differentiated from the typical representatives of their species

by the shape of their leaves.

The current form of the garden diverges considerably from the

original design, however, the following elements have remained

here up to the present day: part of the old tree stand,

architecture of the current drive, rotunda, and stairs leading

into alleys. Also the gas lanterns in the form of statues of

guardians holding torches have survived up till today.

The palace earned its current form as a result of a few

modifications introduced along with the changing financial

status of the Poznański family. The first redevelopment took

place in 1898, according to the design of Juliusz Jung and

Dawid Rosenthal. The decision about the next redevelopment

was taken in 1901, already after Izrael Poznański’s death (he

died in 1900, at the age of 67). The enterprise of extending and

decorating the interiors of the palace fell to his sons: Ignacy,

Maurycy, Karol and Herman. On their recommendation, the

project of extension that imparted its Neo-Baroque form to the

palace, was designed by Adolf Zelingson, Maurycy Poznański’s

schoolmate. The architectural supervision over the works was

exercised by Franciszek Chełmiński. The works were completed

in 1903. It was when the residence earned an architectural

form similar to the present one. The residence was supposed to

highlight the status and the financial possibilities of the

Poznański family. The building is dominated by domes, which

hide a representative Neo-Baroque dining room and a ball room.

The sculptures that crown the frieze of the facade are inspired

by the iconology of the Italian renaissance humanist Cesare

Ripa, who described the most important symbols of the era in

his book. The designers drew inspiration also from similar

residences of the financial bourgeoisie of western Europe.


The thirty-six two-metre figures on the roof of the palace

symbolise the power of the contemporary industry, trade,

wisdom, and success; in their hands, they are holding

attributes of hard work: cogwheels, bales of fabric, chains,

hammers, etc. Among them, we can find workers, spinners,

Hermes – the god of trade, protector of merchants, and

Athena – the goddess of wisdom and art, adept at weaving. In

the main body, which performed a representative function, on

the first floor, apart from the Large Dining Room and the

room on the first floor, there are numerous lounges, and on

the ground floor, in a pavilion directly connected with the

palace, there were office and stock-exchange rooms.

Downstairs the side wing, there were warehouses where ready

products were stored and on the first floor, residential

apartments, guest rooms as well as a winter garden covered

with glass domes. World War I and its economic consequences,

especially the closure of commercial outlets, as well as the

wrong policy of the company’s management and the

authorities of the reborn Polish State interrupted the period

of successes of the Poznański Family. Although it formally still

remained the property of Cotton Products Joint-Stock Society

of I. K. Poznański, the palace had new users and the family

was no longer interested in maintaining it.

In September 1939, the Palace was requisitioned by the German

Civil Administration: on 10 April 1940, the supreme authorities

and the main departments of the District of Łódź

(Regierungsbezirk Litzmannstadt) were transferred to the

building.

After the war, the Palace became the seat of the Voivodeship

Office once again, and in 1950 – the seat of the Praesidium of

the Voivodeship National Council. After the war, in late 1940s,

the side wing of the palace was expanded. At the end of the

1950s, a transversal wing, where today the Tax Office has its

seat, was built on. The newly erected part caused the original

surface area of the strolling garden to shrink.

Since 1975, part of the residence of the Poznański Family has

been the seat of the Museum of the City of Łódź (up to 2009

known as the Museum of the History of the City of Łódź). Since

the very beginning of its existence the institution has been

rebuilding, renovating, renewing and preserving the residence,

out of concern to re-establish the building to its former glory.

As a result of preservation works and taking over subsequent

historic rooms of the Palace, the rooms largely regained their

original appearance.

Since 2017, Izrael Poznański’s Palace has been undergoing a

thorough preservation renovation.


Since the times of the World War I, the residence was rebuilt multiple times and it often changed owners. In January 1927, the Voivode of Łódź, Władysław Jaszczołt,

obtained ministerial approval for transferring the Voivodeship Office from its previous seat in the former ‘Bristol’ Hotel at 11 Zawadzka Street (currently, Próchnika

Street). In the 1930s, the winter garden was eliminated and some of the interiors were rebuilt.




art &

collection

The basic aim of the activity of the Museum of the City of Łódź, which stems both from the Act on

Museums and the Museum bylaw, is to collect, protect, make available and present goods that form

part of our natural and cultural heritage, both material and immaterial in

character, especially those connected with different stages of development and history of the City

of Łódź. Since its establishment on 30 October 1975 as the Museum of the History of Łódź, the

institution has been working towards that aim with consistency and with enormous enthusiasm. In

case of the Museum of the City of Łódź, the collection has been built from scratch, the Museum did

not take over (as it has happened in case of other local museums) collections of other institutions.

Since the time of its establishment, the Museum has been gathering objects, which both present

and document the city life and constitute products of the cultural and artistic milieu of Łódź.


Currently, the collection of the Museum of the City of Łódź includes over 62 thousand

exhibits and the number is growing successively. The collected objects, inscribed in the

museum inventory, are classified in a number of categories: iconographic, numismatic,

ethnographic, and archeologic collections as well as collections of art industry, painting,

sculpture, architecture and urban planning, music, literature, and separate collections

related to the history of the City, both the oldest as well as the current one. The Museum

of Sports and Tourism – Branch of the Museum of the City of Łódź has been gathering a

rich collection connected to the history of sport in Łódź.

In case of the Museum of the City of Łódź, an important criterion that influences the

acceptance of objects to the museum collection is the relation of a given object to our City,

its history, people who lived in Łódź, both the ‘ordinary’ citizens of Łódź, who did not stand

out among thousands of other citizens with their everyday life and work, as well as the

distinguished ones, who contributed to rendering Łódź famous, also on the international

arena, with their life, work and creative output. A very important part of the Museum’s

collection is formed by works and mementos of creators that either came from Łódź or

were active here, both those that lived in late 19th century and the contemporary ones.


In the Museum’s repertory there are also furniture sets, lamps and chandeliers, objects that

constituted elements of interior furnishings, including numerous charming products of the

art industry. The Museum owns interesting collections of paintings, posters and engravings

as well as sculptures. The Museum’s inventory includes multiple photographs that present

Łódź: the city’s architecture and its citizens, important events: cultural, social and political

ones. The Museum owns an interesting collection of 19th-century portrait photographs,

numerous tableaux, a collection of postcards and advertising vignettes. The historical

collection that documents the history of Łódź is very extensive and it includes documents,

ephemera, correspondence, posters, bills of exchange and old coins, numerous decorations

and medals. An important place in the collection of the Museum of the City of Łódź,

depicting the life of the citizens of old, is taken also by objects connected with the religious

life. Łódź at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries was a multicultural and

multidenominational city and that is why in the repertory of the Museum there are Judaica

as well as objects connected with the catholic, evangelical and Orthodox traditions. The

Museum of the City of Łódź has its seat in the most stately palace among all the palaces

that formerly belonged to the factory owners of Łódź: the Palace of Izrael Poznański. This

representative dwelling, which was extended in several stages, is one of the most precious

monuments of the historical heritage of Łódź; together with the surrounding factory and

housing compound it is an example of the industrial Łódź of late 19th and early 20th

century. Over the years, the Museum has put a lot of effort into restoring the former

glamour and splendour to the Palace and its interiors.

The carefully renovated palace interiors, equipped with

furniture, works of art and objects of everyday use

from the Museum’s collection, constitute a testimony

of the times of glory of the industrial empire of the

Poznański Family and bring us closer to the times and

way of life of typical Lodzermenschen. In the vast

spaces of the palace, exhibitions that form part of the

Pantheon of Great Citizens of Łódź were also

arranged. Among them there are studies of: Marek

Edelman, Alexandre Tansman, Julian Tuwim, Jan Karski

and Karl Dedecius. In the Museum there functions

Arthur Rubinstein’s Music Gallery, which is an

exposition where important and interesting objects

connected with Arthur Rubinstein, donated to the

Museum after the outstanding pianist’s death, were

made available to the public. In the studies of the

Great Citizens of Łódź we present objects of everyday

use, but also the ones related to the work they

performed, which formerly belonged to famous

citizens of Łódź, as well as numerous awards and

valuable decorations. In the collection of the Museum

of the City of Łódź connected with the Great Citizens

of Łódź there are, among other things, interesting

iconographic objects, posters, very first editions of

famous works, and letters. It is in the Museum of the

City of Łódź, in the Pantheon of Great Citizens of

Łódź, where you can admire, among other things, the

only Oscar statue in Łódź, which was awarded to

Arthur Rubinstein by the American Motion Picture

Academy, Julian Tuwim’s pen or the desk at which Karl

Dedecius worked.The Museum of Sports and Tourism,

Branch of the Museum of the City of Łódź, owns rich

collections as well, which comprise over 26 thousand

objects: awards and statues, old coins, archival

materials, iconographies and sports equipment

connected with the sport of Łódź, especially with

sportspeople who over the years have put a lot of

effort into its development. The collection includes

valuable relics of Maria Kwaśniewska, a citizen of Łódź

and the bronze medallist in javelin throw from the

Olympics in Berlin in 1936, mostly connected with Łódź

Sports Club, or of Jadwiga Wajs, an athlete born in

Pabianice near Łódź, the winner of the bronze medal in

discus throw from the Olympics in Los Angeles in 1932

and the silver medal from the Olympics in Berlin in

1936. For many years, the sport of Łódź has been also

associated with excellent track cyclists, including the

multigenerational Bek family, who for almost half a

century created the tradition of track cycling in the

city of textile workers. The Museum of Sports owns a

collection of awards and diplomas as well as a precious

bike intended precisely for the aforementioned

discipline of sport.

The Poznański Family Palace is a priceless monument

and an important spot on the cultural map of the city,

in which a rich programme of diverse educational and

artistic events is implemented. The Museum also

invites you to visit cyclically organised temporary

exhibitions.


PHOTO GALLERY

E A S T E R S T O R I E S

K A M I L A R O S I Ń S K A

www.facebook.com/ArtRosinska

www.kamilarosinska.com


- EASTER STORIES BY KAMILA ROSIŃSKA -

TRANSLATION: LIBRES, CONSULTATION: AMBER ACOSTA

"FOUNDLING"

All of this happened in a tiny village, right on the edge of a

large oak forest. The snow melted a long time ago and the

area was wrapped in the first warm sun rays. That day, a

spring breeze chased the clouds happily across the sky.

Little Hela jumped merrily out of her tiny crib. It will be a good day, the girl

thought. Hela looked forward to spring because she knew it was the time of

the birth of all Mother Nature's gifts.

Work in the girl's household was not the easiest one. The family was poor,

but together they made ends meet. Helenka's father, Paweł, was often away

from home and Hela and her five siblings were looked after by their ailing

mother, Józefa . She was a good woman, caring, protective, and loved her

children very much.

Easter holidays were coming. That day, Józefa sent little Hela to the

henhouse for eggs.

“Helenka, bring the most beautiful eggs you can find from the henhouse! It's

time to paint the eggs for the Easter basket,” she said to her daughter.

Hela eagerly put on her shoes, threw on her red coat, and ran to the

henhouse. In the henhouse there was a great commotion, tumult, and a huge

fuss. The old Rooster ruffled his plume and suddenly squeaked with all his

might so that the feather from his tail fell out.

“Cock-a-doodle-doo! Quiet in this henhouse!” he crowed to his flock.

The hens fell silent, sat on their roosts, and stared with interest at the

rooster.

“I found an egg in our henhouse that is not ours! We have to get rid of it, as

the egg brings shame to the whole coop,” the Rooster said, “It is large and

misshapen. It is blue and it cannot stay here any longer! It must immediately

be rolled out from the henhouse into the yard. Let the Falcon deal with it,”

the Rooster continued.

When Hela heard this, she ran into the henhouse, saying, “Rooster, leave that

egg, I'll take care of it! No one deserves to be given as a dish to the Falcon!”

The rooster thought for a moment and together with the hens, decided to

give the egg to little Hela. The girl returned happily home with the egg.

“What have you brought us here, Helenka ?! Where are the rest of the eggs?

And why is this egg so big?” Mother asked in surprise.

“I found this egg in the henhouse and I could not let the hens throw it out of

their perches. None of them wanted to sit the egg out and it will not be able

to do it on its own. Please mother, let's help it warm up, without us it will

die!” Hela pleaded in a sad voice.

The mother had a soft spot for the girl, who was her youngest child and she

agreed and let Hela hide the egg under the covers. It was already an evening

and the whole family gathered to sit down to dinner when suddenly they

heard some knocking.

Knock, knock, knock, knock

“Now who on earth is that?”, exclaimed the surprised host and checked if

there was anyone at the door of the cottage. There was no one there but

they could hear the knocking again.

Knock, knock, knock, knock

“Who is making fun of us?” the host said in a loud, irritated voice, rising

to the door again. But this time, still, there was no one behind the door.

It was a special night- so much so that it might have seemed to be magic.

The moon lined the sky with stars above Helenka's hut. One of them

shone so brightly that the light got through the window in the corner of

the room straight, onto the egg which was lying under the quilt. The egg

began to move, twitching and swinging until it hit the wooden floor and

broke.

Frightened, Helenka jumped out of her bed and, tiptoeing, she

approached the eggshells so as not to wake anyone up. To her greatest

surprise, she saw a long brown beak, wrapped in unevenly spaced grey

feathers, emerging from the center of the egg. The beaded, sparkling

eyes watched Helenka.

“Who are you?” the amazed girl asked, but received no answer.

“Are you a hen?” She repeated the question, but also this time, the

creature only glanced at Helen in surprise.

The dawn was already creeping outside the window and the first

nightingales began to give concerts when mother entered the room.

When she saw Helenka sleeping on the floor, huddled in the feathered

guest, she quickly guessed that it was not an ordinary egg. It was the egg

that must have fallen out of its nest on an old willow tree growing right

behind the henhouse which belonged to a stork family.

“Wake up, Helenka! It's time to get up and escort our guest to his family.

They are definitely looking for him and miss him very much.”

Helenka was sad that she would have to give up her new friend, but she

knew she had to. She placed the nestling in a wicker basket and they

went together with her mother to the old willow tree to check whether

mom was right.

Storks flew nervously over the nest and you could see them looking for

something on the ground. What joy they had when they saw that their

little fluffy son was sitting in little Helenka's basket! The embarrassed

Rooster watched everything from the henhouse. He understood that

being different is not always something wrong and that it is always

worth giving others a chance and a helping hand.

Hela cuddled up in the arms of her smiling mother and, although the tear

from her eye slowly fell down her cheek, she was happy. She felt that

just as the sun melts the ice, compassion and kindness reward the

sadness of parting. The girl understood that when you help, it doesn't

matter how much you possess, but how much you give to others and how

you share it. The Easter eggs? Well, probably next time mother will go to

collect the eggs in the henhouse herself.


PHOTO GALLERY







TRANSLATION: LIBRES, CONSULTATION: AMBER ACOSTA

"THE BRAVE BUNNY"

Easter was coming. Like every year, the old wicker basket

was getting ready to be decorated. Green blueberries

neatly bent their twigs, entwining its wicker handle.

The colourful Easter eggs were looking forward to being placed

comfortably, side by side, on a beautifully embroidered tray

cloth. Horseradish was cleaning its fair coat, while salt and

pepper were practicing flips by rolling in the salt shaker. The

stiff heel of bread wondered whether to sit on the right or left

of the sugar lamb this year. The chick was skating on a piece of

smoked bacon, squeaking so joyfully that the willow catkins grew

angry with envy.

“Are you all ready?”, the big iced Easter pound cake asked.

“Yes, we are,” the painted Easter egg replied.

“And where is the sugar lamb?” the horseradish asked.

“I'm here,” the lamb moaned softly.

“Lamb, it's time for us, soon our hostess will come to take us to

the food blessing. Don't dawdle, come down immediately!” the

shortcrust tart Mazurek said.

“I can't jump down! It is so high and my old hooves refuse to

obey,” the lamb answered sadly.

The poor fellow was standing on the dresser right next to the

table, his tiny sugar hooves weren't as fit as they used to be and

there were a few missing icing decorations on them, which

certainly made it difficult for him to jump.

“We have to help him, he can't do it without us! Who is

volunteering?!” the Horseradish said firmly.

“We, we, we are!” the inhabitants of the Easter basket shouted

eagerly.

“Make room!”the chocolate bunny instructed everyone, grabbing

the two longest willow twigs in its front paws.

“Lamb, stand back, I'll get to you right away,” the bunny

announced, preparing to jump.

The eggs reddened with sensation, the chick with horseradish

clutched its hands tightly, and the salt and pepper hid at the

bottom of the salt shaker, terrified.

Suddenly, everyone could hear,“Hopscotch!”

“This is it! He did it!” the Easter eggs squealed, overjoyed.

The proud bunny hugged the scared sugar lamb and promised to join

his friends in a moment. Then, the bunny made a slide from willow

branches that led straight to an old wicker basket.

He grabbed the frightened lamb by the sides and a moment later

they both found themselves in an old wicker basket, landing softly on

the heel of the bread.

“What an adventure!” the sugar lamb said, flushed, “Thank you, guys!

You are true friends.”

On that day, the lamb realized that the greatest happiness is to have

true friends because a real friend will help you, even if you do not ask

for it.


PHOTO GALLERY







- Polish Version -

"ZNAJDA"

Działo się to w maleńkiej wiosce tuż na skraju wielkiego

dębowego lasu. Śnieg już dawno stopniał i pierwsze ciepłe

promienie słońca otuliły okolicę. Tego dnia wiosenny

wietrzyk radośnie gonił chmurki po niebie.

Mała Hela wyskoczyła wesoło ze swojego maleńkiego łóżeczka.

–To będzie udany dzień – pomyślała dziewczynka.

Hela z wytęsknieniem wyczekiwała wiosny, ponieważ wiedziała, że jest

to czas narodzenia wszystkich darów matki natury.

W gospodarstwie dziewczynki praca, nie należała do najłatwiejszych.

Rodzina była biedna, ale wspólnymi siłami wiązali koniec z końcem.

Ojciec Helenki – Paweł, często przebywał poza domem, a Helą i jej

pięciorgiem rodzeństwa zajmowała się schorowana matka. Dobra z niej

była kobieta, troskliwa i opiekuńcza, bardzo kochała swoje dzieci.

Zbliżały się święta Wielkiej nocy. Tego dnia Józefa wysłała małą Helę

po jaja do kurnika.

– Helenko, przynieś z kurnika najładniejsze jajka, jakie zdołasz wybrać,

czas malować jaja do święconki – powiedziała do córki.

Hela ochoczo założyła trzewiczki, ubrała czerwony płaszczyk i

pobiegła do kurnika.

W kurniku wielkie poruszenie, rwetes i wrzawa. Stary Kogut nastroszył

pióropusz i jak nie piśnie z całych sił, aż mu pióro z ogona wypadło.

– Kukuryku, spokój w tym kurniku – zapiał do swojej gromady.

Kury przycichły, usiadły na grzędach i z zainteresowaniem wpatrywały

się w Koguta.

– W naszym kurniku, znalazłem nie nasze jajo i musimy się go pozbyć,

jajo przynosi wstyd całemu kurnikowi – powiedział Kogut.

– Jest wielkie i niekształtne, sine i nie może dłużej tu zostać,

natychmiast trzeba je wyturlać z kurnika na podwórze, niech Sokół się

z nim rozprawi – kontynuował Kogut.

Usłyszawszy to Hela, wbiegła do kurnika mówiąc.

– Kogucie, zostaw to jajo, ja się nim zaopiekuję, nikt nie zasłużył by go

Sokołowi na pożarcie dawać.

Kogut pomyślał chwilę i wraz z kurami wydał jajo małej Heli.

Uradowana dziewczynka wróciła z jajem do domu.

– A cóż tam przyniosłaś Helenko?! Gdzie reszta jajek i dlaczego to Jajo

jest takie duże? –zapytała zdziwiona mama.

– Znalazłam to jajo w kurniku i nie mogłam pozwolić by kury wyrzuciły

je ze swoich grzędę, żadna z nich nie chciała jaja wysiedzieć a przecież

samo sobie nie poradzi, proszę mamo pomóżmy mu się ogrzać, bez nas

ono zginie – smutnym głosikiem prosiła Hela, a że matka miała słabość

do dziecka, bo najmłodsza z dzieci była dziewczynką, zgodziła się i

pozwoliła Heli jajo pod kołdrę schować.

Nastał wieczór i cała rodzina zasiadała już do kolacji kiedy nagle

rozległo sie stukanie:

Stuk, stuk, stuk, puk…

– A kogo tam diabli niosą? – zdziwił się gospodarz i sprawdził czy kogo

przed drzwiami chaty nie ma. Ale nikogo nie było, lecz znów zdało się

słyszeć:

Stuk, stuk, puk,puk…

– Któż to żartować sobie z nas raczy – głośnym, podenerwowanym

głosem powiedział gospodarz ponownie wstając do drzwi.

Ale za drzwiami i tym razem nikogo nie było.

Noc to była wyjątkowa, zdawać by się mogło, że magiczna. Księżyc

wyścielił gwiazdami niebo, nad chatą Helenki, jedna z nich tak jasno

świeciła, że przez okienko w rogu pokoiku światło wpadła prosto na

znajdujące się pod puchową pierzynką jajo.

Ale co to? Jajo zaczęło się ruszać, wiercić się i bujać aż spadło na

drewnianą podłogę i pękło.

Wystraszona Helenka wyskoczyła ze swojego łóżeczka i cichutko na

paluszka by nie zbudzić nikogo zbliżyła się do skorupek. Jakież

ogromne było jej zdziwienie, gdy z środka jaja wyłonił się długi

brunatny dziób otulony szarymi nierówno rozmieszczonymi piórkami.

Błyszczące jak paciorki oczka przyglądały się Helence.

– Ktoś TY? – Zapytała zdziwiona dziewczynka, ale nie otrzymała

odpowiedzi.

– Czy jesteś kurą? – Ponowiła pytanie, ale i tym razem zdziwiony ktoś

tylko przyglądał się Helence.

Świt już skradał się za oknem i pierwsze słowiki zaczynały

koncertować, gdy do izby weszła mama, gdy zobaczyła śpiącą na

podłodze wtuloną w pierzastego gościa Hele, szybko się domyśliła, że

to nie było zwyczajne jajo, a jajo które musiało wypaść z gniazda na

starej wierzbie rosnącej tuz za kurnikiem i należało do bocianej rodziny.

– Obudź się Helenko, czas wstawać i odprowadzić naszego gościa do

swojej rodziny, na pewno już go szukają i bardzo za nim tęsknią.

Helenka była smutna, że będzie musiała oddać swojego nowego

przyjaciela ale wiedziała, że tak trzeba. W wiklinowy koszu usadowiła

ptaszynę i wspólnie z mamą udały się pod starą wierzbę, sprawdzić czy

mama miała rację.

Bociany nerwowo latały nad gniazdem i można było zauważyć jak

wypatrują czegoś na ziemi. Jakaż była ich radość, gdy zobaczyły, że w

koszu małej Helenki siedzi ich malutki puchaty synek. Wszystko z

kurnika obserwował zawstydzony Kogut, który zrozumiał, że nie

zawsze inność jest czymś złym i że warto dać komuś szanse i

pomagać.

Hela wtuliła się w ramiona uśmiechniętej mamy i mimo, że łezka w jej

oku powolutku spływała na policzek, to była szczęśliwa, bo tak jak

słońce topi lód, tak dobro i pomoc drugiemu wynagrodzi smutek

rozstania. Dziewczynka zrozumiała, że gdy pomagasz, nie liczy się to

ile posiadasz, ale ile dajesz i jak się tym dzielisz. A pisanki… no cóż

chyba tym razem mama już sama pójdzie pozbierać jajka w kurniku.


- Polish Version -

"DZIELNY ZAJĄC"

Zbliżały się Święta Wielkanocy. Wiklinowy, stary koszyk jak

co roku, szykował się do strojenia. Zielone borówki,

zgrabnie wyginały swoje gałązki, oplatając jego wiklinową

rączkę.

Kolorowe pisanki już nie mogły się doczekać, kiedy wygodnie usadowią

się, jedna przy drugiej, na pięknej haftowanej serwecie.

Chrzan radośnie czyścił swój jasny kubraczek, a sól z pieprzem ćwiczyli

koziołki, turlając się w solniczce. Sztywna piętka od chleba zastanawiała

się, czy w tym roku usiąść z prawej, czy lewej strony baranka

cukrowego?! Kurczątko ślizgało się jak na łyżwach po kawałku

wędzonego boczku, przy tym, tak radośnie popiskiwało, że wierzbowe

bazie nastroszyły się z zazdrości.

– Czy wszyscy gotowi? Zapytała wielka lukrowa baba wielkanocna.

– Jesteśmy wszyscy – odpowiedziała malowana pisanka.

– A gdzie jest baranek cukrowy – zapytał chrzan.

– Jestem tutaj – zabeczał cichutko baranek.

– Baranku, czas na nas, niebawem przyjdzie po nas gospodyni i zabierze

nas do święcenia. Szkoda czasu, schodź natychmiast! – powiedział

mazurek.

– Kiedy ja nie mogę zeskoczyć. Jest tak wysoko, a moje stare kopytka

odmawiają posłuszeństwa – powiedział smutnym głosem baranek.

Biedaczysko stał na komodzie tuż obok stołu, jego malutkie cukrowe

kopytka nie były już tak sprawne jak kiedyś, widać było przy nich kilka

brakujących lukrowych zdobień, co z całą pewnością utrudniało mu

podskoki.

– Musimy mu pomóc, bez nas sobie nie poradzi. Kto na ochotnika?! –

stwierdził stanowczo chrzan.

– My, my, my – przekrzykiwali się mieszkańcy wielkanocnego koszyczka.

– Zróbcie miejsce - powiedział czekoladowy zając, chwytając w

przednie łapki, dwie najdłuższe wierzbowe gałązki.

– Baranku, odsuń się, zaraz u Ciebie będę – zawołał zając,

przygotowując się do skoku.

Pisanki, aż poczerwieniały z wrażenia, kurczątko z chrzanem trzymali

się kurczowo za rączki, a sól z pieprzem schowały się ze strachu na

samo dno solniczki.

Nagle zdało się słyszeć:

– Hooooop, siuuuup!

– Udało się! – piszczały rozradowane Pisanki.

Dumny zając, przytulił wystraszonego cukrowego baranka i obiecał, że

już za chwilkę dołączy do przyjaciół. Z gałązek wierzbowych zajączek

zrobił zjeżdżalnię, która prowadziła prosto do wiklinowego starego

koszyka.

Chwycił zlęknionego baranka pod boczki i chwilkę później znaleźli się

obaj w starym wiklinowym koszu, lądując miękko na piętce od chleba.

– Ależ to była przygoda – powiedział zarumieniony baranek cukrowy.

Dziękuję Wam. Jesteście prawdziwymi przyjaciółmi.

Tego dnia baranek zrozumiał, że największym szczęściem, jakie może

nas spotkać to posiadanie prawdziwych przyjaciół, bo przyjaciel

pomoże Ci, nawet jeśli o tę pomoc nie prosisz.


PHOTO GALLERY





PHOTO GALLERY






PHOTO GALLERY





PHOTO GALLERY








TLP: To begin with, I would like to ask about a few more general

points: When did your adventure with creating scratched Easter

eggs start? I guess it is not your profession, but rather a passion

that developed gradually? Or maybe it has already become your

real profession?

LK: The origins date back to my childhood when I scratched a

painted egg with a needle for the first time. I have been making

Easter eggs every year since then. At first, the patterns were

not impressive, lopsided, a lot of eggs cracked. With time,

however, I developed a technique that for decades has allowed

me to create very intricate patterns. Since I scratched the eggs

with a broken needle from the sewing machine, the process of

decorating them took a very long time. Sometimes I spent a few

days on one Easter egg, depending on my free time. Hence, the

production was only for my family and friends. Some time ago,

with access to various tools, I started scratching and cutting

patterns using a mini grinder or even a dental machine. Then, the

process of their creation greatly accelerated so I started to

share my works with a wider audience at fairs or on the Internet.

It is still a seasonal passion that begins a few months before

Easter.

TLP: Your works are not typical for the subject, are they? The

most common form of decorating eggs in Poland is painting

them - while you "scratch the patterns on them". It is probably

not the easiest art material? I have seen somewhere the

statement that "the eggshell is as delicate as human life"... What

is the 'base' of your works? Are there only chicken eggs or also

exotic specimens?

LK: I started with boiled chicken eggs painted with onion

peelings or other "home" dyes. The shell of a hen's egg is

delicate and at the very end of the work, after a few hours of

scratching, it sometimes happened that I accidentally damaged

the egg. Of course, you could always eat I regretted the time

spent and the created patterns. In the 90s I tried an ostrich egg

due to the establishment of an ostrich farm in a neighbouring

town. Unfortunately, the egg is terribly difficult to scratch but I

figured out it could be "sculpted" with a grinder and dental burs.

Currently, I do not only scratch painted eggs, but I also create

openwork beauties from quail, goose and ostrich eggs - less

often using hens' due to their "fragility". An interesting fact is

the durability of chicken eggs. I have eggs at home that are over

20 years old; inside you can hear the dried yolk bumping against

the walls, but the egg does not smell bad.

TLP: Can you say that some decorative themes dominate your

works? What does the process of choosing a pattern look like?

Are there any traditional elements, including cultural ones, or is it

a more or less random decorative element? Do you have any

inspirations that you like to use the most?

"On scratching eggs",

i.e. one of the arts of

creating Easter

masterpieces - an

interview with Leszek

Kłysewicz.

LK: In all these years of scratching, I haven't scratched

two identical eggs. The patterns are the product of my

imagination, telling me what to create when I take an egg

in my hands. It is a bit different with an ostrich egg,

which due to its size requires a pencil sketch or at least

some outline of symmetrical division of an egg.

Sometimes I use the inspiration of other artists, but

these are never complete copies, but only an inspiration

with some design elements. I can say with full

responsibility that the designs I create are somehow my

trademark and are unique.

TLP: Is this technique of creating Easter eggs typical of

the Eastern Roztocze region, or is it one of the elements

of egg decoration more widely present in Poland and

maybe in the world?

LK: I cannot say here about any regionalization of my

patterns or even the technique. I was born and grew up

in Słupsk, I moved to the Eastern Roztocze, to Horyniec-

Zdrój, only at the beginning of the 1980s, when my

craftsman's skills were already well developed. My

patterns are rather universal or even unique. I remember

the patterns scratched on coloured eggs from my youth,

partly taken from folk patterns that I transferred to

Easter eggs. Openwork products are more universal and

do not always refer to folk roots. I also often make basreliefs

on thick ostrich eggs.

photos: Krystian Kłysewicz


I also use eggs to create caskets or even bedside lamps. All

thanks to the use of more advanced "drilling" techniques. I

return with sentiment to classic eggs scratched with a needle.

Unfortunately, due to my age, nowadays I choose simpler

methods of making Easter eggs.

TLP: Horyniec-Zdrój, where you live, and more broadly, the

Eastern Roztocze was once a multicultural area. I am thinking

mainly of the coexistence of the spirituality of the Eastern

Church and the so-called Western (Catholic). Do various

customs that interact and interpenetrate continue to exist in

these areas? I am asking, of course, mainly in the context of

Easter, including the context of decorative traditions?

LK: Unfortunately, history treated the Eastern Roztocze quite

brutally. From a place where multiculturalism was a specific

asset of the area, during the war turmoil and the post-war

times, difficult for the region, it changed to a place where this

multiculturalism disappeared, became a taboo subject, was

forcibly forgotten, and returns only in the form of historical

studies, as even most of its witnesses have already died. Have

mixed cultures influenced the way Easter is celebrated in this

region? Certainly, my childhood memories of Easter from

Słupsk are entirely different. It was here that I first met, for

example, a sour rye soup. Unfortunately, only specialists in

cultural studies can comment on this subject precisely because

the mix of elements makes it difficult to indicate which culture

they come from. Generally, globalization makes the regional

differences in Poland less and less visible. Certainly, some

traditions have been forgotten, and some have become

assimilated as generally Polish by erasing the memory of

difficult periods and the uncomfortable history of the region.

LTP: Is it possible to see or buy your works anywhere?

LK: I present my works on my Facebook profile: "Drapacz Jaj -

Leszek Kłysewicz", where you can see the products and

contact me regarding the purchase of a ready pattern or

ordering something specific. People visiting Horyniec-Zdrój can

also visit me and watch my products live.

photos: Krystian Kłysewicz & Marcin Kłysewicz

art &

designs

photos: Krystian Kłysewicz & Marcin Kłysewicz

VISIT

Drapacz Jaj - Leszek Kłysewicz rękodzieło

www.facebook.com/drapaczajaj


A R C H I V E S

K R A K Ó W - R Ę K A W K A &

E M A U S

Title: Rękawka - church of st.

Benedict, Lasota Hill

Author/Supplier:

Henryk Hermanowicz

Creation Time: 50/60'S. XX c.

Creation Place: Kraków

Material:

Photographic film, Black and

white photography,

Dimensions: 3,6 x 2,4 cm

Note/Description:

Rękawka - Indulgence

celebrated in Krzemionki on

Tuesday after Easter

W W W . C T . M H K . P L


Rekawka is a folk festival celebrated on the first Tuesday after Easter Sunday in Krakow, on the Krak

Mound (also known as Krakus Mound). It is an ancient tumulus, not far from one of the oldest churches in

Krakow – St. Benedict’s church.

Rekawka’'s beginnings go back to the ancient Slavic springtime

celebrations, called Dziady. For ancient Slavs, spring was a time

of burning sacred fires to celebrate the dead, and of planting

sacred groves. They also had the custom of leaving food for

the dead. The Krak Mound might have been one of such places

where they held their celebrations.

These ancient Slavic traditions evolved over time, and customs

changed. In the 19th century, it was customary for rich citizens

of Krakow to throw coins, apples, sweets and boiled eggs down

the grassy slope of the Krak Mound to be picked up by poor

local people. Some historians see it as a continuation of the

Slavic traditions of leaving food for the dead.

Nowadays, Rekawka has a popular, folk character. If the

weather is warm and sunny, it can be an occasion for a

pleasant family outing. There are stalls selling sweets and toys,

merry-go-rounds, and street musicians. More recently, the

festival has been featuring medieval knights fighting each

other in mock duels and medieval craftsmen at work. There is

also an opportunity to taste traditional dishes such as kołacze.

PHOTOS:

Emaus - stalls, Author/Supplier: Henryk Hermanowicz, Creation Time: 70's XX c

the past

About Rękawka

Photos & Digitalisation: www.ct.mhk.pl, public domain

Rękawka is a Polish Easter custom celebrated in Krakow on the

Tuesday after Easter, originally referring to the Slavic tradition

of the spring version of Dziady. The tradition of Rękawka

included, among others, throwing and rolling eggs, a symbol of

new life.

The name of the custom comes from the name of the mound,

which, on an engraving by Matthäus Merian and Vischer de

Jonge, from around 1600, was called Tumulus dictus Rękawka

(the Mound called Rękawka). In the register containing the list

of expenses related to the coronation of Henry III of France,

there is an entry regarding the illumination of the mound on

that occasion: Peasants who burned a fire on Rękawka on Te

Deum laud. after the coronation and who carried wood there -

21 groschen each.

It is related to the legend of Krakus Mound, built by the people

after the king's death. According to tradition, the soil for the

mound was carried in sleeves (in Polish: “rękawy”) and hence

the name "Rękawka". One of the epigrams by Jan Kochanowski

indicates a similar origin of the word "rękawka" as in it means a

tomb strewn with hands (in Polish: "rękami"). Rękawka with its

roots undoubtedly refers to the pagan rituals associated with

the Spring Forefathers (Dziady) which fall on the spring

solstice. The very etymology of the word, contrary to the folk

tradition, has nothing to do with carrying the soil, although it

alludes to the cult of the dead. In 1592, a case concerning the

borders of Wola took place before the Land Court of Kraków. It

was about the violent scattering of seventeen mounds that

separated the area of the village of Wola Świętoduska from the

area of the town of Kazimierz, the village of Janowa Wola, and

the sudden settlement of the grove and area of the village of

Wola ... that is six leagues, at the fields below Lasotyna

mountain and besides the route, running from Kazimierz to

Wieliczka. The document contains a detailed description of the

boundaries of Wola, adjacent to the meadows of the city of

Kazimierz, with one of them lying at the Wieliczka main route

(now Wielicka street. At the time of the separateness of

Kazimierz, Krakowska street was also called Wielicka as it led to

Wieliczka, then more or less along the course delineated along

the present Limanowskiego street to today's Wielicka), on the

west side, it was called Raczka. Primary reverence for the

deceased included throwing food and coins down the hill It is

possible that it was based on the possibly still pre-Slavic mound

and a combination of threads from the legend of Krakus with

Slavic beliefs. The rite may also echo the ancient Celtic

traditions associated with the cult of the god of death,

Smertius.

On the slope of the mound, the mighty of the city rolled eggs,

cobbler pancakes, bagels, rolls, apples and gingerbread directly

into the hands of boys and crowds. Back in 1939, the biggest

attraction was throwing bread, apples, Easter eggs, toys and

balloons from the hill.

It is assumed that the foundation of the church of St.

Benedict and the establishment of the patron day on March 21

(the first day of spring), was the reaction of the Catholic

Church to the vivid Slavic religious practices in Krzemionki.

Historically, at least from the 17th century, as evidenced by

sources, during the indulgence (on Tuesday, which was also a

public holiday), wealthy Cracovians dropped fruit, sweets and

money from the top of the mound (coins from various

historical periods were found in the surface layer), while the

poor, students and children collected them at the foothill. Until

the mid-nineteenth century, Rękawka was held at Krakus

Mound itself, but after digging the hill for the construction of

a railway line, it moved to St. Benedict Mount in the northern

part of Lasota Hill and was combined with an indulgence and

folk party near the church of St. Benedict in Krzemionki.

During the Austrian partition, in 1897, the celebrations were

banned. Even the access to the mound was closed. The

authorities planned to build an artillery fort in this area and

also wanted to eliminate the tumult and signs of aggression

among those gathered at the mound.


PHOTOS:

Previous page: Emaus - stalls, Author/Supplier: Henryk Hermanowicz, Creation Time: 70's XX c.

Top left: Rękawka - church of st. Benedict, Lasota Hill

Top right: Emaus - stalls, Author/Supplier: Henryk Hermanowicz, Creation Time: 70's XX c

Bottom right: Rękawka - indulgence celebrated in Krzemionki on Tuesday after Easter,

Author/Supplier: Henryk Hermanowicz, Creation Time: 50/60 s XX c.

Easter kitchen Sękacz

Sękacz

Sękacz – a multi-egg cake with 'icicles' (or branches, as

it is sometimes called a "tree-cake") - is known mainly

in the Easter tradition in the Suwałki region, but also

in many other regions of Poland. However, most of

this cake is served at the tables of almost every home

on the Polish-Lithuanian border at Easter.

Legends say that the sękacz was first mentioned in the

15th century. It was supposed to be eaten by Lithuanian

warriors, going to the Battle of Grunwald. According to

other stories, the career of Polish sękacz began in the

Suwałki region, in Berżniki, where it was baked for the

first time in honour of Queen Bona. The Queen,

delighted with the amber and golden cake, decided that

sękacz would be the decoration of the reception table

at the wedding of her son Zygmunt August. The

wedding gathered in Krakow many crowned heads and,

according to the legends, they all fell in love with the

woodland specialty. Another story says that the Poles

learned about sękacz and the method of its production

from the Yotvingian people, who lived in the northern

regions of today's Poland in the Middle Ages.

The truth is that there is no consensus on the origin of

this baking, and no wonder everyone wants to attribute

it to themselves. It seems that the cake was created in

the Polish Eastern Borderlands and from there it went

to Germany (Germans say that Sękacz comes from

Berlin), to Hungary or Romania, where the tree cake is

still baked.

You need 30 to 50 eggs to bake the cake. It is baked on a

special cylinder above the hearth. During baking, the

dough cylinder rotates and in this way characteristic

knags - icicles appear on it. The average sękacz is approx.

50-60 cm high. A lot of tree cakes is made during Easter

in the vicinity of Sejny and Puńsk, a town inhabited by

Polish Lithuanians. Many orders are received by

housewives in villages, who still make them, but Suwałki

bakeries bake the most of them. Sękacz, also known as

"dziad", "spit baba" or a "round pie", looks like a cake that

is not so easy to prepare. However, this is not the case -

both the dough and the method of baking are simple -

however, as mentioned above, they require the use of a

special oven that imitates the traditional method of

baking cakes over a fire. Anyway, you will need a lot of

patience. The whole process of baking the sękacz can

take up to three hours! For a large size sękacz you need

to use a kilogram of butter, sugar and flour, and 40 eggs

(or - according to the traditional recipe - 50 yolks).

Sometimes cream is also added. The dough can also be

enriched with additives such as ground cardamom, vanilla,

orange peel or rum. he ingredients create a fairly dense

batter, which is poured over a wooden shaft filled with a

spit, and this is placed over the fire or in a special oven.

The roller is constantly turning, thanks to which the dough

covers it evenly, and its excess flows down, creating

characteristic projections similar to knots in a tree.

Subsequent seared layers of sękacz, after cutting the

dough, look like rings in a tree trunk.

Ingredients

(version for a home-baked cake)

I250 grams of butter

a cup (220 g) of sugar

3/4 cup (150 g) of coarse ground flour

1/2 cup (110 g) of potato starch

6 eggs

5 grams of ground almonds

1 spoon of rum

1/2 vanilla pod

grease for the baking pan

How to make it

The tree cake does not contain any complicated ingredients. The most important

ingredients are eggs, wheat flour, cream, butter and sugar, which are mixed to make a

sponge and butter dough. It is worth using the addition of low-gluten flour, e.g. potato

starch - then the dough has a more delicate structure. In the past, quince juice was

added to it as well, giving it a characteristic flavour. Today, lemon is often used instead

of it, and sometimes even vanilla sugar. Cream the butter and sugar until it is light and

smooth. While constantly mixing, gradually add one yolk at a time, pour in rum, almonds,

ground vanilla and both types of flour.

Beat the stiff foam from the cooled egg whites and gently mix with the egg mass.

Grease the cake tin. Spread 2 tablespoons of dough on the bottom, bake for 5 minutes

at 200°C. When the dough is lightly browned, remove from the oven, spread another two

tablespoons of the dough on the baked dough and put the form back in the oven for

another 5 minutes. Repeat the steps until the dough is used up. (It is important to

create as many thin layers as possible). After baking, let the dough cool, remove it from

the baking pan and sprinkle generously with powdered sugar or pour over with the

frosting.


Sękacz, as the pride of the Suwałki Region, has its festival here. It takes place on August

15 each year in Żytkiejmy, on the border of Mazury Garbate and Suwałki Region.

SĘKACZ IS A BAKED PRODUCT CHARACTERISED

BY EXCEPTIONAL DURABILITY. EVEN AFTER 10

WEEKS IT IS STILL EDIBLE AND, WHAT'S MORE, IT

STILL TASTES GREAT!

At home, without a special oven, it is also possible to prepare

your own version of Sękacz. Of course, the proportions change.

The ready batter is poured in a thin layer at the bottom of the

baking tray, baked for a few minutes in the oven, then covered

with another portion of the dough and baked again. Repeat the

action until you run out of dough.


Easter kitchen Sękacz


photo: Magdalena Tomaszewska-Bolałek

visual guide

where to find wolfs and

bisons

in a natural habitat

guide by:

lovePoland

source: www.gios.gov.pl

www.lasy.gov.pl

Wolves

Centuries ago, groups of wolves, or packs, roamed Poland in

great numbers. Over the years, they were held in disrepute and

exterminated as a threat to humans and livestock. The wolf

population in Poland got so depleted that they were on the

verge of extinction. Today, they are under strict protection and

a number of measures are taken to improve their image. The

species that occurs in Poland and Europe is the grey wolf. It

inhabits forest and mountain areas, vast plains and wetlands.

Wolves live in packs of up to 20 individuals, although they are

usually smaller (in Poland their families often consist of approx.

6-8 animals). The pack is a bit like a human family - there are

parents, their children, until a certain age, and sometimes other

wolves from the previous litters. There is a strictly defined

hierarchy in the pack, with the alpha pair at the top, which is

the only one that can reproduce. They need a lot of space, one

or two packs occupy an area of 100 to 300 km2.

In 2019, official data provided by the Chief Inspectorate for

Environmental Protection already mentioned the number of

around 2,000 individuals (according to less official data, the

population of wolves in Poland has reached approximately 3.5

thousand animals). Despite the significant increase, the number

is low while compared to the size of the population of other

wild animals. Before the wolf was put under protection, its

compact habitats were limited to the Carpathians and vast

forests in the eastern and north-eastern parts of the country.

Wolves rarely appeared in the forests of western and central

Poland. The situation started to change gradually after 1998.

Thanks to their incredible ability to long-distance, several

hundred- kilometre roams, wolves gradually returned to their

former refuges in central and western Poland, where they

successfully re-colonized all larger forest complexes on their

own. Single animals, especially wolf cubs leaving their family

groups in search of partners and new territories, may also

periodically appear outside vast forests, also in the areas of

farmland and woodland mosaics.

Assigning wolves to administrative units, a common practice in

acquiring statistical data, contributes to misconceptions about

their territorial range.

It also results from the fact that wolves often inhabit forest

complexes divided between two or even three provinces.

The largest wolf refuges are located in the following

voivodeships:

Subcarpathian,

Lublin,

Podlaskie,

Warmian-Masurian,

and Lesser Poland.

Few wolves live in the Silesia and West-Pomeranian

Voivodeship, around Piła and in the Noteć Forest in Greater

Poland as well as in Opole Voivodship, in the Kędzierzyn

Forest Inspectorate. In the Lubuskie Voivodeship, they visit

the Karwin Forest Inspectorate and its vicinity, in the

Masovian Voivodeship, they are seen in the Myszyniec

Forest Inspectorate in the Kurpiowska Forest, and in the

Pomeranian Voivodeship, they occasionally visit the western

part of the region and quite sporadically drop in the Kwidzyn

Forest Inspectorate. The wolves, seen in the north of the

Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, may theoretically

migrate to the west. They are not present in the Lower

Silesian, Łódzkie and Świętokrzyskie voivodships.


Olsztyn

9. Biały Jar – Karpacz

Warszawa

6. Szklarska Poręba

Wrocław

Kraków

created by lovePoland

*source:: www.pzlow.pl, 2009-2019 and PAN, www.lasy.gov.pl

4. Kasprowy Wierch

European bisons

One hundred years ago, the last free-living bison in the

Białowieża Forest was killed by a poacher.

The ideas to save the species were born in many countries. For

the first time, the appeal to establish an international

organization for the protection of the European bison was

presented at the International Congress for Nature

Conservation in Paris in 1923, by a Polish naturalist Jan

Sztolzman. His speech contributed to the establishment of the

International Society for the Protection of Bison, gathering

representatives of 16 countries. The representatives of Poland

and Germany were the most active members of the

organisation. In 1923, only 54 purebred European bisons

remained in the world, and 12 of them were used to restore the

species. The effort paid off and the first two bisons appeared in

the fall of 1929 in the pens built by State Forests in the

Białowieża Primeval Forest. In 1939, there were already 16

animals in the Forest that fortunately survived World War II

Currently, there are approx. 2,000 bison in Poland - this is a

number that fills us with pride and optimism, although the bison

is still not completely safe..

There are 5 free populations in Poland (Białowieża Primeval

Forest, Knyszyńska Primeval Forest, Borecka Primeval Forest,

West Pomeranian Herd and Bieszczady). At the end of 2014,

1434 bisons lived in Poland, including 222 in closed breeding and

1212 in free populations. At the end of 2019, after the inventory,

2048 animals were recorded in free herds and 221 in closed

farms. Our country is inhabited by a total of 2,269 bisons. This is

almost 400 animals more than two years earlier when in Poland

there were 1873 of them. These animals are most numerous in

the free population of Białowieża (770 animals) and in the

Bieszczady Mountains (668 animals). Then, successively, in the

West Pomeranian herd (305) and in the Knyszyńska Primeval

Forest (173) as well as in the Borecka Forest (112 animals). The

smallest, but also the youngest, free herd of European bison,

which was established in 2018, is located in Augustów Primeval

Forest and had 9 individuals at the beginning of the year.

When it comes to captive bred bisons, the definitely largest herd

is the "Żubrowisko" Reserve in Pszczyna (56), then the Breeding

Centre in Białowieża (27) and the European Bison Breeding

Centre in Niepołomice (22).


W W W . L I B R A . P L

L O V E P O L A N D . O R G M E D I A P A R T N E R

Travel Love Poland Magazine – March 2021

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