TOMB MAY TELL

krakow POST
FREE
August 2008
Edition 46
ISSN 1898-4762
www.krakowpost.com
Krakow
Fly Away
A report from the Krakow
YMCA
>> page 3
John Walczak
Poland
The low-cost carrier announced
last month that it is suspending all
flights from Krakow from Nov. 4 to
Dec. 19. It cites low passenger
numbers, high fuel prices and airport fees as the reason for its
decision. In addition to Krakow,
Rzeszów will also have all Ryanair
flights suspended and Warsaw
will have its Dublin connection
grounded during this time. Ryanair founder Michael O’Leary announced that it costs less to keep
aircraft on the ground than to fly
to these destinations.
Bronisław Geremek remembered
>> page 6
Feature
The Post explores bike
trails around Krakow
>> page 10, 11
Business
The future of Skeletor
decided?
>> page 13
Rumours have begun circulating
that Ryanair will not return to Krakow after the suspension, and will
move to Katowice Airport instead.
Aviation industry experts claim
that this tactic is an attempt to
try and force the airports to lower
their fees.
The authorities at Krakow Balice
Airport reacted very angrily to
these statements. “Ryanair has
shown yet again that it is a carrier
that doesn’t care about its passengers. Not for the first time it
is trying to pass on the cost of its
business activities onto airports
and passengers and is demanding
special treatment. In an ultimatum addressed to the Krakow Airport Authority and also to several
other Polish airports, the carrier
is demanding the abolition of all
airport fees in the November - December period,” said a statement
from Krakow Airport.
The new chief executive of Krakow Airport thinks that the information that Ryanair is to leave
Krakow for good is a marketing
ploy. He commented, “This isn’t
the first such announcement from
them and until now none have
been fulfilled. It seems as though
the airline is playing off airports
in southern Poland against each
other.”
The withdrawal of Ryanair’s services from Krakow will reduce the
number of cities passengers can
fly to; however, this may only be
temporary as other low-cost airlines are waiting in the wings to
take over gaps in the market.
Sport
Polish Beckham in police
punch-up
>> page 14
Culture
Photograph by Adrian Pingstone
Ryanair is threatening to leave Krakow for good.
TOMB MAY TELL
hand, and when vital deci-
Was Poland’s WWII leader
assassinated?
sions require to be taken in
consultation with us – is a
bewildering
visitation
of
Providence; so much so,
that Poles everywhere suspect the hand, not of Providence, but of a felonious
enemy.”
Nick Hodge
T
he
The results of the Big Three
meeting at Tehran in No-
Archbishop
of Krakow, Cardinal
1939 until his death four
“This catastrophe,” wrote
vember 1943 served to fuel
years later.
the Polish ambassador to
the suspicions of conspir-
London in his diary, “com-
acy theorists. It has been
Stanisław
has
At 11 p.m. on the 4th of
ing at a turning-point in the
stressed that Churchill and
given his blessing for the
July 1943, Sikorski’s plane
war, when the Big Three
Roosevelt made it
tomb of General Władysław
took off for London on the
meeting is apparently at
clear to Stalin at
Sikorski to be opened.
return-leg of a trip to Brit-
Dziwisz,
>> 2
ish Gibraltar. Seconds after
The general, whose passen-
climbing into the air, the
ger plane crashed in pecu-
vehicle plunged into the
liar circumstances 65 years
water. Of the plane’s 16
ago, is an iconic figure in
passengers, only the pilot
Poland, and conspiracy the-
survived.
An official British inquiry
at the time ruled that the
Sikorski was prime minister
death had been accidental.
of the Polish government-
Yet from the outset, there
in-exile
were cries of foul play:
from
September
Citylife
> by night
Notes From the
Underground
/CL 2
> reviews
Drop In, Fork Out,
Get Served
/CL 3, 5
> spotlight
Coke Live Music Festival
previewed
/CL 6
> posted
Concerts, exhibitions &
parties
/CL 7, 8, 9, 10
ories about his death have
never been quelled.
Summer at the Kossaks’
>> page 15
Sikorski’s tomb, undisturbed for the moment at Wawel
2 Krakow Post August 2008
www.krakowpost.com
News Krakow
<< Continued from
To the editor
1
Image: Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum. London
Letters
Tehran that they would not thwart his
territorial designs on Poland. The ultimate conference at Yalta in February
RE: We DO Speak English. Really.
I’m writing in response to your article
entitled ‘’We DO Speak English. Really!’’ about Polish people’s poor knowledge and usage of English in the Polish
service industry. I disagree with the
author’s opinion and assumption. In
the author’s opinion, everyone in the
service industry - for example, waiters, cashiers and shop assistants,etc.
- should be able to speak English fluently. If everyone in Poland had a lot
of opportunity, money, time and efficient resources for studying English,
then maybe everyone in the country
would be able to speak English fluently. But, in reality English is still not
accessible, cheap or the most important priority for everyone in Poland. It
wasn’t so long ago (less than 20 years
in fact), that the majority of students
in Poland had to study Russian as a
second language. Back then very few
people in Poland expected that English
would become as useful and common
as it is today. In only 15-20 years, people’s perception of English and their
opportunities to study and use it have
greatly changed. A lot more people
now can speak English, but our mother
tongue is still Polish and it’s not Polish
people’s obligation to automatically
know and speak English fluently to
suit tourists’ needs.
So, a word to the author and other visitors to Poland, next time you’re in a
shop and the staff don’t speak perfect
English or any at all, be patient and
remember you are in Poland, we are
trying and considering the very recent
changes to our history and society, I’d
say we’re doing pretty well.
Beata z Krakowa
letters to the editor
“
If everyone in
Poland
had a lot
of opportunity,
money,
time and
efficient
resources for
studying
English,
then
maybe
everyone
in the
country
would
be able
to speak
English
fluently.
“
Dear Editor,
1945 appeared to cement this arrangement, and Poland teetered into the
Soviet sphere. It was not until 1993,
following the fall of the Iron Curtain,
that Sikorski’s body was brought back
to Poland.
Theories about the elimination of
Sikorski have developed in many directions over the last few decades. The
Further accusations fly around the
Although acknowledging Russian in-
British and even Polish hands. Some
figure of Kim Philby. Mr. Philby, a per-
terests in removing Sikorski, Profes-
have claimed that the general was
ceived pillar of the establishment, was
sor Davies was dismissive of British
murdered before he actually entered
the head of British Intelligence for Gi-
involvement in any alleged attack,
the plane.
braltar at the time of Sikorski’s death.
saying that “the British went to great
In 1963, he was unmasked as a long-
lengths to protect the plane from the
Lech Kaczyński, today’s president of
serving double agent, and he spent his
Russians.” He added that the freeze on
Poland, is backing the belated autopsy
last years in Moscow, where he was
British intelligence documents relating
on Sikorski, as is Prime Minister Don-
commemorated as a hero on Russian
to Sikorski was “not discriminatory to-
ald Tusk.
postal stamps.
wards the Poles,” as this was the gen-
“The tragic circumstances of the death
Another theory, currently being devel-
of General Sikorski should be clari-
oped as a TV series by Polish journalist
fied,” the president said. “The exhu-
and historian Dariusz Baliszewski, im-
As it was, a third of the passengers on
mation may help in this matter. It is al-
plicates Churchill himself in the crime.
the doomed Liberator plane were Brit-
ways worthwhile to pursue the truth.”
The Churchill theory has been voiced
ish subjects, including two MPs, one of
before, the hypothesis being that the
whom, Victor Cazalet, was godfather
Russian sabotage remains an enduring
British wanted to appease Stalin. As it
to Churchill’s daughter Mary. John
theme. A pivotal issue is the so-called
stands, British Intelligence documents
Colville, Churchill’s former secretary,
Katyń Affair, which broke three months
relating to the incident will remain un-
pointed this out in a letter to The Times
before Sikorski’s death. In April 1943,
der lock and key until 2043.
in January 1969, describing the allega-
eral status quo regarding intelligence
files.
tions as “an absurd fabrication.”
the Germans uncovered mass graves of
members of the Polish elite. The Rus-
Baliszewski expands on this theory by
sians denied guilt, claiming that it was
implicating Poles in the plot. He says
Professor Davies suggests that the
a Nazi plot. General Sikorski, then in
that a clique of high-ranking Poles was
tragedy may even have been caused by
London, called for a Red Cross inves-
unsatisfied with the general’s handling
the most mundane of reasons. A Royal
tigation. Stalin promptly broke off all
of Polish affairs, and that Sikorski and
Airforce report conducted immediate-
relations with the Polish government-
two of his staff were murdered in the
ly after the crash, but not published
in-exile. It was not until 1990 that Gor-
British Governor’s residence, prior to
at the time, attributed the fault to a
bachev admitted Soviet guilt for the
the flight. An enduring mystery is that
British soldier who fell asleep while
20,000 Polish victims.
although the plane crashed just metres
guarding the plane. The report speci-
from the runway, five of the bodies
fied that the guard had keeled over,
Many conspiracy theorists have argued
were never recovered. Likewise, the pi-
his rucksack slamming into the plane’s
that Sikorski stood in the way of Rus-
lot, a man famed for flying without his
controls.
sia’s designs on Poland. They hold that
lifejacket, was plucked from the water
the general enjoyed unique prestige
with his lifejacket firmly buttoned.
Hardened conspiracy theorists will no
doubt refute the British claim, and Pro-
amongst the Western Allies, and hence
However, not all observers have been
fessor Davies affirms that “Sikorski’s
seduced by the conspiracy theories.
death is, as it were, unsolved in a fi-
Much has been made of the fact that
Professor Norman Davies, widely re-
nal way.” Hypothetically, an autopsy
the Russian ambassador to London,
garded as the pre-eminent historian
could reveal evidence of foul play
Ivan Maisky, made a late notice visit
of Polish affairs, told the Krakow Post
prior to the flight. However, in all like-
to Gibraltar the weekend of Sikorski’s
that “none of the conspiracy theories
lihood, the exact circumstances of the
death, and that his plane was stationed
has proved convincing,” adding that no
general’s death will remain forever a
a stone’s throw from that of Poland’s
“reputable historian” had ever made a
mystery.
leader.
case in favour of sabotage.
that he was a critical stumbling block.
T
he Krakow Post welcomes letters to the editor. Letters for
publication should be signed and bear the signatory’s email address and city of residence. The Krakow Post reserves
the right to edit letters.
Please send letters to the editor at [email protected],
or by post at
Krakow Post
Ul. Szczepanska 7/4a
31-011 Krakow
British General, General Sikorski, Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, Lt Gen Andrew McNaughton, UK 1941
finger has been pointed at Russian,
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Krakow Post August 2008 3
www.krakowpost.com
News Krakow
It’s Fun to Play at the YMCA...
A report from Krakow’s YMCA summer camp for local children
Robin Das
I
t is 8:30 am and eight-yearold Sebastian is lobbing a
volleyball shot down the
court. A group of fellow
eight-year-olds is having a riotous time performing handstands, and a five-a-side football match is squaring up to be
as tense as the last Poland versus Austria showdown.
Welcome to the YMCA’s “Summer in the City” camp, an adrenaline-charged month of sports,
activities and days out for
around 50 of Krakow’s youngest
citizens, who made it to their
headquarters on Ulica Krowoderska every weekday during
July. The camp is overseen by
the dedicated and resourceful
Krakow YMCA Programme Director, Jan Bajger, and supported by Polish assistants and two
overseas volunteers who help
run the activities and teach the
children simple English phrases
and words in a fun way.
The camp gives working parents and any family that cannot
afford a holiday away from the
city an opportunity for their
children to enjoy themselves,
make new friends and learn
some new skills. Each day was
structured around a theme:
sport, Europe, ecology, Krakow,
and fun, helping ensure plenty
of variation to keep eager and
active minds occupied. Surefire hits included volleyball,
outdoor swimming and feeding
animals at the Las Wolski Zoo,
along with trips to attractions
such as Ogród Doświadczeń
(“The Garden of Experiments”)
and orientation activities in Jordana Park.
Teaching the children life
skills was woven into the day’s
events. A visit from the Com-
Children at the Krakow YMCA take a break to pose for the Post
munity Police involved the children learning about road safety
by dressing up as adults and
taking on the roles of pedestrians and cars. Amid the giggles, shouting and racing to be
first to cross the ‘street’, a serious lesson was finding its way
home.
It was in the early 1980s, upon
seeing children idling about,
that Jan decided to set up a
club especially for youngsters.
Gradually it grew and when, in
the 1990s, the Polish YMCA was
revived (it had been prohibited
under communism), Jan took
over the running of its Krakow
centre. While resources may not
be as plentiful as in many children’s centres in the UK or U.S.,
with their statutory computers
and Game Boys, what the centre
does have - table tennis, bas-
ketball, a huge gym, and even
a piece of rope multi-tasking as
tug of war and skipping rope
- have always proved popular.
The YMCA gets no government
funding for its camps, so every
zloty needs to be raised and accounted for.
“The YMCA is at the forefront
of providing activities for children in Krakow,” acknowledged
Jan. “Fortunately many organisations are aware of this and
some attractions will welcome
us for free. A few of the children who come to the camp are
from families not so well off
and may not have been to the
places, such as the museums,
that we take them to.”
Jan was also keen to inject an
international theme through
the camp and for the children
to practise their English with
the volunteers. This usually
happened in chatter when out
and about, which gave the volunteers a chance to learn some
Polish as well. Holding an “English quiz” even introduced the
children to some of Britain’s
strange customs.
As well as running “Summer
in the City,” the YMCA also organises camps outside Krakow,
some held in winter with skiing
and snowboarding activities,
and others during the summer,
teaching dancing and sports.
One thing all the camps have
in common is enthusiastic children eager to have a great time
– and a director committed to
making their time as stimulating and as fun as possible.
/ photo Anna Spysz
>> 4
4 Krakow Post August 2008
www.krakowpost.com
News Krakow
Tram TV Launched in Krakow
Adelina Krupski
T
tions System (UMTS) cellular technology, the tram obtains updates
he Krakow Public Trans-
every three minutes.
Sixth European
Congress of Analytic
Philosophy in Krakow
Wojciech Załuski
port Company (MPK) and
Novamedia
launched
Innovision
their
As for future plans, TV M sales di-
latest
rector Miłosz Olejniczak stated that
multimedia project early last month
new services may be introduced,
with the introduction of 200 TV M
such as the possibility for passen-
televisions aboard 50 new Bombar-
gers to project greetings sent by
dier NGT6 trams running through-
SMS (text message). However, for
out the city.
MPK, safety remains a priority. Consequently, in addition to the intro-
Already highly advanced in com-
duction of high-tech screens, MPK
parison to its predecessors, with
has brought out trams with surveil-
ticket dispensers, recorded voice
lance cameras, which record the ac-
announcements and digital screens
tivity within the vehicle.
displaying destinations, the Bombardier is now also equipped with
Monitoring systems have already
50 cm-wide LCD panels that com-
been put in place aboard buses in
municate traffic alerts as well as
Krakow and several other major
relevant reports from the police
Tram TV makes its debut / photo Adelina Krupski
and MPK. An effort to make public
Polish cities. The police have found
that the use of cameras has signifi-
transport more enjoyable for pas-
news headlines provided by the Pol-
that the slowdown was only caused
cantly improved safety measures,
sengers, the project cost 2.3 million
ish Press Agency. Krakow is the first
by tests performed earlier that day
as it has helped prevent drinking,
zloty.
city in Poland to set up this kind of
and that such delays would not oc-
smoking, theft and recklessness on-
facility.
cur again.
board and assisted in the capturing
ously installed in Krakow public
Despite hindrances on the inaugu-
The content of the message is con-
transport, they were only found
ration day, causing the display of
veyed to the TV M dispatcher, who
Currently, all text displayed on
on buses, showing advertisements
announcements to take as long as a
monitors the signal transfer at the
the new TV M screens is in Polish,
and promotional films. Now, in ad-
quarter of an hour, the system was
Novamedia headquarters, located in
but this may change in order to in-
dition to communicating public an-
built to allow messages to appear
Kalisz. The announcement is then
clude
nouncements, the televisions allow
on all screens instantly. However,
transmitted either through dicta-
and tourists, especially as Krakow
passengers to keep up with current
Novamedia
Krzysztof
tion over the phone or via any de-
continues to improve its facilities
events. A news ticker scrolls along
Owczarek stated that urgent releas-
vice that connects to the Internet,
to meet growing expectations and
on the bottom of the screen, pre-
es can be communicated to passen-
such as a computer terminal. Using
advance as a popular European des-
senting up-to-date local and global
gers at any moment, announcing
Universal Mobile Telecommunica-
tination.
While televisions have been previ-
of perpetrators.
Chairman
Krakow’s Tourist Top 10
John Walczak
Krakow City Council is proposing
shows how to get to them all is in-
Krakow’s Top 10 is a four-day trail
a collection of new tourist routes
cluded.
from the Royal Route, through
throughout the city. “Visitors to Kra-
Wieliczka, Kazimierz and Tyniec.
kow have ever higher expectations,
Members of royal dynasties, the
The idea was born at a meeting be-
though they don’t always have time
Wawel Dragon, the Lajkonik and
tween representatives of the tour-
to search by themselves for what
John Paul II are amongst those on
ist industry, guides and hoteliers
they haven’t yet seen, or for what’s
the route dedicated to famous Kra-
who suggested what would interest
worth seeing,” says Katarzyna Gad-
kow inhabitants and characters.
tourists. “This is the first such list,”
ek, director of the Council’s tourism
Krakow’s Socialist Realism is a trail
says Katarzyna Gadek, “and it was
office. Amongst the latest routes on
for those specifically interested
compiled after a heated discussion.
offer are Krakow on a Fork, Green
in the former Communist era, as
The Top 10 list is only valid for this
Krakow and Krakow’s Top 10.
it takes in Nowa Huta Steelworks
year, some of the items on it won’t
Administration Centre, housing es-
change, though some will because
Up to now Krakow has had nine reg-
tates in the Nowa Huta district, the
Krakow has lots of contenders for
ular tourist trails, which are sign-
monastery in Mogila, the Łaznia
its Top 10.”
posted at street level and described
Nowa Theatre and more.
in written guides and on the Inter-
The Council’s tourism office is
net. There are the Royal, the Jewish
The Krakow Artists Trail provides
working on more proposals for
Heritage and the Footsteps of John
the opportunity to see places and
tourist routes. They include trails
Paul II routes, to name a few.
objects associated with artists such
through Krakow museums, each
as Jan Matejko, Tadeusz Kantor and
one having a different theme, en-
For the first time there is a guide
Józef Mehoffer, whereas Krakow on
tertainment and routes for children
to Krakow’s parks and gardens -
a Fork 2008 is devoted to the 99 res-
and teenagers. These are expected
Green Krakow. This route includes
taurants which found themselves
sometime during the autumn.
the Botanical Gardens, Wawel Hill,
on the City Council’s “Recommend-
the Planty and others. A map which
ed Krakow Restaurants” list.
English-speaking
residents
Cracovians Salute the Sun
Grażyna Zawada
In Bednarski Park in the Podgórze
district, free yoga classes are being
made available for everybody as a
part of the “Joga w parku” (“Yoga
in the Park”) Poland-wide project.
The idea behind the free yoga classes is to promote a healthy, active
and natural lifestyle. The project
is dedicated to hard-pressed and
overworked city dwellers and it’s
connected with interesting lectures
on a healthy lifestyle as well as
dance workshops. As yoga is a system of exercises suitable for almost
everybody and at every age, the
programme of open air yoga is open
to both laymen and experienced
gurus of the Eastern arts.
The organiser of the campaign held
not only in Krakow, but in Warsaw,
Sopot, Wrocław, Łódź and Toruń,
is Fundacja Biosferis, a non-profit
organization whose main goal is to
promote a healthy lifestyle and a
holistic approach to health.
The meetings are held every Sunday
in August from 10:30 am until 1:30
pm in Bednarski Park, Podgórze
district, just above Rynek Podgórski
(accessible by trams 3, 6, 8, 23, 40
and bus 502). The organisers insist
that they will not accept latecomers, as starting off from the middle
is not beneficial for the participant’s health.
The European Society for Analytic Philosophy (ESAP), and locally the Institute of Philosophy
of the Jagiellonian University and
the Polish Association of Logic
and Philosophy of Science, have
organised the Sixth European
Congress of Analytic Philosophy
in Krakow, which will take place
this month. The Congress will be
held under the honorary auspices
of the Speaker of the Sejm of the
Republic of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski, and the President of
Krakow, Jacek Majchrowski.
Between the 21st and 26th of August around 500 philosophers,
logicians and scientists from
around Europe and the U.S. will
talk about such topics as how to
understand and describe human
actions, what kind of formal semantics we should use to describe
the natural language, and whether
human evolution is a predictable
process, or if mental events exist.
These and many more topics will
be divided into such sections as
“Logic and Computation,” “Philosophy of Language,” and “Philosophy of Science,” to name but
a few.
Visiting professors Andrea Bottani
(University of Bergamo), Dorothy
Edgington (University of London)
and Zoltan Gendler Szabo (Yale
University) will present lectures
about “changing things,” “counterfactual thinking” and “ontological attitude,” respectively.
The European Society for Analytic Philosophy has existed
since 1991, when Kevin Mulligan
founded it together with other
collaborators in the Swiss village
of Zinall. From its beginning the
association has had the goal of
helping analytical philosophers
on the continent to meet and exchange knowledge and experience
with each other as well as with
philosophers from Great Britain
and the United States.
This month, the Krakow Post interviewed Prof. Jan Woleński,
President of ESAP and Head of
the Epistemology Department at
Jagiellonian University. The full
interview is published online.
To read more, visit >>
www.krakowpost.com
Krakow Post August 2008 5
www.krakowpost.com
News Krakow
Debate
Missile Defense: Shield or Dartboard?
Robert Szmigielski is against the missile shield project, while James McNulty defends the defense of Poland.
A:
Wherever George Bush struts, controversy follows. Our favourite chestbumping, frat-boy President, who had hoped an agreement would be
reached regarding his missile shield, has been left with a bitter taste in his
mouth; a combination of dissent and disobedience being a flavour he is
not accustomed to. Prime Minister Tusk is obviously unaware of unilateral compliance
to military objectives proposed by the United States, and as such, negotiations for the
long-debated defense shield have stagnated, and the deal abruptly halted – even with
President Kaczyński buzzing around like an irritable fly you just can’t swat.
The world’s wealthiest country claims that the deal is primarily concerned with Poland’s
security. A laughable notion from an administration with policies that exclusively follow
their own agenda, that still pursues the most disastrous and divisive foreign policy ever
implemented by a U.S. government. If Poland’s interests are indeed the priority, why was
Foreign Minister Sikorski’s initial request for an upgrade of Poland’s missile technology
and adequate financial aid to strengthen defenses, in exchange for a target being slapped
on the country, unequivocally turned down?
And if the Polish-American relationship really is that special, what of the refusal to ease
visa constraints, in return for blindly following Bush into Iraq? As Defense Minister Klich
correctly observes, the Americans treat Poland more like “a distant cousin” than a serious partner.
But let’s say a compromise is reached - in the twilight of Bush’s term, or during a McCain/Obama presidency. The move would undoubtedly heighten the risk of an attack on
Polish soil. Al-Qaeda’s Jihadists, already infuriated that Polish soldiers patrol the streets
of Diwaniyah, need no further incentives to carry out a Madrid-style bombing in one of
Poland’s cities. The Russians, swiftly denouncing the plans, declared that missiles would
be promptly pointed towards Poland, and the shield would be considered as a legitimate
military target. Surely a more effective way to safeguard Poland would be to scrap plans
for the shield, pull out the remaining troops in Iraq, and concentrate on mending diplomatic ties damaged by the impotent Kaczyński bros. leadership?
Jumping into bed with the most unpopular American president in history with a few
months left in office is akin to walking over a minefield. What if Tusk was to submit to
his demands, and the victor of the U.S. presidential run-off in November re-assessed
America’s foreign policy and decided to abandon the missile shield plans? Poland would
have succeeded only in antagonising the Russians, provoking others, and, equipped with
archaic military technology, left to bear the consequences that collaboration with Bush
entails - while he suns himself on a tropical island with his pal Tony.
Then of course, there’s Iran – which, according to Bush, is what this saga is all about.
In rhetoric similar to that prior to the invasion of Iraq, Bush claims that Iran poses an
imminent threat with its nuclear enrichment programme, despite the numerous denials
from President Ahmadinejad, and UN watchdog visits reporting that bomb-development
is many years away. Of course, assurances from a president who wants Israel wiped off
the map must be taken lightly, but so should words from a president who led an entire
nation, and her allies, to war based on blatant lies. Nevertheless, this is not Poland’s fight
to pick.
The bottom line is: should Poland compromise her safety just to appease a trigger-happy
president who, in a final act of aggression, may decide to launch another misguided
assault in the Middle East? The answer is obvious, and the consequences potentially
disastrous. Regardless, it’s time for Poland to step out of America’s shadow, and show
that this country is no longer a docile sheep from an incompetently-led flock, but a nation capable of making bold and independent decisions; especially if the country is to be
taken seriously in Europe. And with Donald Tusk at the helm Poles should be proud that
they finally have a Prime Minister that refuses to be bullied and intimidated - let’s just
hope it continues.
F:
“There are no permanent allies, only permanent interests.” Lord Palmerston’s
dictum should be kept in mind by Polish politicians during the debate about
American plans to install a missile defence system in Eastern Europe. For no
matter how much Poland feels herself a part of the newly enlarged Europe, or
how much she wishes to become a primary American ally, the decision to have the shield
clearly goes beyond Warsaw’s role in Euro-Atlantic relations.
The physical security of a country has always been the primary interest of every state,
and thus it should remain the central purpose of every sound policy. That is why the single most important question in the debate is whether the instalment of those American
rockets/interceptors will make Poland more or less secure in contemporary international
relations. Having considered arguments against the missile shield, it remains reasonable
to claim that there are more pros than cons in Poland’s support of the project. The first
reason is simple, if not simplistic. The United States is still the biggest kid on the block
and though its influence has diminished lately (primarily over Iraq), Washington is likely
to play a pre-eminent role on the world stage for several decades to come. This argument does not imply that Poland should be the next American client state, or “another
poodle,” as the French minister once referred to the British prime minister. It just suggests that jumping on the bandwagon – that is joining the strongest power, has been one
of the most popular strategies in the history of homo politicus. In other words, if played
wisely, Poland’s participation in missile defence might bring Warsaw closer to the U.S.
and therefore, to the power centre of contemporary global politics.
Secondly, the reason for Warsaw going for rather than against the concept of missile
defence concerns the nature of Polish strategic culture and the experience Poland had
with European allies in the first half of the 20th century. To put it bluntly, Europe failed
to be Poland’s military ally when the hour of reckoning arrived. The United States obviously did not save Poland from falling into either Hitler’s or the Soviet Union’s dominion,
but Washington did in fact not only prevent Western Europe from the lurking brown-red
disaster – a fact that present anti-Americans hate to admit - but it established its military
superiority worldwide for years to come. Of course this is a very one-sided picture, but
at the same time this is the picture of the U.S. that many Poles love to have before their
eyes. This historical experience explains some of Poland’s foreign policy manoeuvres. If
Europe today had the means to defend itself against any serious threat, Warsaw would
probably dismiss the idea of having any part of the missile shield on Polish soil.
Yet the case for an agreement does not indicate that Poland has or should have an antiEuropean Union attitude. Indeed, by now there is little doubt on both sides of the Atlantic that Poles have become more pro-European than pro-American. Besides, the missile
shield – if it is to be created with the cooperation of NATO’s European countries - might
be another (final?) wake-up call for those European nations which share the equally
post-modern and naïve belief that war and military instruments of foreign policy can
be dispatched to the dustbin of history. It doesn’t take a strategist to figure out that if
the EU is ever to become a force to be reckoned with on the global stage, Brussels needs
to create and implement policy that provides its member countries with a fundamental
sense of security.
What is more, a project aimed at establishing elements of the United States’ missile
defence system in Poland may provide Poland with a perfect strategic balance: on the
one hand, the shield will be a small reminder to Russia that the times when Poland was
seen in Moscow as a satellite are gone for good. It can also be used as a reviving point for
Polish-American relations, which have recently suffered from numerous misperceptions
in Washington and Warsaw. Last but definitely not least, a missile defence shield built
on Polish soil might send a message stating that Poland has just gained an extra security
guarantee. Although Article 5 of the Washington Treaty states clearly that Poland is secured by a collective defensive agreement, the bilateral agreement between Warsaw and
Washington would doubtlessly reassure some of the greatest sceptics in Poland. In the
era of incoming geopolitical change in international dynamics, this might be just what
Poland needs.
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6 Krakow Post August 2008
www.krakowpost.com
News Poland
Bronisław Geremek: 1932 - 2008
Polish Bus Crashes in Serbia
Justyna Krzywicka
A reflection on the life of the Solidarity hero, who died in a car accident near
Nowy Tomyśl on the 13th of July at the age of 76
On the 11th of July a double-decker
coach carrying Polish tourists crashed in
northern Serbia, killing six, two of them
children. 40 passengers were injured,
Szymon Urbański
with twelve left in critical condition.
Both drivers survived. Among the 68 passengers, 34 were children returning from
“De mortuis nil nisi bonum” –
ment culminating in 1968, when
“Speak no ill of the dead”
Soviet and Eastern Bloc troops in-
a holiday in Bulgaria.
vaded Czechoslovakia. In protest
The vehicle was on a stretch of highway
The above dictum tends to prompt
he withdrew from the Party, and
close to Subotica, near the Hungarian
obituarists to write in a saccha-
became increasingly involved in
boarder, when it turned over. Most of the
rine
anti-communist activity.
victims of the accident were transported
tone
and
exaggerate
the
deeds of the deceased. But let’s
to a hospital in the city of Novi Sad, whilst
just read the names of the people
This bearded, pipe-smoking aca-
others were taken to Belgrade. The am-
who sent their condolences to
demic was disliked by many for
bassador for Poland, Maciej Szymanski,
the Polish government after the
his dry, paternalistic tone. As a
made his way to Novi Sad, where he was
sudden death of Bronisław Gere-
prominent democratic opposition-
joined by Serbian delegates. The Polish
mek. Among them were: Nicolas
ist he was constantly ridiculed
government quickly responded by send-
Sarkozy, the president of France,
by the communist press, being
ing a state plane to transport the victims’
Hans-Gert Pottering, the president
referred to as a “professor of me-
family members to Serbia. On the return
of the European Parliament, José
dieval France’s social dregs and
journey, the aircraft transported some of
Manuel Barroso, the president of
prostitutes.” However, a thorough
the injured back to hospitals in Poland.
the European Commission, Vaclav
knowledge of the social dregs
Havel, the former president of the
and prostitutes’ morals and cus-
It is still unclear whether the coach had
Czech Republic, the Italian presi-
toms proved to be quite useful
mechanical problems or whether the ac-
dent... the list goes on.
while reading the venomous texts
cident was caused by human error. Gaze-
of martial law propagandists in
ta Wyborcza reports that the prosecu-
They all honour Bronisław Gere-
1981, as one of his friends aptly
tor’s office in Bielsko-Biała is handling the
mek, a Holocaust survivor, a his-
remarked.
case, which will decide where the driver
torian of medieval France, an an-
may be charged for negligently causing an
ti-communist activist, one of the
Strangely enough, today, Gere-
accident resulting in death.The accident
founders of the Solidarity move-
mek’s most zealous political op-
marked the first in what has become a
ment in 1980, an architect of the
ponents are his former Solidarity
yearly spate of holiday bus accidents dur-
peaceful Polish revolution of 1989,
companions, including the Polish
which precipitated the fall of the
president. However, this is quite
Berlin Wall, the Foreign Minister
customary in Poland’s polarised
and artists alike, all aware of their
in exile in the West. Those who re-
into a ditch off a highway in Italy near
at the time Poland joined NATO, a
political scene, where minor ani-
civic duties, working for the coun-
turned were persecuted, arrested
Venice. 14 people were injured. The bus
true statesman, a member of the
mosities have turned into fierce
try, devoted to the dissemination
and often executed as spies.
driver had fallen asleep behind the wheel
European Parliament and a strong
hatred, and formerly united op-
of culture. These people formed
advocate of the Polish cause.
positionists have become life-long
the backbone of the Second Pol-
Some of the remnants of the deci-
ing the summer season. Two weeks after
/ photo Andrzej Barabasz
the crash in Serbia, a Polish bus veered
in the early hours of the morning.
enemies, enamoured of commu-
ish Republic after Poland regained
mated pre-war intelligentsia tried
Well, it’s edifying to remember
nist defamation methods. It is not
independence in 1918. World War
to survive on the wrong side of an
that he was not an unblemished
uncommon to hear theories spread
II proved to be disastrous for the
Iron Curtain, still doing their best
knight in his early political career.
by the extreme political right and
elite of the Polish nation. The
to oppose the system. These gen-
Like many fellow students in the
certain Church circles stating that
well-known Soviet massacre of
tle, educated men and women of
Poland has been granted a reprieve by
early 1950s, he was naively lured
Geremek was a key figure in an an-
Poles at Katyń was mirrored by a
culture were totally ill-fitted to the
the European Commission and now has a
by the communist ideas of social
cient universal Judeo-Freemasonic
parallel extermination of the in-
boorish and rustic reality of the
new deadline of the 12th of September
equality and justice, and he en-
conspiracy to destroy Poland, the
telligentsia carried out by the Na-
People’s Republic of Poland, where
for submitting plans to restructure the
tered the Communist Party. This
last stand of Catholicism in a secu-
zis. Thousands more perished on
the only officially acceptable form
Baltic shipyards or face having to return
clearly helped him in complet-
larised Europe. Well, the less said
all fronts of the war. The best of
of a citizen was a spawn of an al-
five billion złoty of illegal state aid.
ing his postgraduate studies in
about that the better.
the younger generation, including
liance of workers and peasants. As
Paris, since obtaining a passport
Poland’s Shipyard Saga Continues
Ewa Spohn
students and schoolchildren, died
professors, doctors, and lawyers
The Polish government’s struggle to meet
back then was close to miracu-
Whatever he deserves credit for,
in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944.
they assisted, advised and helped
the “final” deadline of 26th June proved
lous. However, Geremek’s high
Geremek was a representative of
When the Soviets took control of
defend protesting work-
to be in vain when the EC Competition
hopes for a “civilised socialism”
the intelligentsia; that unique class
Poland and the rest of Eastern Eu-
ers following the tragic
quickly
of educated people, professionals
rope, many Poles decided to stay
events in Poznań in 1956,
faded,
his
disappoint-
>> 7
Commissioner stated that the plans she
received, the culmination of four years
of efforts to work with the Polish government to find a positive solution for cre-
+RAKOWAPARTMENTS
INTHEOLDTOWN
ating sustainable jobs and securing the
long-term profitability of the shipyards
without state aid, do not achieve that
objective. Now Prime Minister Donald
Tusk has a packed schedule of meetings
with potential investors, some of whom
have been in the running for a while, and
TEL
others who have only come forward re-
INFO KRAKOWAPARTMENTSCOM
Norway and India. Whether a viable deal
cently, from as far afield as Abu Dhabi,
can be struck by the deadline remains to
be seen.
Krakow Post August 2008 7
www.krakowpost.com
News Poland
Restitution Resolution?
<< Continued from
U.S. Government urges Poland to adopt restitution
6
then in 1970, 1976 and 1980.
The late Jacek Kuroń, Gere-
Charges Made in
Katowice Roof
Collapse
mek’s friend and the future
Ewa Spohn
Minister of Labour and So-
Danuta Filipowicz
cial Policy, used to say with
reason: “Do not set the Party
The United States wants Poland
to “immediately enact” legislation on the complex issue of
restitution of property confiscated by the Germans and communists during and after World
War II. The U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Foreign Affairs endorsed a resolution to this effect on 16th July
after being lobbied through by
American Jewish organisations.
The congressmen want to see
an “unbureaucratic, simple,
transparent and timely” process
that will benefit the now elderly
former owners of property, artwork and shares through the
prompt and fair return of property, or the payment of compensation. Although the resolution
mentions Lithuania, Poland is
noted as virtually alone among
post-communist countries in
having failed to enact restitution legislation.
Poland is the world leader in
the number of potential restitution claims, with an estimated
value today of 60-100 billion
złoty for property appropriated
by the Germans during the war,
or the communists afterwards.
The situation is not helped by
the lack of reliable data on how
many people were affected, as
both passed a prolific amount
of legislation that removed
property rights and many records were destroyed during
the war.
“Although
this won’t
fully satisfy
the property
owners, it
is clear that
it will be
impossible
for Poland
to fund this
sum of money from its
budget when
it has so
many other
urgent social
needs to resolve. ”
The U.S. has been pressing the
Polish government on this subject for two decades, and the
congressmen on the committee told Poland’s daily Gazeta
Wyborcza that despite heavy
voter pressure, the resolution
could have been much firmer.
The congressmen’s advisor
pointed out that had the resolution been adopted even 10
years ago, the cost to the Polish budget would have been
lower, and added that there
is no expectation that 100
percent or even 50 percent of
the property’s value will be returned.
Donald Tusk’s team has been
drawing up a restitution bill
that will be ready by September and should be submitted to Parliament in October.
It is thought that it does not
foresee the return of actual
property but the payment of
a proportion (thought to be 20
percent) of its value. It will apply to property taken between
1944-1962 and to all who held
Polish citizenship at that moment. Although this won’t fully
satisfy the property owners, it
is clear that it will be impossible for Poland to fund this sum
of money from its budget when
it has so many other urgent social needs to resolve. Any solution must take into account
Poland’s fiscal reality as well
as the sentiment of the Polish
population, which doesn’t understand why today’s generations have to bear the costs of
German occupation and communist lawlessness.
The US Senate’s foreign affairs committee will vote on a
similar resolution shortly and
if passed, the two resolutions
will become the U.S. Congress’
official position, but will not
result in any more actions being taken towards Poland.
headquarters on fire; organ-
Twelve people have been charged in
ise your own ones.” This ap-
connection with the biggest construc-
proach is best described by
tion catastrophe in Poland. After a
an old joke: “What is the dif-
two-and-a-half-year investigation in
ference between the working
connection with the Katowice Trade
class and the intelligentsia?
Hall roof collapse, two designers, a
The workers cry: ‘We want
building inspector, two members of
bread!’; the intellectuals ask:
the building’s governing board and
‘Would you please pass the
seven others were charged. A faulty
bread roll?’”
roof design caused the hall’s roof to
collapse under heavy snow in January
If Lech Wałęsa and other
2006, according to Marzena Matysik-
strike leaders at the Gdańsk
Folga, a spokeswoman for prosecutors
shipyard were the heart of
in Katowice.
the
Solidarity
movement,
Geremek, Kuroń and Mazow-
At that time Poland was experiencing
iecki constituted its brain.
extremely cold weather with heavy
snow. On January 28th, 2006, the
There are but a few of this
trade hall was hosting the 56th Na-
dying breed still active in
tional Exhibition of Carrier Pigeons,
Poland’s political life these
with exhibitors from all over Europe.
days, most of them, like
There were roughly 500 people in the
Geremek, well into their sev-
hall just before the collapse. 65 died,
enties. Today, widespread
including eight foreign tourists from
higher education has given
Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands,
rise to quantity rather than
Slovakia and the Czech Republic, and
quality,
almost 150 people were injured.
with
university
graduates of no intellectual
background
whatsoever,
According to the investigation, this
lacking basic knowledge at
catastrophe occurred because of de-
even primary school level,
sign and construction errors, as well
especially of contemporary
as due to negligence by the building’s
history. A quick look at the
owners. Two designers of the build-
churlish rabble occupying
ing, Szczepan K. and Jacek J., face the
the
as
most serious charges of directly en-
well as a youth which de-
dangering people’s lives. If convicted,
tests politics, leaves doubts
they face up to 12 years in prison,
about the shape of things to
Matysik-Folga said.
Polish
Parliament,
come in this country.
Bruce R. and Ryszard Z., members of
the board, and seven other people
were charged with failing to fulfil
their responsibilities. Bruce and Ryszard knew that the roof was damaged,
however they allowed the fair to take
place. If convicted, all of them face up
to eight years.
Maria K., county building inspector,
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8 Krakow Post August 2008
www.krakowpost.com
News Poland
Katyń Massacre Not to be Investigated
Sermons For The 21st
Century
Grażyna Zawada
Russian courts block Katyń claims
To better address believers, Franciscan friars have begun broadcasting
brief and to-the-point sermons on
the website YouTube.com, answering youngsters’ questions on faith.
The friars had launched a website
(franciszkanie.net) before they
started a cycle of programmes
broadcast on YouTube. “Bez sloganu” (“No Slogan”) is a five-minute
film sermon where fathers Jakub
Waszkowiak and Leonard Bielecki
answer questions sent to them by
their audience - mainly teenagers
who are afraid to ask in person and
who are confused by Catholic teachings when confronted with the reality that they know. As the friars declare, they want to show that their
life is not composed of elevated
language clichés and slogans, but it
is based on certain values that they
revere. They say they broadcast
simple-language, plain messages for
a Godly purpose.
Justyna Krzywicka
A new episode is uploaded every
Thursday on YouTube, after the fathers realised the potential of internet broadcasting and decided to use
it for a noble cause. The topics are
God, faith, love and also recently
controversial subject in the church,
such as homosexuality.
O
n July 5th the Moscow Municipal Court
upheld the decision
of a regional court
refusing an inquiry into the
criminal investigation of the
Katyń massacre. Ten families
of the victims had appealed to
the Municipal Court to have the
matter re-opened. The NKVD
(Soviet Secret Police), acting on
Stalin’s orders, was responsible
for the 1940 execution of Polish officers and members of the
intelligentsia.
The victims’ families’ Russian
lawyer Anna Stavicka is adamant that the descendents may
still have strong grounds for a
further appeal to the Regional
Military Tribunal.
The relatives of the officers are
also claiming victims’ family
compensation from the Rus-
The massacre is remembered at the Katyń memorial in Krakow, April 2008 / photo Anna Spysz
sian state. The judge in the first
hearing ruled that compensation was only available directly
to the victims themselves. After
the unsound ruling, the matter
was transferred to the Moscow
Municipal Court, where the
judge again ruled against the
claimants. The families are now
appealing to the Military Tribunal for a hearing.
In 1990, Mikhail Gorbachev
was the first to make an official
admission that the NKVD had
been responsible for the Katyń
massacre. For decades the Soviet government had blamed Nazi
Germany for the executions, as
the mass graves had been uncovered by Nazi troops in western Russia, following Hitler’s
advance against Stalin.
Some 22,000 names make up
the four so-called Katyń lists.
The Poles were executed at
several locations in the former
Soviet Union. To this day, over
3,400 victims have yet to be
identified, although recent research suggests that they were
buried at Bykivnia in what is
now Ukraine.
The crime has gained immense
coverage in the media in recent
months, largely owing to a new
film by veteran filmmaker Andrzej Wajda. The 83-year-old
director, whose own father was
amongst the victims, won his
fourth Oscar nomination for
Katyń, which gained over 3 million viewers in Poland alone.
The film has yet to secure a
general release in Russia, although Katyń was given two
private screenings in Moscow
this March.
With regards to recent devel-
opments, Poland’s government
has been urged by families and
politicians to step in and appeal
to Russian authorities directly.
President Lech Kaczyński has
compared the massacre to an
act of genocide, although Russia officially denied this charge,
following an official military investigation in 2005.
Russia’s Chief Military Prosecutor Alexander Savenkov told a
press conference in April 2005
that “the version of genocide
was examined, and it is my firm
conviction that there is absolutely no basis to talk about
this in judicial terms.” Handing
over 63 files to Polish authorities, he withheld the remaining
116 on the grounds that they
contained “state secrets.” To
this day, no one has been put
on trial for the crime.
The programme is recorded with
an ordinary digital video camera in
the convent rooms in Poznan, without any specialised crew or extra
equipment. They don’t make cuts
or prepare a scenario - everything
is recorded live. All that is needed
is a priest (or in this case two) who
can speak clearly, plainly, frankly
and without any slogans. The short
messages are intended to reach
youngsters who are reluctant to attend Sunday masses, and are more
likely to spend their time surfing the
Internet.
The fathers are happy with the positive feedback they have received
and hope that, with God’s help, the
programme reaches a wider and
wider audience.
Krakow Post August 2008 9
www.krakowpost.com
Opinion
Starstruck
Knives Out for the Poles
by Soren Gauger
by Robert Szmigielski
O
n the Main Market
Square, right at the
corner where it meets
Szczepańska
Street,
there is a building that bears a
marble plaque: “Here lived Goethe
from 5-7 September, 1790.” The
plaque tells us less about the life
of the great German poet than it
does about Krakow’s specific provincialism – for if Goethe’s threeday arrival was enough of an occasion to merit a marble plaque,
we must unfortunately conclude
that this city did not have so very
many earth-shattering events to
commemorate in the 18th century.
Lord only knows, then, what our
children and grandchildren will
make of the star laid down at the
foot of Wawel Castle this summer
to celebrate the arrival of mediocre Canadian pop phenomenon
Celine Dion. Neither musically
compelling, nor groundbreaking in any way, nor physically
remarkable,
nor
charismatic,
Dion has now for decades been
making a career of peddling the
blandest kind of sentimental
melodies for listeners with the
lowest expectations from music.
For even in the barren wasteland
of radio pop music, Dion’s songs
distinguish themselves with their
utter lack of colour. Who among
us, even straining his or her
memory to its very limits, could
remember the melody of a Celine
Dion hit? Who among us, moreover, would take the time to make
the effort? If we have never met
a true enthusiast of Celine Dion’s
music ourselves, we can only suppose this has a certain logic to it;
we must assume that these are
not the sort of people whose musical tastes we inquire into, grey
and subterranean folk who work
all day in office buildings, then
retire quickly home to recline in
an easy chair and listen to music
that numbs the cells of their mind.
On the occasion of Czesław
Miłosz’s demise, there were many
voices saying that the wise old
Nobel-prize winning poet should
be laid to rest in the Wawel Cathedral. This immediately sparked
a national debate, with speakers
arguing with equal passion from
either side that Wawel, the patriotic heart of the nation, was
or was not the most appropriate place for Miłosz’s remains.
Eventually those who stated that
Miłosz was not a representative
of the same brand of patriotism as the other poets buried
there (Mickiewicz, Słowacki, Norwid) won out, and the poet was
brought to the church at Skałka.
That absolutely no discussion
was raised over Dion’s tribute at
Wawel at first seems a cruel injustice. But then, under closer
observation, it seems entirely
apt. Standing for nothing but the
most brainless of entertainment,
Dion represents a kind of artistic
black hole around which no intelligent discussion could possibly
circulate; a persona that could
only be met with an indifferent, if
scornful, shrug of the shoulders.
I
n what appears to be a clear case of head-insanditis, British Chief Constable for Cambridgeshire Julie Spence, claims that it is ingrained in Poland’s culture to carry knives,
and, in talk reminiscent of Orwell’s authoritarian government in 1984, she also declares that
Britain must “educate” the immigrant Polish
population on how to behave when on the Isles.
In the statement, made in early June, Mrs. Spence said: “We have had the Iraqi Kurds who carry
knives and the Poles and the Lithuanians who carry
knives. If it is normal to carry them where you come
from, you need to educate them pretty quickly.”
Indeed, the United Kingdom seems to have a problem.
Police in England and Wales recorded 22,151 incidents
involving knives (250 fatal) during 2007. Last month,
during a day of madness, 6 people were stabbed to
death in unconnected attacks around England, and
only last week an 18-year-old boy was the 21st teenager to die on London’s streets - where a total of 54
people have been stabbed to death so far this year.
Strange thing is, none of the latest tragic incidents involved a person of Polish origin - and if they have, no
doubt the tabloids would have screamed it from the
rooftops. Maybe Brits are stabbing each other, frustrated at the amount of immigrants in the country...
A small handful of Poles probably do carry blades (one
would be naïve to think otherwise), as do idiots native
to the British Isles, and those from other countries
that make up the UK’s rich cultural tapestry - and it
should not be tolerated. But, to focus on the Poles is
scandalous, and shifting the blame to an easy target.
Outrageous comments such as Constable Spence’s do nothing but add fuel to a fire elaborately constructed by convenient toilet roll substitutes such as the The Sun and The Daily Mail;
the latter lauding Spence as “an officer prepared to confront uncomfortable home truths.”
veyors of hysteria and town-criers of xenophobia,
who, with their severely biased coverage of an immigrant population, portray them to be the catalyst
for unemployment, benefit fraud and rising crime.
But why stop there? The UK’s soaring teenage pregnancies, binge-drinking problem (which we here in
Krakow are fortunate of experiencing first-hand most
weekends) – even England’s failure to qualify for Euro
2008 – surely all this is the immigrants’ fault too?
I digress. No nation is perfect. Poland has its own
problems: an astonishing number of fatal road accidents, a communist witch-hunt Senator McCarthy
would have been proud of, and a bickering government that can’t even agree on the Sejm’s canteen
menu - but to point the finger of blame on Poles
for a knife-culture caused by Britain’s own governmental failures and neglect of their youth is unacceptable, bordering on incitement to racial hatred.
Ultimately, it is a reckless statement that endangers the lives of thousands of Poles, and
will encourage small pockets of nationalist, racist thugs to take to the streets of Britain with the
aim of carrying out their own style of “educating.”
In a recent interview with TVN24, Chief Constable
Spence, whilst stopping short of an apology, said
that she didn’t mean to offend the Polish community,
claiming her words were taken “out of context.” Her
protestations fall on deaf ears; an experienced and
shrewd handler of the press, Spence should be aware
of the ammunition her ignorant remarks would provide for a manipulative and savage right-wing press.
As such, Julie Spence should be disciplined by her
superiors, forced to issue a public apology, and be
held to account for any reprisals that the UK’s Polish community may encounter as a consequence.
An unsurprising conclusion coming from the pur-
krakow-tours.com
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tel.: + 48 12 683 24 82
1
SZ LA
S Z LA
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Botanical
Gardens
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Schindler
Factory
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NOWA
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RL IN
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Apteka
Pod Orłem
Museum
Podgórze
TO
ZAKRZÓWEK
RESERVOIR, 4.5km
DĄB ROW
LE
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DŁ
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RKOW
KA
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TO
PODGÓRZE, 3km
St Joseph’s
Church
MI ON
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MA RII KON
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SK
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SK
TY N
TO
TYNIEC, 13km
There are plenty of paths within
the very heart of Krakow, including the scenic paved paths along
both sides of the Vistula.
IK
AR
ST
KRA
WAWEL
CASTLE
S
MO
1.CENTRAL ROUTES
RN
S
PLANTY
JA
TO
WOLSKI
WOODS, 7.5km
KRYSPINÓW, 12.5km
M
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OP
MOGIL SKA
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P IŁ
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GR OD ZK A
ALE
TO THE
BŁONIA, 1km
WA
PLANTY
MAIN
SQUARE
K IE G
SUDS
TO
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2
2.KRAKOW-NOWA
HUTA
Arka Pana
(Lord’s Ark)
Church
Aviation
Museum
ła
al. Jana Paw
ber tra
il
meadow
RYNEK
Botanical
Gardens
ul.Grzegórzecka
Cistercian
Abbey
Nowahucka
koju
al. Po
GRZEGÓRZKI
the amber trail
KAZIMIERZ
Church on
the Rock
(Pauline Church)
1m
0
PODGÓRZE
3
NOWA HUTA
the am
DĄBIE
STARE
MIASTO
WAWEL
CASTLE
II
An easy trail for
those looking to just
spend an afternoon
biking (and see some
interesting parts of the
city along the way), the
trail to Nowa Huta takes
you along the Vistula and
through the massive Park
Lotników Polskich (Polish
Pilots’ Park), where you’ll
find both the new Garden
of Experiments and the
Polish Aviation Museum. In
Nowa Huta itself, you might
want to ditch the bike for a
while and explore the insides
of Krakow’s communist past.
2 km
3.KRAKOW-TRZEBINA
A trail for serious bikers only, as it
takes a good six hours one way, after which you might want to take
the train back to Krakow, or spend
the night and head back the next
morning. The main attraction of
this trail, besides the scenic landscape views, is the vast Tenczyński
Landscape Park, where you’ll find
the ruins of the Tenczyn Castle.
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Cruising Krakow, ul. Basztowa 17,
Tel: +48 (0) 514556017, www.cruisingkrak
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Tel: +48 (0) 888029792, www.rentabike.p
ROUND
K O W
kow.com
etour.com
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4
*
Skała Fort
&
Kraków
Observatory
KRYSPINÓW
RESERVOIR
BUDZYŃ
LAS WOLSKI
(WOLSKI WOODS)
Piłsudski
Mound
*
PRZEGORZAŁY
BIELANY
*
*
ZOO
KRYSPINÓW
Benedictine
Monastery
Kościuski
Mound
*
*
Camaldolese
Monastery
Twardowski
Cliffs
Fort
Krępak
BIELAŃSKO-TYNIECKI
LANDSCAPE
PARK
PYCHOWICE
BŁONIA
SALWATOR
Norbertine
Convent
Devil’s
Bridge
*
*
KRAKÓW
ZAKRZÓWEK
RESERVOIR
SKOTNIKI
TYNIEC
Fort (Skotniki North)
*
*
Fort (Skotniki South)
0
0.5
1km
4.KRAKOW-LAS WOLSKI-KRYSPINÓW-TYNIEC
Starting in Krakow’s Salwator district, you’ll bike through
two of Krakow’s six mounds and the massive Wolski Woods,
which has its own network of trails worth exploring as well
as the Krakow Zoo. Heading west you can make a stop to
cool off at Krakow’s only proper beach at the man-made
Kryspinów Reservoir, before cycling across the river to the
historic village of Tyniec, site of the amazing Benedictine
Abbey on the Vistula River.
KRAKOW POST interviews Mike from Cruising Krakow
KP: How do you rate the bicycle as a form of transport in Krakow?
Mike: I think the size of Krakow is ideal for biking. It doesn’t matter where you live in Krakow, it’s not too far to get into the centre of the
city.
KP: What about the standards of bike paths in the city?
Mike: Some of them are good, but if they are good then it’s limited – you’ve got 200-400 metres of
continuous nice asphalt, segregated bike path and then you’ve got to join up with the road.
KP: When on the roads, are drivers generally considerate of cyclists?
Mike: I wouldn’t say so. Not at all. Taxis like to cut you off, buses as well. I had a bus cut me off on the
bridge - it was terrible, he could have killed me. Because it was an accordion bus, once he
manoeuvred across then the tail of the bus came in and squeezed me against the railing. So I wouldn’t
say they’re considerate at all. But not to discourage you!
KP: What would be your advice for someone who’s maybe not that comfortable on a bike, or is new to
Krakow, and doesn’t know the roads so well?
Mike: Well firstly to get a hold of a bike map. There’s a free bike map published by the city with bike paths
on it. Plus you can bike anywhere in the Old Town and you don’t have to worry about traffic, just people.
KP: After three years are you still enjoying giving the tours?
Mike: Well the bike tours take the same route obviously, and the information a lot of the time is the same, but you’re taking different people
round all the time so it’s always a little bit different – it’s always nice to be outside.
KP: Sometimes a strong breeze can inject a new dimension to the tour, right?
Mike: On one occasion yes. We were cycling along the river and we stopped across the river from the Hotel Forum, right underneath the Church
on the Rock, and I was giving my little spiel. In fact I had just finished saying that you shouldn’t swim in the river because you can get a ticket
- and come out with a tail – when a gust of wind pushed one of the bikes into the river. As I wasn’t sure how
deep it was I quickly threw everything out of pockets and jumped in after the bike, thinking that I was
about to lose it. But it turned out that river was no more than about a metre and a half deep, so there was
no need to rush. It was a nice treat for the ladies.
KP: Tell me about the country tour.
Mike: Because Krakow is in a valley, surrounded by countryside, you don’t have to travel very far - 25
minutes or half an hour on this tour – before you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere. The tour
takes you along the river, along a nice and flat, brand new bike path. Obviously there’s less stopping and less places of historical significance, but the final destination is a Benedictine monastery,
and you get a chance to go inside the monastery and see the monks singing. Coming back we take a
different route, a little more difficult, and see a bit of Polish forest and get to see some cool Austrian
fortresses. Just before we finish we get the chance to see the Twardowski cliffs and see the sun set
over the city.
12 Krakow Post August 2008
www.krakowpost.com
Health & Technology
Polish Doctors Develop New Cancer Therapy
Grażyna Zawada
P
olish
scientists
from the Pomorska
Akademia Medyczna
(Pomeranian Medical
Academy) in Szczecin, led by
Professor Jan Lubiński and
Cezary Cybulski, PhD, have
discovered a revolutionary
method of defining what type
of cancer a patient is prone to.
These tests can be performed
on anybody who wants to
check one’s vulnerability to
cancer.
The team found a defect in human genes that is characteristic for many tumors, which
could not have been found before using other methods, e.g.
analysing families prone to
cancer. The culprit is CHEK2,
a gene that is responsible for
DNA repair, done automatically before a cell divides.
However, if CHEK2 is damaged itself, the cell would not
“notice” its own damage and
would divide as damaged,
thus increasing the risk of developing a tumour further on.
Hence a previously favoured
theory of exclusive influence
Blogosphere
of the environment on cancer development has been
abolished. According to Prof.
Lubinski, a cancer develops
if favourable environmental
conditions occur and if one
is genetically predestined to
have one.
A group of 4,008 patients with
different forms of cancer was
compared with a group of
4,000 healthy people from different cities in Poland. In the
Polish population, which is
relatively homogenous, three
abnormalities were found in
CHEK2. Moreover, it turned
out that each of these abnormalities occurred two to five
times more often in cancer patients than in healthy people.
The experts have discovered
and developed “markers,” i.e.
gene change types that we
inherit when CHECK2 fails to
repair DNA before a human
foetus is created. Until now,
markers have been catalogued
for almost all types of breast
cancer, 80% of markers for
large intestine cancer, 50%
of markers for prostate gland
cancer and 70% of markers for
melanoma.
The results of the test are socially beneficial as it is possible that in the near future anybody undergoing the tests will
be able to learn whether he or
she is among those who are
vulnerable to certain tumours,
even without any family history of cancer. Moreover, it
has been discovered that the
more effective method of detecting breast cancer is magnetic resonance, rather than
mammography. Thirdly, the
specialists have discovered
a link between breast cancer
and ovarian cancer amongst
women with changed genes.
As it is widely known, the
sooner the cancer is located,
the bigger the chances for the
patient’s recovery.
Currently the scientists from
the Pomeranian Medical Academy are close to finishing an
innovative three-year test
concerning the impact of selenium on diminishing the tumour incidence rate.
Krakow’s Royal Piss Christ
Artur Rosman, The Other Journal
W
alking around the Planty Park in
Krakow last week I noticed someone using the Venus Victrix pose
on the steps of the exclusive Hotel
Royal: head propped up on hand, luckily no
exposed bosom (it was a man), apple apparently already eaten. Thanks to my extensive
use of computers my eyesight has suffered.
From a distance I thought, “Damn, these tourists get more and more creative with their
poses. I should compliment that guy for his
cultural literacy.”
Then I got a closer look. It wasn’t a tourist, well, unless he was a Brit (if you’re from
Krakow, you know what I’m talking about).
The man was sleeping. There was a puddle
next to him that my curious eyes trailed
toward his crotch. It was totally soiled. Had
I wanted to take a cast of his chest for a
statue—as Canova is purported to have done
with Pauline—then there would have been
little or meek resistance. The man was really
piss drunk. These kinds of situations make
Athanasius harder to swallow wholesale than
a glass of Everclear.
What was I supposed to do in this situation?
Should I have hugged the man like St. Francis
did with the leper? Would St. Francis have
hugged this man? Would that have helped?
Does it make a difference that on second
sight he resembled Christ as Ecce Homo more
than the Venus Victrix? Who cares about the
theoretical realisation that Christianity is
more sensitive to these issues than Roman,
Greek and all other religions? You just feel
helpless. For Christ plays in ten thousand
places! But in a puddle of urine? Good luck
getting the yellow of that image washed from
your memory.
The reaction of art critic Sister Wendy Beckett to Andres Serrano’s Piss Christ came to
me like a Good Samaritan in my interpretive
ditch. During an interview with Bill Moyers
she said Serrano’s photograph wasn’t blasphemous, instead it was a commentary on
“what we have done to Christ.” The fact that
Sister Wendy’s opinion is a charitable over-interpretation will not concern me here, instead
I’ll risk offending a few more sensibilities by
saying something that smacks of nostalgia
for the Medieval.
But aren’t we better, more sensitive, more
tolerant than people from the so-called Dark
Ages?
To read more, visit >>
www.theotherjournal.com
Although the Polish discovery
is not a cure for cancer, similar discoveries are expected to
follow and, as Lubinski says,
in some time we may know 20,
50 or even 100 similar cancerous gene mutations, which will
allow scientists to work out an
overall test for tumour vulnerability. The professor hopes
that Polish pioneer tests of
CHEK2 will play a leading role
in these advances.
First attempts to have the discovery patented in the USA
have already been made. A
detailed report about Polish
research has been published
in the American Journal of Human Genetics, 2004, 75: 11311135.
Unfortunately, Prof Lubinski’s
clinic is rather an exception
when it comes to the general
situation of cancer treatment
in Poland. According to Lancet
Oncology, Polish citizens have
half the chances of recovering
from cancer as citizens of the
U.S. or Japan, and appeared
last on a list of 31 countries
with advanced cancer treatment facilities. The differences come from diagnostic
possibilities, resulting from
expenditure on the latest medical technologies. Although
250 million zloty is spent every year in Poland on fighting
cancer, the level of treatment
for breast or ovarian cancer
is similar to that observed in
Holland 40 years ago. Patients
have low awareness of cancer
risks and rarely perform periodical tests, meaning that they
are often diagnosed when it’s
already too late. Often health
programmes funded by the
government are poorly organised and unavailable outside
of working hours – and so goes
the vicious circle. However,
overall the situation in Poland
has been steadily improving
in the last few years, and recently Poland was found on a
list of countries observing the
biggest increase of cancer survivors.
&
&
Krakow
Apartments
Stay in Style
www.krakow-apartments.com
[email protected]
phone +48 12 4214865
mobile +48 514973785
www.krakow-apartments.com
Krakow Post August 2008 13
www.krakowpost.com
Business
New Life for the Old Bones
Duncan Rhodes
Business in Brief
New City for a New Poland
Editor’s note: John Marshall’s “Buying a
for the building in the second half of
Flat in Krakow: Part 2” will appear in a
2005, represented by their local minor-
future edition.
ity partners, GD&K Consulting sp. z o.
As far as planned cities go, Poland’s
o., and since then Verity (who have a
experiment of the 20th century – Kra-
For nearly three decades the tallest
controlling 85 percent stake in the
kow’s Nowa Huta – failed dramatically
building in Krakow (approx. 93m tall)
project) have begun planning Skele-
as an economic project, as did most
has been the cause of acute embarrass-
tor’s resurrection. The concept is to
of the grand communist projects at
ment for the city. Existing as nothing
renovate the existing tower, whose
the time. However, the 21st century
more than an abandoned shell, the 24-
structure is architecturally sound, and
is bringing a new type of planned city
storey skyscraper has been dubbed by
to add two new wings on either side of
to Poland, this time with a very capi-
locals as “Szkieletor” (Skeletor), a wry
the skyscraper. The group has already
talist plan. The small town of Balin,
reference to the ribbed but fleshless
received two of the three outline build-
near Chrzanów and Trzebina and bor-
villain of the He-Man series, which it
ing permits they need from the city
dering both the Małopolska and Silesia
resembles.
(issued in April 2008) to realise their
voivodships, will be the future site of
ideas. Currently they envisage that the
a planned ultra-contemporary city for
The history of the building can be
tower will be split between an inter-
50,000 residents. “Nowe Miasto” (New
traced back to the mid-1960s when
national four star luxury hotel, on the
Town) will include modern houses and
a decision was made to construct a
bottom half, and luxury apartments on
apartment blocks, as well as hospitals,
modern office, training and confer-
the top, and that in addition two wings
ence centre for the Naczelna Organiza-
will be dedicated to A-class offices and
pleted by 2012, in time for the Euro-
er will be unique because there are no
and business centres, all spread over
cja Techniczna (The Supreme Techni-
commercial facilities. Internationally-
pean Championships, and the project
other high buildings nearby. Even the
an area of 400 hectares.
cal Organisation), with construction
renowned architect Prof. Hans Koll-
could have an enormous impact on the
views from halfway up the tower are
work finally starting in 1975. Progress
hoff has been called in to design the
district surrounding Rondo Mogiliskie,
impressive and uninterrupted, while at
The developer, Sultan Ahmed Bin Su-
slowed however in 1979 with the dete-
project, which has been titled “Trei-
revitalising the area and attracting
the very top the panoramic vistas are
layem, chose the site in Poland for his
rioration of the Polish economy, before
morfa” in honour of the three shapes
more investors instigating what in eco-
simply stunning. The location is city
newest project due to its convenient
halting altogether in 1981. Various at-
the complex will constitute. The Ger-
nomic terms is referred to as a “virtu-
centre and just metres from the Bo-
location between a major academic
tempts have since been made to revive
man professor is considered one of the
ous circle.”
tanical Gardens, the newly completed
centre – Krakow – and a major indus-
the project but without success, and
world’s leading architects in designing
Opera House and a short walk from
trial centre – Katowice and the sur-
Skeletor has remained nothing more
tall buildings in city centres, and his
Peter Bradley of Verity Development
Krakow’s main railway station and the
rounding areas of Lower Silesia, all of
than a towering icon of communist
previous work includes the design of
feels very positive about the success
new Galeria Krakowska shopping cen-
which are linked by the A4 highway.
failure and a sort of anti-symbol of the
the Daimler Chrysler Skyscraper in Ber-
of the project and the impact it could
tre. The A-class office will be an oppor-
The Dubai-based developer is also be-
city, championed by emo kids who en-
lin, the reconstruction of the Ministry
have on Krakow: “[The] Treimorfa
tunity for high profile large companies
hind the “World” project off the Dubai
joyed climbing the structure (illegally)
of Foreign Affairs, also in Berlin, and
Project is a unique opportunity for the
requiring a prestigious address in the
coast, which is a series of man-made
for a cigarette and views of the city.
the “Deutschherrnufer” Skyscraper in
historic and beautiful city of Krakow
centre of Krakow, designed by one of
islands in the shape of a world map.
Frankfurt.
to have a world renowned architect
the world’s best architects; not some-
Al Nakheel Properties will finance the
design a spectacular project in an out-
thing that has ever been available in
Balin project, working through the
standing location. Views from the tow-
Krakow until now.”
Krakow-based Institute of Business Law
A change however is in the making.
Verity Development won the tender
It is hoped that Treimorfa will be com-
schools, parks, and of course offices
and Foreign Investments Ltd., which is
krakow FEIJ
Should your business
be here?
Get your business seen in Krakow’s
leading English-language newspaper,
distributed at over 250 locations
across the city including the airport
and onboard LOTand Lufthansa flights.
buying lots from local landowners (at
a generous 10 złoty per square metre)
at the moment. While one reason the
Sultan chose Poland is its already welleducated and dynamic labour force, he
hopes that the new city will also be a
place for Poles coming back from working in the West.
[email protected]
tel: (012) 4291699
RECRUITMENT AND CONSULTING AGENCY
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A selection
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include:
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GBS Recruitment Agency
ul. Basztowa 23/1
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services to provide the best outcomes
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We look forward to hearing from you!
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tel.: 012 428 50 69
www.gbsrecruitment.com
14 Krakow Post August 2008
www.krakowpost.com
Sporting Post
Polish Beckham in Police Punch-up
Drunk footballers face charges of assaulting police officers
Sports Reporter
In an incident that tabloid editors dream about, two former
players in the Polish national
team were arrested in Mielno
on the night of July 27-28th
after getting into a brawl with
two police officers. One of the
players was none other than
Radosław Majdan, the former
Wisła goalkeeper whose playboy lifestyle (he was married
to pop princess Doda and not
so long ago his red Ferrari was
regularly found parked on Plac
Szczepański) has won him the
dubious accolade of “the Polish Beckham.” Indeed, the two
have several similarities, with
Majdan’s trademark pretty-boy
hairstyle and his numerous tattoos, not to mention his on/
off wife’s artificially-enhanced
hooters likening the two. But
whereas the original Beckham
has so far limited his violent
outbursts to the famous petulant kick on Diego Simeone
which saw him sent off in the
1998 world cup, Majdan has
now become involved in a far
greater scandal.
The ruckus took place in the
town of Mielno on the Baltic
Sea, after which Majdan, Polonia teammate Świerczewski
and another man, referred to
as Jarosław Ch., were arrested
and spent 48 hours in a holding
cell in Koszalin. The charges
against them include assault on
a police officer under the influence of alcohol.
The Polish press reported that
the men were partying very
loudly at a guesthouse, prompting a neighbour to call the police. When the cops arrived to
intervene, they were allegedly
met with physically forceful
“troublemakers” who violently
resisted arrest. The police had
to call for back-up and use gas
in order to finally subdue the
men.
Radek Majdan. Source: RealMadrid.pl
What consequences could the
footballers face if convicted?
As Majdan is also a Member of
Parliament for Donald Tusk’s
Citizens’ Civic Platform Party
(PO) (beat that Beckham!), he
could certainly be dismissed
from his position – currently he
has been suspended from the
Party. At the time of print, the
Polonia Warsaw football club
has decided not to renew either men’s contracts. Majdan’s
contract expired at the end of
June, and he was due to sign a
two-year contract at the start of
August. All three men also face
further jail time if convicted of
assault and battery.
However, at the moment nothing is certain, as the testimonies
of Majdan and Świerczewski
vary greatly from the testimonies of the police officers. According to Majdan, there was
“no aggression” from the footballers’ side: “I understand that
a policeman is a person too and
he got carried away, he began
to abuse him [Piotr Ś.] with gas,
but you cannot say that we suddenly began to fight with them.”
Several witnesses have partially
confirmed Majdan’s view of the
events, saying that trouble began when an officer attempted
to arrest Świerczewski, leading
the latter to retaliate violently.
The officers proceeded to allegedly hold Świerczewski down
on the ground and sit on top of
him, prompting a reaction from
both Majdan and the third man,
leading to their arrests.
While spending timein custody,
each man had their blood tested for alcohol and narcotic substances. Świerczewski refused a
breathalyzer test, while Majdan
was found to have 1.5 per mille
of alcohol. Majdan denies all
charges: “This matter is a farce.
I now have to suffer for something I did not do. I do not admit
to any of the alleged charges.”
He also stated: “None of what is
written in the press, that I had a
1.5 percent blood alcohol level,
that we were fighting with the
cops, is true. This matter is a
farce to me. Because I didn’t do
anything, I had to spend two
days in a cell.” When asked if
guilty, he denied all charges: “I
have nothing to admit. Maybe
only that I had one beer too
many. But I was not drunk.”
However, according to Przegląd
Sportowy, Majdan won’t stay
unemployed for long – apparently Arka Gdynia have already
expressed interest in the physically exuberant footballer.
Wisła Get the Jitters on European Stage
Sports Reporter
Beitar Jerusalem 2 : Wisła Krakow 1
On the 30th July Wisła Krakow
landed at Ben-Gurion International Airport and made their
way to Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem, hoping to make a bright
start to their UEFA Champions
League campaign against hosts
Beitar Jerusalem.
The Polish champions have
typically struggled in Europe,
their finest hour taking place
way back in the 1978/79 season, when they reached the
quarter-finals of the European
Cup only to be knocked out by
Malmö FF, 3:5. More recently, in
the 2005/06 season, Wisła narrowly missed qualifying for the
Champions League group stage,
after being beaten 4:5 by Greek
side Panathinaikos during extra
time. With results not living up
to the fans’ expectations, the
pressure was on for Wisła to
turn their European fortunes
around in Israel.
Beitar defender failed to deal
with authoritatively. Goalkeeper
Tvrtko Kale was also to blame:
coming for and missing the ball
on a high bounce he was left to
watch it helplessly as it looped
into his own net. The referee
rightly judged that the ball had
already crossed the line, after
a late clearance was made by a
back-tracking defender.
Things got off to a good start
for the Krakow side when Pawel
Brozek managed to get a head
to a speculative ball, which the
After taking the lead however,
Wisła were then guilty of not
pressing home their advantage,
Sobolewski going down too eas-
ily in the box when he had a
golden chance to make it 2-0.
The tide turned on the 60th minute. As half of the Wisła players
appealed for a penalty, Beitar’s
Michael Zandberg picked out
Baruchyan with a superb crossfield ball. Baruchyan was then
given much too much room
to shoot, scoring with a fierce
left-footed drive into the bottom corner of Pawełek’s goal. It
was Baruchyan again who compounded the visitor’s misery,
linking up beautifully with his
team mate to unlock the Wisła
defense and slot home the winner in the 79th minute.
As if to confirm that Wisła lack
the maturity to go far in this
competition Marek Zieńczuk
committed a needless second
bookable offence with two minutes remaining. The midfielder
will now be forced to sit out the
second leg through suspension.
Wisla will host Beitar Jersualem
on the 6th of August.
Krakow Post August 2008 15
www.krakowpost.com
Culture
The Manor and the Missing Talisman
Nick Hodge goes in search of underground legends
The manor house at Górki Wielkie, 1920s. Image courtesy of the Zofia Kossak Foundation
I
dyllic worlds turned upside down are the bread
and butter of children’s
tales, and this season’s
blockbuster saw Prince Caspian
don his armour in a bid to save
the imperilled land of Narnia.
Dwarves and talking badgers
may contrive to throw us off
the scent, but curiously enough,
Prince Caspian was partly shot
in the Silesian mountains of
southern Poland, a world that
has its own place in the canon
of children’s literature. It was
here that one of Poland’s bestloved children’s tales took
shape, Kłopoty Kacperka Góreckiego Skrzata, (The Troubles of A
Gnome) translated into English
in 1928 and now in development by Oscar-winning film
producer Zbigniew Żmudzki.
Prince Caspian saw the Pevensie children transported back
to Narnia, only to discover
that thousands of years have
elapsed and that the castle
which had been their home is
a mere ruin. Today, travellers
arriving at the village of Górki
Wielkie, the real-life setting of
The Troubles of A Gnome, are
met with no less rude a shock.
The 300-year-old manor, home
of the gnome Casp - mischievous hero of the Polish tale
- is a gaping shell. Wandering around the ruin, it’s hard
to imagine that the house still
stood seventy years ago. Finches swoop in, alighting on obsolete arches. Dead leaves twist
in the breeze across the floor.
There is no trace of the graceful
avenue of birch trees that once
made up the main drive to the
house. Light industry has arrived. A factory flogging plastic
lanterns flanks one side of the
manor, a battery chicken business borders the other. It’s a
typical scene in today’s Poland.
The pre-war owner of the house,
Zofia Kossak-Szatkowska (18891968), was one of Poland’s finest authors of historical novels.
She lived here with her family until 1939. When the Nazis
came, they commandeered the
property and the house went
up in a blaze in 1945. Kossak
had to flee Poland the same
year, as the Communists had
earmarked her as a troublemaker. A co-founder of Żegota (the
Polish Underground’s Council
to Aid Jews) and a survivor of
Auschwitz, she was a larger
than life character who the Party simply didn’t trust.
the goblin and his minions.
A Return to Roots
Today, the sorry state of the
house seems to fly in the face
of traditional cheery endings.
But over in what remains
of the garden, some fantastical work is afoot.
In The Troubles of
a Gnome, Casp is a
venerable fellow who
watches
over
the
household,
including all of its peculiar
sprites, and the many
farmyard
animals.
Although
generally respectable, he is fond
of getting up to mischief. He
has a penchant for turning
paintings upside down and
hiding people’s spectacles. His
treasured talisman, Maru, is a
magic earring that allows him
to turn invisible, shift fiendishly heavy objects, and not least,
transport himself through thin
air. However, one day the talisman falls into the clutches of a
hideous hobgoblin. The whole
fate of the manor is thrown into
jeopardy. Finally, all the animals and sprites must put aside
their differences to vanquish
It’s said that only mad
dogs and Englishmen go
out in the midday sun.
But here in the garden
a band of students from
Krakow’s Arts Academy
is braving the heat.
Emerging from a 200
metre squared panorama
is a scene from Zofia Kossak’s
book Puszkarz Urbano, detailing the Fall of Constantinople
in 1492. Alongside, children are
creating their own merry masterpiece, a panorama peopled
with characters from The Troubles of a Gnome. It’s a scene
that would have delighted
Wojciech Kossak, Zofia’s uncle,
as he painted one of Poland’s
most fabled works of art – The
Racławice Panorama (1894). In
mid-August, a second wave of
“The Kossak Summer of Arts”
begins, this time with international sculptors having a crack
THE KOSSAKS
Although the family was a part
of the old Polish gentry, Kossak
didn’t become a household name
until the nineteenth century. It
was Juliusz (1824-1899) and his
son Wojciech (1857-1942) who
turned things around. They took
the Polish art world by storm with
their swashbuckling slant on the
nation’s history. The father and
son pair largely worked at a time
when Poland didn’t actually exist
as a sovereign country, and just
as novelist Henryk Sienkiewicz
tried to “uplift hearts” with his
Three Musketeers-type sagas,
so the Kossaks did likewise with
their paintings. They specialised
in crazed cavalry charges and, not
least, portraits of noblemen with
huge moustaches. It wasn’t avantgarde stuff, but it was a major
hit. Indeed, just as an English
manor would have been incomplete without pictures of chaps
chasing foxes, so, in the Polish
dwór, everyone wanted a Kossak
on the wall.
Wojciech’s son Jerzy (1886- 1945)
was another hit painter, but it was
his daughters Maria (1891-1945)
and Magdalena (1894-1972) who
took the family in more intriguing
directions. Maria PawlikowskaJasnorzewska, who wrote under
her marital names, was a flamboyant figure, known as the “Polish
Sappho,” or “the queen of lyrical
poetry.” She sparked a fair few
scandals, both in her private and
literary adventures. Her younger
sister, Magdalena Samozwaniec,
also made her mark on the literary world, and her satirical works
and aphorisms remain highly
popular today.
Zofia Kossak-Szatkowska (18891968), the subject of the accompanying article, was the granddaughter of painter Juliusz, and
the daughter of Wojciech’s twin
brother Tadeusz. She is regarded
as one of the country’s foremost
writers of historical novels, and
her works have been translated
into many languages. When war
came, she joined the Polish
Underground and co-founded
Żegota, the Council to Aid Jews.
After surviving Auschwitz, she
was harassed by the Communists
and spent twelve years in exile in
England. After Stalin’s death, she
was allowed to return to Poland,
where she ended her days in 1968.
Zofia Kossak-Szatkowska
16 Krakow Post August 2008
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Culture
Culture
Culture
at characters from Kossak’s
books.
Overseeing all this is Anna
Fenby-Taylor, the eldest granddaughter of Zofia Kossak. A
soft-spoken lady born in England after the war, she began
restoring the property in 2004.
“The whole idea of the Summer
of Arts was to get people who
pass by regularly just to call
in and realise that they have
got something here that has
changed,” she says.
“This was allowed to go to ruin
and was in a shocking state ten
years ago. But now at least there
is something to see, somewhere
to relax. We want it to be a place
where people come with their
friends, their family, and have
a pleasant day out.”
Mrs. Fenby-Taylor, supported
by Kossak descendants in England and Switzerland, is transforming the hotchpotch of
battered estate buildings into
a new enterprise. The stableblock has been converted into a
hostel for hikers. The ice-house
now has kitchens and a hall for
meetings and dinners.
“If I’d known how much trouble
it would be,” she jokes, “I might
never have started!”
Fenby-Taylor’s first memories
of Poland go back to the early
sixties. After Stalin’s death,
there was a brief blast of optimism known as the “thaw,” and
Zofia Kossak, now ageing, was
invited to return to Poland. The
regime wanted to be seen to be
conciliatory with literary greats,
and a ban was lifted on most of
Kossak’s books. Not least, the
author and her husband were
allowed to live in the former
CULTURE IN BRIEF
gardener’s cottage on the estate – a rare privilege in a country where former squires were
banned from going anywhere
near their pre-war property.
That said, the Party must have
soon regretted its decision, as
Kossak was one of the first to
protest against censorship, and
she deliberately turned down a
state prize in 1964.
Competition for Best Krakow
Film
Veteran filmmaker Andrzej Wajda is sponsoring a nationwide
prize for an outstanding film
script with Cracovian themes.
The lucky winner of the “Trzy
Korony Krakowa” (The Three
Crowns of Krakow) competition will have his or her film
made into a full-length feature
by TVP. They’ll also be given a
handy 60,000 złoty towards the
project.
“My grandparents were an interesting pair,” Mrs. Fenby-Taylor recalls, a coy smile lighting up her face. “She was very
short. Short in stature, but she
was fairly round, and she had a
very sweet tooth. She liked pastries and things like that. And
although post-Auschwitz she
was really just like a walking
skeleton, gradually, she put on
weight.
“My memories of her go back
to a very homely person, very
kind, gentle, a person who had
presence and charisma. For
some reason, one was very happy just being in the same room
as her. She was one of these
people who put you at ease and
made you feel incredibly important and valued.”
These qualities must have
proved fundamental in founding the Council to Aid Jews
during the war. Although by no
means a conventional philosemite (indeed, Kossak had voiced
distinct reservations about the
Jewish community), in 1943
she galvanised people to take
action, risking her own life and
persuading others to do likewise in a bid to save Jews from
the Nazi ghettos.
Anna Fenby-Taylor describes
her grandmother as “the eternal optimist”:
Casp the Gnome, illustrated by Charles Folkard (1928)
“I never remember her getting
cross. She sometimes frowned
when she read a letter, so clearly something worried her. But
she had an incredible trust in
God, and she took each day as
it came.”
all night she had problems with
the quilt. She said that she had
an actual physical battle - that
there was someone at the end
of the bed, pulling it off. She
always swore that it was Casp!”
Similar stories abound.
Humour was also a help, a characteristic that shines through
in Kossak’s books: “She managed to say things with a slight
twist,” her granddaughter remembers, “she always had a
twinkle in her eye.”
Zofia Kossak noted in her book
that Casp was to be the guardian spirit of the manor until the
end - “until the foundations go
to dust and the house sinks into
moss-covered ruins.” The twentieth century may have dealt
some brutal blows, but things
haven’t got quite that bad yet.
The manor’s walls have recently been propped up, and there
is talk of further restoration.
The garden cottage lives on as
a charming museum. And if animated film producer Zbigniew
Żmudzki can pull off another
hit, Casp could be on the verge
of an altogether new adventure
- movie stardom.
In this light, it’s easy to see
the gnome Casp as the fruit
of a playful mind. He was a
friendly ghost (some say Hollywood actually took the idea for
their film and television series
Caspar The Friendly Ghost), intended to help the young Kossak children feel at home in a
creaky old house. But talking to
members of the family, it soon
becomes apparent that Casp
was much more than that.
“Casp was definitely a member
of the family,” Mrs. Fenby-Taylor
affirms. “My father, the grownups, they all talked about him
as if he was a real entity, and
someone to be respected. There
was a custom of leaving wine
for Casp in the evenings, and
when my aunt Marysia drunk
it one night on the way to bed,
thinking it would go to waste,
The Kossak manor today
“It’s
a
wonderful
story”
Żmudzki told the Krakow Post,
“we think it has the ingredients
for a fantastic film.”
For more info about the Kossak
Summer of Arts see CL7, or log
on to www.zofiakossak.pl
Wajda, who has lived in Krakow
for most of his life, has assembled a first class jury to select
the winning script. Directors
Feliks Falk and Janusz Majewski will be taking two of the hot
seats, and they’ll be joined by
actor Jerzy Stuhr and sceenwriter Cezary Harasimowicz.
TVP will be publishing more details on their website at www.
tvp.pl.
Polish Architects Recognised
Two Polish architectural firms,
Krakow’s Mobius Architekci
and Poznań’s Front Architects,
have made this year’s Wallpaper magazine’s prestigious list
of the world’s 50 hottest young
architecture practices, the
“Architects Dictionary 2008.”
Mobius Architekci arose just
two years ago, created by Krakow University of Technology
graduate Przemysław Olczyk,
and specialises in residential
architecture and interior design. The firm has already contributed several houses to the
landscape of Krakow, including
a built-house extension project
in the Wola Justowska district,
and more are planned for the
future.
British magazine Wallpaper is
one of the biggest international
design and architectural publications, and each year picks the
hottest young architecture firms
based on a variety of factors –
including unconventional design
solutions and business practices
– in addition to their portfolios.
The full list of the Architects
Dictionary 2008 can be viewed
online at www.wallpaper.com/
architecture/architects-directory-2008/2474
Krakow Post August 2008 17
www.krakowpost.com
Culture
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
REEL LIFE
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
THEME: KRAKOW SUMMER
Fight the future: don’t see this movie
I wanted to believe, I really did. I mean, I was a true believer once, I even had that
poster of Mulder and Scully and the big eerie X (you know the one) above my bed
when I was 12. I wanted to join the FBI and become Mrs. Fox Mulder back then.
And now? Now I just want my 19 złoty and 100 minutes back. To say that The XFiles: I Want to Believe is merely a drawn-out X-Files episode would actually give
it more credit than is due, as most regular episodes of the series, particularly from
the first six or so seasons, were far superior in their 40 minute entireties than this
film. It’s as if the writers took a below-average non-story arc episode, extended
it to movie length, threw in some bits out of Scully and Mulder’s post-FBI lives
(which have become quite dull, apparently), and added some mad Russian scientists with Dr. Frankenstein aspirations just for kicks. Sure, the obvious nostalgia
points were present to appease the dedicated followers: references to Mulder’s
sister, the endless science vs. faith debate (still unresolved), even Skinner made
an appearance. But where are the aliens, the intricate conspiracy theories involving the highest levels of government? Or, God forbid, the brilliant philosophical
quandaries that made the show so intriguing in the first place? Even the previous
mediocre X-Files episode in movie form, Fight the Future (1998), had a much
grander vision and tied into the overall series plot. Have Mulder and Scully really become so boring in their middle age, or have we as viewers, as loyal fans,
become so old, so boring in those six years since the show ended that Chris Carter
and company thought we could actually tolerate this poor excuse for a film? I want
to believe it’s the former... but the truth is out there.
Anna Spysz
SHELF IMPROVEMENT
Selected Tales by Henryk Sienkiewicz
A fine introduction to a Polish great
Henryk Sienkiewicz, (1846-1916) does not need any introduction to readers of
classic Polish writing. This gem of a book, however, gives a fascinating insight
into the younger writer, whose father was a Polish nobleman of Tatar descent.
Most famous for the epic novel Quo Vadis (which helped win his Nobel lifetime
achievement award in 1905), he is best-loved in Poland for his later historical
novels With Fire and Sword, The Deluge, and Fire in the Steppe - known as
“The Trilogy.” This collection of early stories contains “The Old Servant” (1875),
and “Hania” (1876), the first two stories known collectively as “The Little Trilogy,” (the third being “Selim Mirza,” 1877). Themes of love and death abound.
In “Hania,” two schoolboy friends (one Tatar, the other Polish) growing up on
neighbouring estates fall in love with the orphan Hania, a typical character-type
in Sienkiewicz’s early stories, and fight a blood-curdling duel... History is played
out on a smaller stage. Included also is perhaps his best-known early story: “The
Lighthouse Keeper,” a lyrical account of a Polish wayfarer who manages to find
employment in Panama as a keeper of the seas. He falls upon a washed-up copy
of Pan Tadeusz, which sends him into a nostalgic reverie for his lost Poland,
whereupon he falls asleep on the rocks, with disastrous results. All in all, this is
an invaluable collection as an introduction to the early Sienkiewicz, well worth
rooting out, and a great introduction to the mindset of the later Nobel prizewinner.
August’s Photo of the Month was taken by Harry Gluck
“An image of modern Krakow - a picture of a laughing nun taken near the Stare Miasto”
In September Krakow Post will publish the best “summer concerts” photo. The winner will
receive a free Krakow Post t-shirt.
All entries welcome. Send entries to [email protected] by August 25th.
This month’s “Shelf Improvement” was written by Rob Tootell, the author
of Krakow Stories and Stranger Things Than This. [email protected]
Language
Trips off the Tongue
Grażyna Zawada
Is Polish really that difficult? Or is that just a myth, an over-used excuse touted by lazy language students?
Let’s find out… Krakow Post introduces a series of brief lessons, which should prove useful when learning this beautiful
language, as prepared by a native Polish linguist and teacher.
Q: Can you please explain the uses of
need to consider the gender (male/female/
one (“jeden”) has an nominative ending as
dziewczyny/dwa krzesła [I see ...]
dwa, dwie, etc., and generally when each
neutral in singular and masculine personal/
a noun (ø/-a/-o) and inflects as an adjec-
The rest have one form:
type of “two” should be used?
non-masculine personal in plural), which
tive in other cases. Number two (“dwa”)
genitive: Nie ma dwóch chłopców/dziewc-
grammatical case is needed in a particular
inflects only for gender and its most tricky
zyn/krzeseł. [... are not here]
A: It’s important to know that Polish nu-
sentence structure, and sometimes num-
cases are the nominal and accusative:
dative: Dziękuję dwóm chłopcom/dziewc-
merals inflect for cases and gender (ordi-
ber (singular/plural). In Polish there are
nals also for number), and that’s a source
three basic types of numerals: cardinal,
nominative: Dwaj chłopcy/dwie dziewc-
instrumental: Idę z dwoma chłopcami/
of many potential problems for all who
ordinal and collective. Cardinal numerals
zyny/dwa krzesła stoją na schodach [Two
dziewczynami/krzesłami [I go with ...]
want to master Polish, because it requires
show (as in English) the general number of
boys/girls/chairs
locative: Opowiadam o dwóch chłopcach/
a lot of attention and focus from a for-
something you want to speak about, but
stairs]
eigner. To express a numeral properly you
you need to fit it in a proper case. Number
accusative: Widzę dwóch chłopców/dwie
zynom. [I thank....]
are
standing
on
the
dziewczynach [I tell about....]
TO BE CONTINUED NEXT MONTH...
Confused by Polish grammar? Send your query
to editor@krakowpost.
com, and our Polish
linguist may answer your
question in the next
edition of “Trips off the
Tongue!”
18 Krakow Post August 2008
www.krakowpost.com
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Culture
Culture
Culture
Music
Live Review:
CocoRosie: Something Like an Interview
Philip Palmer
Saxophone Summit Blows Hot and Cold
Thymn Chase
CocoRosie relax in their natural habitat
The inaugural concert of this year’s Piwnica Pod Baranami Summer Jazz Festival, the “Saxophone Summit,” on
paper should have been a fascinating dialogue between
saxophonists Branford Marsalis, Greg Osby, Lee Konitz,
Janusz Muniak and Adam Pierończyk. Unfortunately, the
programming was too safe to be a real summit, with the
first set matching like with like and the second given
over to a performance by The Branford Marsalis Quartet.
T
The concert was opened by Lee Konitz. Arguably one
of the finest alto saxophonists ever to have lived, he
is revered for his constant search for new challenges.
During his long career, he has managed to assimilate all
the jazz revolutions, even performing in the 80s with
musical extremist, guitarist Derek Bailey. But he is already in his late seventies and appeared ill at ease as he
squinted up at the blinding lights, and anxiously eyed
his watch. His partner, Janusz Muniak, who is strongly
influenced by former Konitz collaborator, Stan Getz,
afforded Konitz too much respect, even withdrawing
behind the grand piano at one point to give the elder
statesman centre stage. It was interesting, however, to
see Konitz perform in a range of different combinations
with young musicians like pianist, Paweł Kaczmarczyk.
After this slightly disappointing opening, young gun
Adam Pierończyk was paired up with Greg Osby, a
passer-on of the flame who is best known for creating a
raw but relatively undemanding fusion of virtuosic jazz
sensibility and what he considers to be the sounds of
the ghetto - hip hop and funk breakbeats. So the set was
unsurprisingly dominated by the wide array of clinically precise rhythms served up by drummer Krzysztof
Dziedzic. And the clothes summit... Pierończyk’s cheeky
black and white striped shirt was nicely offset by Osby’s
perfectly tailored grey suit. Similarly, Pierończyk’s
trademark darting runs were nicely complemented by
Osby’s cool angular playing.
en minutes after performing a
KP: All right, lets pour some concrete. How
ra’s bathroom for two months. When they
breathtakingly beautiful and
do you feel about the gig?
emerged they had their first album record-
thoroughly energetic set Sat-
Bianca: Amazing! I think this was one of
ed on an amateur tape recorder – this was
urday night at Open’er 2008,
the best crowds we’ve played to all sum-
the beginning of CocoRosie.
I found myself face to face with the two
mer. There was so much energy. They re-
enchantingly eclectic sister sirens of Co-
ally made us feel at home.
KP: What is your least favourite colour?
coRosie. Upon entering their dressing
Sierra: Yeah this crowd was even better
S: Least favourite?
room I immediately felt that I’d entered
than Roskilde last night. There is something
B: We love all the colours, how could you
some kind of magical alternate realm;
special about this Polish audience – they re-
not like any of them?
children’s instruments, weird toys, pots
ally felt the music. We could have played
S: Yeah, there is a time and an emotion for
of acrylic paints, crayons, markers, lip-
all night.
every colour.
stick, mascara, neon face paint, glit-
KP: Is this your first time playing in Poland?
ter and an assortment of costumes and
B: No we’ve played in Warsaw once be-
[Feeling
clothes were scattered across the room.
fore.
scanned the room for a potentially scurri-
Bianca (aka Coco) sat in the middle of the
S: Twice.
lous colour and my eyes eventually fell on
room on a puffy couch and was colour-
B: Really? I can’t keep track anymore.
my own jacket.]
ing in a Moleskin journal and Sierra (aka
S: Yeah, both gigs were pretty great and we
Rosie) was seated in front of a mirror ei-
felt a lot of love.
slightly
unsatisfied
I
quickly
KP: Even dirty beige?
S: …Ew, maybe not that one. I don’t think
ther putting on or taking off some funky
make-up. As I settled into a plastic chair I
For the uninitiated, Bianca and Sierra Cassi-
I would ever wear anything beige. It’s kind
got an eerie, slightly ludicrous feeling one
dy are American sisters both born in the
of boring and dull… Bianca you would look
might get before attempting to interview
early 80s in separate states and raised sep-
terrible as well.
a pair of unicorns.
arately – each with a different one of their
B: Yeah. That’s probably the most f*cking
estranged hippy parents. They were reunit-
depressing, lifeless and disgusting colour
Bianca: Ok let’s do this thing, let’s hit this.
ed in 2003 in Paris when Bianca randomly
there is now that you mention it.
Lets get this thing done…
turned up at Sierra’s apartment. Sierra had
KP: Sorry for mentioning it.
been studying in Paris to be a professional
B: Don’t worry about it.
[I was slightly taken aback but totally
opera singer and Bianca was “wandering”.
pulled back to reality by Bianca’s street-
Something clicked immediately and music
To read more, visit >>
wise Brooklyn accent and her sharp tongue.
started pouring out of both of them. They
www.krakowpost.com
No unicorns here.]
then proceeded to lock themselves in Sier-
Branford Marsalis is probably best known for his contributions to Sting’s “Englishman in New York” et al. and
the scores for the Spike Lee films, Mo’ Better Blues and
Do The Right Thing. While his younger brother, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, exploded onto the scene fullyformed in the early 80s, Branford was forced to develop
his own voice in the glare of media attention that the
outspoken family have often attracted. Criticised in the
early days for his inability to “focus an eloquent battery
of remarks into a proper speech,” he is now considered
to be one of the greatest saxophonists in the world.
And he certainly behaves as if he is. He swaggered onto
the stage like a prizefighter before churlishly suggesting
that the venue was unsuitable for the music his quartet
played and promising that he wouldn’t treat the crowd
to “stories” between numbers that they couldn’t possibly understand. Thank God for that. Because when the
music was left to speak for itself, his quartet produced
music of real fire and imagination underpinned by the
extraordinarily sensitive drumming of Marsalis’s long
term percussionist, the bull-necked bundle of exploding
nerve endings that is Jeff “Tain” Watts.
The second encore finally offered the patient crowd a
chance to hear all the saxophonists on the stage at one
time. Konitz, in particular, really began to show what
he’s capable of. A tantalizing glimpse of what could
have been.
Krakow Post August 2008 19
www.krakowpost.com
Extra Post
Official Distributors
Companies &
Business Centres
Bars &
Restaurants
British-Polish
Chamber of Commerce
Any Time Sandwich Bar
ul. Estery 16
British Petroleum
Polska
ul. Jasnogorska 1
Aqua e Vino
ul. Wislna 5/10
Buma Square
Office Building
ul. Wadowicka 6
EnergoprojektKrakow SA
ul. Mazowiecka 21
Euromarket
Office Center
ul. Jasnogorska 1
Arka Noego
ul. Szeroka 2
Art Club Cieplarnia
ul. Bracka 15
Bagel Mama
ul. Podbrzezie 2
Baraka
pl. Nowy 7
IBM BTO
ul. Armii Krajowej 18
Bohemia
ul. Golebia 2
International
Paper Polska
ul. Lubicz 23
Boogie Cafe
ul. Szpitalna 9
Krakow Tech Park
Lubicz Office
Building
ul. Lubicz 23
Symposium
Cracoviense
ul. Krupnicza 3
Universities &
Schools
British International School of
Krakow
ul. Smolensk 25
Boom Bar Rush
Klub
ul. Golebia 6
Budda Bar
Rynek Glowny 6
Bull Pub
ul. Mikolajska 2
Cafe Camelot
ul. Tomasza 17
Cafe Golebia 3
ul. Golebia 3
Cafe Manekin
ul. sw. Tomasza 25
GZegrzólka
ul. sw. Tomasza 1
Cafe Philo
ul. sw. Tomasza 30
Maly Rynek
Language School
Maly Rynek 3
Cafe Sukiennice
Rynek Glowny 1/3
Open Mind
ul. Bracka 1a/1
Pedagogical
University
of Krakow
ul. Karmelicka 41
Politechnika
Krakowska
1. International
Training Center
“CzyZyny”
2. Centrum
“Sokrates”
Cafe Zakatek
ul. Grodzka 2
Coffeina Internet
Cafe
Rynek Glowny 23/3
Klub Internetowy
Planet
Rynek Glowny 24
Lemonday
pl. Na Groblach
22
Le Scandale
pl. Nowy 9
Les Couleurs
ul. Estery 10
M Club
ul. Tomasza 11a
Massolit Books &
Cafe
ul. Felicjanek 4/2
Mechanoff
ul. Estery 8
Metropolitan
ul. Slawkowska 3
Mleczarnia
ul. Meiselsa 20
Moliere Cafe
ul. Szewska 4
Nandu Internet
Cafe
ul. Wislna 6
Nic Nowego
ul. Krzyza 15
Nikita Bar
ul. Slawkowska 26
Abella Guest
Rooms
ul. Dluga 48
Affinity Flats
ul. Karmelicka 7
ARS Hostel
ul. Koletek 7
Atlantis Hostel
ul. Dietla 58
Blue Bells Apartments
ul. Starowislna 22
Campanile
ul. sw. Tomasza 34
City Hostel
ul. Krzyza 21
Deco Hostel
ul. Mazowiecka 3a
Dizzy Daisy
Hostels
ul. Pedzichow 9
Express Holiday
Inn
ul. Opolska 14
Flamingo Hostel
ul. Szewska 4
Nowa Prowincja
ul. Bracka 3
Good Bye Lenin
Hostel ul. B.
Joselewicza 23
Nowy Kuzyn
Maly Rynek 4
Grand Hotel
ul. Slawkowska 5/7
Pod Sloncem
Rynek Glowny 43
Hostel Hocus
Pocus
ul. Florianska 28
Property Krakow
ul. Cybulskiego 2
Prowincja
ul. Bracka 3/5
Punkt
ul. Slawkowska 12
Camera Cafe
ul. Wislna 5
Re
ul. Krzyza 4
Casa della Pizza
Maly Rynek 2
Ross Amores Cafe
Rynek Glowny 15
Club Clu
ul. Szeroka 10
Restauracja
Pod Krzyzykiem
Rynek Glowny 39
Club Pod Jaszczurami Rynek
Glowny 8
Hotels, Hostels
&
Guest Rooms
Holiday Inn
ul. Wielopole 4
Hotel Amadeus
ul. Mikolajska 20
Hotel Copernicus
ul. Kanonicza 16
Hotel Eden
ul. Ciemna 15
Hotel Major
ul. Gdynska 6
Hotel Pod Roza
ul. Florianska 14
Ristorante Da
Pietro
Rynek Glowny 17
Hotel Pod
Wawelem
pl. na Groblach 22
Siesta Cafe
ul. Stolarska 6
Hotel Senacki
ul. Grodzka 51
CK Browar Pub
ul. Podwale 6/7
Square Pub
ul. Grodzka 51
Hotel Stary
ul. Szczepanska 5
Czekolada
ul. Bracka 4
Srodziemie
pl. Wszystkich Sw. 8
Hotel Wentzl
Rynek Glowny 19
AGH
Technical University
al. Mickiewicza 30
Del Papa Ristorante
ul. sw. Tomasza 6
Szara Kamienica
Rynek Glowny 6
University of
Economics
ul. Rakowiecka 27
Dom Podroznika
ul. Koletek 7
Szara na Kazimierzu
ul. Szeroka 39
Hotel PTTK Wyspianski
ul. Westerplatte 15
Drink Bar “Vis
a Vis”
Rynek Glowny 29
Tajemniczy Ogrod
ul. Bratska 3/5
Jagiellonian
University:
1. Campus
2. Administration
Building
3. Dom Gościnny
“Przegorzaly”
4. Institute of
European Studies
5. Students Hostel
Consulates
American Consulate
ul. Stolarska 9
Austrian Consulate
ul. Krupnicza 42
German Consulate
ul. Stolarska 7
Hon. British
Consulate
ul. sw. Anny
Hon. Norwegian
Consulate
ul. Mazowiecka 25
Airlines & Travel
British Airways
Cyrano de Bergerac
ul. Slawkowska 26
Dynia
ul. Krupnicza 20
Faust Klub
Rynek Glowny 6
Globetroter
pl. Szczepanski 7/15
Grill 15/16
Rynek Glowny 16
Herbaciarnia
ul. Golebia 1
Internet Cafe
24/7
Rynek Glowny 23
TramBar
ul. Stolarska 11
Tribeca Coffee
Rynek Glowny 27
Trzy Papryczki
ul. Poselska 17
Orbis Cracovia
al. F. Focha 1
Vesuvio
ul. Florianska 38
Orbis Francuski
ul. Pijarska 13
Wedel Pijalnia
Czekolady
Rynek Glowny 46
Radisson SAS
ul. Straszewskiego 17
Wentzl Restaurant
Rynek Glowny 19
El Al Airlines
Irish Arms Pub
ul. Poselska 18
Wierzynek Restaurant
Rynek Glowny 15
Irish Mbassy
ul. Stolarska 3
Wodka Bar
ul. Mikolajska
Karczma
“Podworko
Maryny”
Rynek Glowny 9
Zblizenia
pl. Nowy 8
Seekrakow
ul. Florianska 6
Novotel Krakow
Bronowice
al. Armii Krajowej 11
Novotel Krakow
Centrum
ul. T. Kosciuszki 5
Ipanema
ul. Tomasza 28
Lufthansa Airlines
Momotown Hostel
ul. Miodowa 28
Trzy BIS
ul. Krowoderska 70
Brussels Airlines
Krakow Airport
Ibis Krakow
Centrum
ul. Syrokomli 2
Sheraton
ul. Powisle 7
Tournet Guest
Rooms
ul. Miodowa 7
Trzy Kafki
al. Slowackiego 29
Trzy Kafki Premium
ul. Dolnych
Mlynow 9
Zodiakus Hostel
ul. Augustianska 4
MARKET
For Sale: Books
40 English books for sale.Biography,
history, film, Booker Prize winners etc.
Hardback and paperback.Will accept
one quarter of the retail price for a
quick sale. Anyone interested telephone
Bob on 506520153.
For sale: 1 pillow, 1 duvet, 2 simple
beds, and dishes (kitchenware plates
and glasses) from IKEA almost new.
Write for the details: marionl_@hotmail.
com
Lost camera!
American student lost his digital camera at
Babylon dormitory at AGH. If found, please
email [email protected]
MEDICAL SERVICES
Alternative Medicine
Alternative medical treatment in
chronic diseases. 12 years experience in
BIORESONANCE, MAGNETIC FIELD.
www.rehatron-alpha.com
English, German, Swedish and Polish
spoken. Telephone: +48 (0) 602532944
PERSONALS
Friendship Train
56 year old, single, English Polish resident seeks unattached lady for social
outings etc. Telephone: (0) 504528918
German Speaking
Sporty man at the beginning of 50,
looks for agile sporty educated woman
for a firm relationship, with good
Deuschkenntnissen.
E-Mail: [email protected]
Looking for Like
Short-term, no strings attached nonrelationship sought with pretty Polish
barmaid. Find me at a pub near you.
Saw You at Piekny Pies
You were stroking your handsome
beard as you sent me a wink. Maybe
we have something else in common
besides our beards? Call me - Sally. You
know the number...
HOUSING
Room in Kazimierz
Large room/flat share in beautiful,
fully equipped flat near Plac Wolnica. 3
tram stops or 10 minutes walk to Stare
Miasto. Available monthly until end of
2008. 1,200 zl. includes everything.
Please email in English to:
[email protected].
Cosy apartment for rent to short-term
visitors in the centre of the Old Town.
Newly renovated, comfortable, and convenient! Call Ania at 0 12 429 16 99
Flat Wanted: Flat from 1st August to
31th of December 27 year old, Man,
Non Smoker, Danish. Working and living in Krakow. Looking for 1 bedroom
apartment, or 2-3 bedroom shared.
Kazimimierz preferable. Between 10001500 zl. Furnished or Unfurnished.
Please email me at: claus.verner@gmail.
com
EMPLOYMENT
Krakow Hotel Reviewer
Incoming travel agency is searching for
Hotel Reviewer for a temporary project
in Krakow. Your task will be creating
about 120 short descriptions of Krakow
hotels.
An ideal candidate should speak fluent
English, have experience in writing or
in tourism industry and be ready to
work flexible hours. Send your CV to:
[email protected].
Sales Superstar Wanted
Are you an energetic and self-motivated
sales superstar? Krakow Post is looking for professional sales people to
join it’s rapidly expanding team. You’ll
be responsible for building new client
relationships as well as maintaining
current ones. If you’re fluent in Polish
and want a new challenge, then send
your CV with a covering letter to Michal
McSperrin-Kossak at:
[email protected]
RECREATION
Kung Fu Classes
Learn authentic chinese WingTsun
kung-fu in English, regardless of age,
gender or fitness level. Visit our website at: www.wingtsunkrakow.pl or call
Graham on 507122311.
SERVICES
Will Think for Drink!
Quality proofreading service by a native English speaker – I proofread, you
pay me in booze. Email to get my rates:
[email protected]
Cheap translation, Polish --> English.
For rates, call Anna, 511906762
DIRECTORY
24-HOUR POLICE STATION
RYNEK GLOWNY 29
tel: 012 6157317
24-HOUR MEDICAL
INFORMATION
RYNEK GLOWNY 29
tel: 012 6612240
24-HOUR EMERGENCY
SERVICE
ul. Lazarza 14
tel: 012 4222999
TOURIST INFORMATION
Ratusz tower, Rynek Glowny
tel: 012 4337310
TRAIN INFO in English (PKP)
tel: 9436
BUS INFO (PKS)
tel: 9316
EMERGENCY NUMBERS
tel: 997 Police
tel: 998 Fire
tel: 999 Ambulance
SEND US YOUR CLASSIFIEDS
Need to get a message across? Looking for love? Have a TV to sell or a
puppy to give away? Contact us for
more details:
[email protected]
CCitylife
itylife
krakowPOST
POST
krakow POST
Crac ow -lif e.c om
Crac ow -lif e.c om
IV
C
AL
E LIV
K
E
O
IC FES
S
U
T
M
> by night
Notes From the
Underground
/CL 2
> reviews
Drop In, Fork Out,
Get Served
/CL 3, 5
> spotlight
Coke Live Music Festival
previewed
/CL 6
> posted
Concerts, exhibitions &
parties
/CL 7, 8, 9, 10
by night
CL2 Krakow Post AUGUST 2008
www.krakowpost.com
Nightlife & Dining
Notes From the
Underground
Conceived under the silvery light of a full moon party in Ko Pha Ngan, raised
by lotus-eating hippies in Ibiza and suckled on the milk of Eric Morillo’s mixing nipple, Krakow Post proudly presents their nightlife correspondent… the
smooth, and ever-so-slightly-slippery, Slinky.
I’ve spent the last few nights in a comfortable bed (my own, before you ask), I’ve
been showering under cascades of hot water and I’ve been pooing into a spotlessly
clean latrine. It’s after this return to normality that I can look back at the Heineken
Open’er Festival, distilled now into a score
of humorous photos, and say that I had
an absolutely fantastic time. Doubtless
that, before long, I’ll have filed the festival away, along with family holidays in the
south of France and that summer in Spain
shacked up with the naughty Natalia, as another fantastic episode in the salad days of
my life. If that happens it will be a pleasant
trick of memory. The truth – already fading fast - is that I spent most of a hugely
uncomfortable weekend looking forward
to nothing more than the finishing line.
I really thought I’d cracked it this year. I’d
packed three sachets of Alka Seltzer, two
earplugs, four boxes of Immodium, a sturdy supply of wet wipes and an inflatable
mattress. Killer hangovers, excessive noise,
the squits, and bumpy camping grounds surely I was ready for anything? Anything
it turns out, apart from the crippling passage of Father Time. Whereas a younger
Slinky would have treated a nine hour train
ride across Poland as a great adventure,
celebrated arriving at the festival a day
early by cracking open a six pack, and effortlessly slept off the after effects on the
beach the next day, an older and grumpier
version endured a strength-sapping epic
journey with ill-grace, was thwarted in his
attempts to get an early night by the wailings of various deranged maniacs and then
had his siesta on the sand ruined by the
paranoid conviction that the moment he
dozed off he would be bashed by a rogue
Frisbee.
And so, exhausted before the festival had
even begun, I ended up yawning my way
through performances by the Editors, Raconteurs and Roisin Murphy on day one,
my wavering endurance further tested by
a cold Baltic breeze that plunged the night-
time temperatures to what felt like zero,
but was probably about 13 or 14 degrees.
The minute Miss Murphy finished her encore, I rushed back to camp and shivered
inside my sleeping bag until the hounding bass of the Beat Stage finally stopped
torturing me (around 5:30 am), whereupon
I was at last allowed to slip into unconsciousness. Barely three hours later and
I was rudely awakened by the sensation
of being cooked alive, the morning sun
transforming my tent into an innovativelyshaped microwave oven. Frantically I undid the zip and clambered, half-suffocated,
and fully drenched in sweat, into day two
of the festival.
Which brings me to arguably the worst ordeal of the Open’er experience: the showers. The benevolent organisers had kindly
doubled the campsite space since two
years ago (profits) but neglected to add any
extra washing facilities (expenses), meaning that anyone valuing cleanliness had to
queue for at least an hour each morning for
the privilege of an icy douche. And when I
say icy, I don’t mean lukewarm. They were
cold enough to induce serious heart palpitations, and as for running the shower
over your sweaty bits... it was not a joyful
experience.
What with sleep deprivation and the daily
water torture, I was in medium spirits at
best by the time Cool Kids of Death, CocoRosie, Jay-Z, Sex Pistols and Erykah Badu
set out to impress me. Whilst I struggled to
understand what the fuss was about during
CocoRosie (surely another sign of getting
old?), it was surprisingly the much-derided
Jay-Z who sparked that first festival feeling with his charismatic performance.
However, there was no way I was missing
the Sex Pistols, and I cut short the “silly
rapper” (Johnny Rotten’s words), in order
to race over to the Tent Stage. Metrosexual
and punk are not two ethoi that normally
go together, but as the band launched into
“Pretty Vacant” who was I to resist some
moshing and argy-bargy with some of the
festival’s ugliest customers? Erykah Badu
certainly seemed a come down after that
so I bade her goodnight, determined to feel
fresher for the final round of concerts on
Sunday.
Maybe it was a half decent snooze for once,
maybe it was the pre-concert vodkas, or
maybe it was because the end was in sight,
but on the third night of the festival I was in
a surprisingly good mood. Goldfrapp’s melodious refrains were enjoyed with a cold
beer and the setting sun, whilst a group
of twenty of us gathered for the timeless
anthems of Massive Attack. But it was the
Chemical Brothers who stole the show. The
sound was pitch perfect as big hit followed
big hit – “Galvanise,” “Star Guitar” and “Do
it Again” blasting into the Baltic air. It’s
a sign of a great live band that they play
their crowd-pleasers, and no sooner had I
expressed a desire for some “Block Rockin’
Beats” than the crowd was stomping away
on the grass towards a final crescendo.
As the first cracks appeared in the night
sky and the majority of the festival-goers
filtered home, I was faced with a character-defining dilemma. On the one hand it
was the last night and I should be raising
hell until they kick me off campus. On the
other hand it was already 3 am, I was exhausted by a series of sleepless nights, and
my stomach – tormented by a diet of Telepizza, ice cream and alcohol - was threatening to give way at any moment. Maybe
someone had tinkered with my mushroom
Margherita, but suddenly the grey figure of
Father Time appeared in front of me and,
baiting me a toothless sneer, offered me a
Zimmer frame for the journey home and
an early retirement plan. This was getting
ridiculous: “What am I, sissy or Slinky?” Indignation rose like bile, anger seized my
heart, and the Party Spirit coursed through
my veins. I gave the old git a mighty kick
in the balls and headed straight for the
Beat Stage, flipping him the finger as I
went. It was the best decision I made all
festival. The Hungry Hungry Models were
letting rip with all kinds of musical mayhem, and a die-hard crowd of nu-ravers
were tearing up the dancefloor in a sweaty,
ecstasy-enriched, Heineken-fuelled frenzy.
For the first time in three days, I could say
unequivocally I was having a f@cking good
time!
As I trudged home around 6 am, exhausted but in great spirits, I reflected that
I only had to endure one more shower
cold enough to cryogenically freeze my
testicles, two or three more trips to a flyinfested canister full of accumulated human waste peppered with bloody sanitary
towels, a five hour wait at Gdynia station,
and nine uncomfortable hours on the train
itself, before I would be back home safely
tucked up in bed. Heineken 2009? ...I won’t
book my ticket just yet.
by night photo of the month
“Drink we must - Prozak we are at”
4 Elements @ Prozak
Supplied by mynight.pl the
top website for clubbing photos.
Krakow Post AUGUST 2008 CL3
www.krakowpost.com
DROP IN
G E T S E RV E D
Elevating the mundane task of pouring drinks into an acrobatic art form during July was
barman and flair artist Mateusz Gąciarz. A smooth operator who could teach Tom Cruise a
thing or two about the art of spinning bottles, Mateusz happily entertains his customers
with a dizzying array of juggling acts and party tricks. Catch him at the recently-opened
InBlanco club and cafe.
Q: Where did you learn to flair?
A: From my two colleagues, Przemysław Musialek and Marcin Dąbek, who are two of the
greatest flair artists in the country.
Q: Did you have to practice in your bedroom for a long time first?
A: No, my first time was in a bar, but sometimes I do practice in my bedroom. But it’s not
a good idea because it’s easy to break something.
Q: Does it impress the ladies?
A: Yes, of course. Not many people in Poland use flair techniques, so the girls are interested.
Miejsce Bar
Q: What’s your favourite trick?
A: I hold a bottle in my left hand and two shakers in my right hand. I throw the shakers up
first, then the bottle, and I catch the bottle in one of the shakers.
ul. Estery 1, +48 (0) 783096016
The cool kids of Kazimierz have already beaten you to this venue, which seems to have opened
up especially in honour of them. From the shoddy whitewashed walls with wires taped to the
brickwork, to the dinky plastic stools in primary colours and the retro bric-a-brac, Miejsce is
clearly targeting the kind of clientele that spend more money on trainers and haircuts than they
do on rent. And it’s working. Artistic types bored of Piekny Pies and Pauza have already made
themselves comfortable in the lounge-style chairs, where they can check the latest activities
on their start-up website, courtesy of free WiFi, or discuss Sigur Rós’s new album (it’s crap)
over a piwo. When the weather’s nice patrons can also sit out in a small (but not so-small-asto-be-completely-pointless) back yard; and, as well as serving the usual range of beverages, a
tray of brownies helps stave off the stomach rumbles. Overall Miejsce is a worthy, albeit selfconscious, addition to the Kazimierz scene.
Q: What cocktail do you recommend for when you’ve lost your job and want to get really
pissed and dance like a maniac?
A: It’s called “Adios Motherf*cker.” It’s 20ml of tequila, 20ml of rum, 20ml of gin, 20ml
of vodka, 20ml of Blue Curacao and 10ml of lime juice, shake it, then top up with 7up or
Sprite.
Q: What’s your favourite party at InBlanco?
A: Fridays there’s an R’n’B party and on Saturdays is house music. I prefer Fridays.
Q: What’s your top tip for passing the time in Krakow during August?
A: Go to one of the beaches nearby and take a swim.
Duncan Rhodes
DROP IN
CK Browar
ul. Podwale 6-7, +48 (0)12 429 2505, www.ckbrowar.krakow.pl
For this edition of the Post, I decided to pay my respects to an old favourite that, as a bona fide
beer lover, I had neglected for far too long. At CK Browar, the first micro-brewery to open in
Małopolska, ale aficionados can taste four very different yeast infusions, brewed on the premises in huge vats to ancient Austro-Hungarian recipes. If you find the likes of Tyskie and Żywiec
as bland as a bottle of sparkling dishwater then you’ll get a real kick from sampling Browar’s
flavoursome light, dark, ginger and wheat beers; especially if you order them in five litre tubes
from which you can pour your own pint – a simple, yet hugely gratifying, pleasure. The Austrian
influence doesn’t stop at the brewing process, and, as well as the beer hall and hunting lodge
décor, visitors will find a food menu full of classic Austrian dishes such as knuckles of pork and
Viennese schnitzels – perfect for soaking up a couple of extra glasses of the good stuff. A minor
caveat for the thimble-bladdered is that a pocketful of loose change is needed for tipping the
toilet attendant.
Duncan Rhodes
Mateusz Gąciarz, August’s barperson of the month
www.restauracja-amadeus.pl
CL4 Krakow Post AUGUST 2008
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Restaurant with unique temperament and Cracow atmosphere !
You can eat your dinner in one of the antique carriages…
Dishes prepared over a beech wood grill using old polish and Italian recipes.
(To restauracja z włoskim temperamentem i krakowską atmosferą!
Można tu zjeść kolację w jednej z karet, wśród uskrzydlonej łodzi
rybackiej i góralskich sań.
Kuchnia polska, włoskie pasty…i tiramisu!)
“Cherubino” ul.św.Tomasza 15, Krakow, tel. 012/4294007,
tel./fax. 012/4294147
www.cherubino.pl
Summer restaurant-boat located in the bend of the Vistula River
at the foot of the Wawel Castle.
Sitting on its upper deck, you will recall long-forgotten charms of life
on the Vistula River.
www.krakowpost.com
Famous restaurant on the “King’s Road” from Wawel Castle to Main Square.
Traditional old polish cuisine using old recipes and charred beech wood grill.
(Restauracja z atmosferą średniowiecznego Krakowa,
na „Drodze Królewskiej” z Wawelu do Rynku Głównego.
Zapraszamy w kulinarną „podróż” do staropolskich smaków.
Ogródek z fontanną na dziedzińcu.)
Courtyard garden and medieval atmosphere.
ul.Grodzka 35, Kraków, tel. 012/4213999,
tel./fax. 012/4302113
www.podaniolami.pl
“…that honor goes to Cafe Camelot, which might just be
my favorite cafe in the world
(..go for apple pie)” David Streitfeld
“The Washington Post Travel”
(Letnia restauracja na statku na Wiśle u stóp Wawelu.
Siedząc na górnym pokładzie odnajdą Państwo dawno zapomniane uroki życia
nad Wisłą.)
Coffee house – gallery with the most romantic summer garden in Cracow.
The magical atmosphere of that place and original interiors dating back
to the XIII century.
(Galeria – kawiarnia z wyjątkowym ogródkiem w Zaułku Niewiernego Tomasza.
Jest miejscem spotkań niezwykłych ludzi, koncertów, kabaretów i recitali.
W galerii na piętrze wydarzenia artystyczne i wystawy fotograficzne.
W piątki kabaret „Loch Camelot”)
Galar “Pod Aniołami” Zakole Wisły,
Bulwary Wiślana vis a vis Hotelu Sheraton,
tel. 0691 44 04 03
On Fridays Loch Camelot Cabaret.
Cafe Camelot” ul. św.Tomasza 17, Kraków,
tel.012/4210123
Krakow Post AUGUST 2008 CL5
www.krakowpost.com
FORK OUT
Hawełka
ul. Rynek Glowny 34, +48 (0)12 422 0631, www.hawelka.pl
Opened as a colonial goods store in 1876, Hawełka began its career collecting exotic and unique flavours to add to its culinary hub on the main Market Square of Krakow. Transforming into a restaurant,
Hawełka’s reputation grew to such proportions that by the end of the 19th century it became an
official supplier to the royal courts of Vienna and Greece. Hawełka also became a meeting place for
the intelligentsia who came here to drink, talk, and sample the unique delicacies on offer - including
their speciality of a unique bread dish made famous by a certain Earl of Sandwich.
These days, rather than continue trailblazing Krakow’s culinary culture, Hawełka has seemingly decided to underline its history by serving only traditional Polish cuisine. I have to admit it’s rather
surprising that Hawełka has not decided to really juice its rich lore and bring back all of those exotic
ingredients. Really, who would say no to a bit of Algerian cauliflower or Westphalian sausage? Certainly not I.
U Vincenta
ul. Bożego Ciała 12, +48 012 430 6834
If you spend a fair amount of time buzzing around Krakow’s Kazimierz district, the likelihood is you’ll
have heard of U Vincenta. The four-table cubby hole of a restaurant on Józefa has, over the years,
gained a cult-like status among Krakow residents and tourists alike. Indeed, having been personally
frustrated many a time on so-called quiet nights by the discovery of only five customers but no empty
tables, the addition of the restaurant’s newest venue on the classy, rejuvenated section of Bożego
Ciała was certainly a welcome one, and one that fits nicely with the regenerated feel of the street.
On this otherwise busy Sunday afternoon in Kazimierz, during the district’s annual Jewish festival,
we were surprised by the lack of clientele on our visit. We were greeted by an empty restaurant and
a waitress who didn’t look as if she’d been disturbed by an order for a fair while. Unperturbed, we
picked our spot and scanned the menu – it turned out to be extensive and populated by a mix of traditional and innovative. As a bonus, you can mix and match pierogi with a range of sauces, bringing
an element of creativity to a dish that, by all accounts, is pretty straightforward. We decided to take
a walk on the wild side - well as wild as you can get eating pierogi – by going for the unorthodox. I
plumped for the Caesar’s (minced lamb, rosemary and thyme) with, strangely, a Mexican-style salsa.
My partner opted for the Mexican-style pierogi filled with chicken and kidney beans, accompanied by
a more standard butter option.
Soon, out came the Caesar’s pierogi, fresh, piping hot and not the slimy, greasy affair that is often
passed off at many pierogarnias. For those that enjoy their food with a kick but find much of Polish
cuisine lacking a little hit, the Mexican salsa will not disappoint – spicy enough to satisfy even the
most fanatic of hotheads. Whether it goes well with lamb or not is, perhaps, questionable, but it will
be sure to have you stopping between pierogi to put out the fire in your mouth.
The Mexican-style chicken and bean pierogi were also excellent. A little chili provided a South of the
Rio Grande-style kick that, like the Mexican salsa, will satisfy those with a palette more accustomed
to spicier fare. Both the lamb and chicken and bean options provide great twists on the traditional
norm and represent a more exciting option for those that have become a little tired of the minced
meat or potato and cheese standards. The two options chosen on the day were among the most
expensive on the menu and, with a couple of bottles of mineral water, the bill weighed in at a very
reasonable 40 złoty. We were mildly tempted by the prospect of pierogi filled with fresh strawberries
as a dessert but stopped short, deciding there was only so much pierogi dough to be consumed in a
single sitting.
In this regard, U Vincenta does have its limits – you won’t enjoy a three-course meal there, although
perhaps it would be wrong to expect to. Krakow has enough faux-Italian (and other generic international cuisine) restaurants trying to be something they’re clearly not, so it’s refreshing to see that,
despite the flashy new locale, U Vincenta sticks to what it knows best – friendly but no-frills service,
reasonable prices (that haven’t been hiked up despite the new location) and excellent, wholesome
pierogi that, by catering to both adventurous and traditionalist clientele, provide enough variety to
keep people coming back time and again. The added bonus of the take-out option is certainly enough
to ensure that this satisfied customer will be returning.
Kris Grzegorczyk
So while the selection of food is similar to what you might find in any high quality Polish restaurant in
Krakow, extra special attention is paid to the quality of ingredients. During my recent trip to Hawełka
I ordered the kotlet schabowy (pork cutlet) with boiled potatoes and fried cabbage. While the ideas
presented here are certainly rather ancient, it’s the fresh ingredients and the execution that gives
Hawełka bonus marks. Not a great meat lover, I’ve always had a small schabowy phobia, as the
breadcrumb batter is usually rather soggy and oily with the meat somehow managing to seem like it
hadn’t seen a drop of moisture in eons. Luckily the pork at Hawełka was fresh, juicy and tender. The
potatoes were as fantastic as boiled potatoes can get (not very, but that’s hardly Hawełka’s fault),
and the fried cabbage was to die for with plenty of dill and parsley keeping things interesting. I also
sampled the bigos (cabbage stew), which again was another success. The mild cabbage melted in your
mouth, and the chunks of pork and sausage inside had an intense and deep flavour.
Overall Hawełka makes for an excellent introduction to Polish classic cuisine, and, with its emphasis
on traditional service and the elegant turn of the century interiors, guests will taste a slice of Krakow’s
history along with their meal.
Dana Dramowicz
Cafe Botanica
ul. Bracka 9, +48 (0)12 4228980
Oh Botanica, Botanica. How I loved thee. Then you opened your “orangery” and ignored me sitting
at my table. In the end I had to serve myself and I felt betrayed... hurt even. I had been visiting you
regularly for months. But now with this new conservatory area, you had a new attitude, a new menu,
new servers. Today, many months later, I decided to give you another chance, a chance for a real
reconciliation. I decided, for old time’s sake, to sit in your older section with the beautiful wrought
iron trees and furniture. It seemed a more intimate place to strike up our old romance.
But I shouldn’t have expected so much, Botanica. As I sat down, none of your staff gave me a menu. I
had to get it myself. My friend’s dish arrived very quickly - a slice of delicious quiche-like salmon tarte
(I admit I stole a bite). I was forced to watch my companion begin, relish, and finish their lunch - how
cruel of you Botanica. Only 15 minutes later did you give me my meal - spaghetti with garlic olive
oil and sun-dried tomatoes. In the menu, you had described this as a dish for those watching their
waistline, but it turned out to be an enormous bowl of no-effort pasta with plain (not garlic) oil and a
small handful of sun-dried tomatoes and herbs. Is this some sort of cruel joke? I know I shouldn’t have
expected more than was written in the menu, but I had faith in you Botanica. I really expected to see
more - perhaps a few chunks of garlic... some pesto... anything. You kept me waiting 25 minutes for
my food, but what were you doing? Surely not just cooking pasta and throwing those raw ingredients
on it. And to really bring home your feelings towards me, you didn’t bring me a bill. You just made
me wait until I gave up and walked to the till myself.
Maybe I’ll be back again, Botanica. But this time, I’ll just have a snack and a coffee... and I’ll bring
my new lover.
Dana Dramowicz
spotlight
CL6 Krakow Post AUGUST 2008
www.krakowpost.com
Coke Live Music Festival
Images courtesy of Coke Live Music Festival
The Prodigy
A
rriving at the end of August to
make the summer seem that
much longer, the Coke Live
Music Festival is that one last
hurrah before it’s back to school
- or the office - and out of the
sun. Originally taking place on the Błonia
Common in the centre of town, last year
the festival switched locales to the massive
grounds of the Polish Aviation Museum, at Al.
Jana Pawła II 39, allowing for an even larger
array of festive fun.
While some of the acts are as poppy as the
soda that sponsors the event, the festival
tends to maintain a good balance between
the mainstream and the independent,
but not too edgy, genres, throwing in a
hodgepodge of Polish bands to keep things
unpredictable. 2008 is a promising year for
the festival, as huge stars such as Missy Elliott, Sean Paul, Timbaland, and The Prodigy
have all signed up to play. The latest big act,
announced at the time of printing, are British indie rockers Kaiser Chiefs, and several
Timbaland
other bands and DJs are expected to come
on board in the weeks leading up to the
festival.
For those who have come from afar and
would like to hear some local talent, the
Polish artists featured include Indios Bravos,
The Car Is On Fire, Sokół feat. Pono, Hurt,
Marika, Pezet, and Afromental. Also taking
to the stage will be the winners of the Coke
Live Fresh Noise contest, Apple Tree.
With three big arenas – the Main Stage, Coke
Stage and Burn Stage – a camping area,
special DJ events, and the “Coke Clinic”
where you can take a break and even get a
massage, those attending the two days and
nights of the festival will have their hands
(or should we say ears) full. Tickets are
priced at 150 złoty for both days (165 with
camping), or 85 for each individual day, and
can be found, along with more information,
at the festival’s website:
www.livefestival.pl
22.08.2008 (Friday)
23.08.2008 (Saturday)
MAIN STAGE - TIMBALAND,
KAISER CHIEFS, HURT
COKE STAGE - INDIOS BRAVOS,
PEZET, AFROMENTAL, APPLE TREE,
LACK OF EOINS
BURN STAGE - ANGELO MIKE,
ELECTRICITY, MADAME TINT,
WOOKIE, CHRIS JAXX
MAIN STAGE - THE PRODIGY,
MISSY ELLIOTT, SEAN PAUL,
MARIKA
COKE STAGE - SOKÓŁ feat.
PONO, THE CAR IS ON FIRE, JARECKI, LAIME PILNIGA, SWEETSALT
BURN STAGE - NEVERAFTER,
BEATS FRIENDLY, DUDEKK,
SYMPATIQUE, DIO
Image courtesy of the National Museum in Cracow
posted
Krakow Post AUGUST 2008 CL7
www.krakowpost.com
The Month in Events
SPECIAL EVENTS
UKRAINE AND POLAND - TWO NEIGHBOURS
Historically, Ukrainians and Poles haven’t
always been best of friends, but these days,
old prejudices are beginning to crumble.
As it goes, the two countries are booked
as joint hosts of Euro 2012, and this August
there’ll be a ten day celebration of
Polish and Ukrainian culture, right
here on the Market Square. Largely
aimed at the young, the event will
be showcase pop stars from both
countries, plus fashion shows,
culinary fairs and much more
besides.
when - 1st to 10th
August
where - Main Market
Square
PYROMACHINA:
INTERNATIONAL
GALA OF
PYROTECHNICS
The Błonia Common has seen
some epic events over the
years. There was Krakow’s first
football tournament in 1906,
the return of Pope John
Paul II to the city in 1979,
the cracking concert by Celine
Dion in 2008... O.K, the last
one may be a bit controversial, but in the first weekend
of August, we’ve got something
to make up for Madame Dion’s
croon assault. Indeed, on Saturday
2nd, pyrotechnical wizards from across Europe will be descending on the common for
some flaming frolics. Prepare to trip the light
fantastic. Starts 7 p.m. both nights.
when - 2nd to 3rd August
where - Błonia Common
KOSSAK SUMMER OF ARTS
Wayfarers wandering the Beskid foothills
should take a pit-stop at the old Kossak
Manor in Górki Wielkie. The Kossak clan had
a knack of producing dazzlingly talented artists, and the current generation is laying on
a Summer of Arts, echoing the achievements
Kossak Summer of Arts
of fruitful branches of the family tree. An
epic painted panorama is taking shape in the
garden, and sculptors are due to touch down
on the 14th, trying their hands at famed
characters from author Zofia Kossak’s oeuvre. Concerts spice things up in the evenings,
and
guests keen to stay the night and
enjoy the hiking in the surrounding Beskid hills can stay at the
Kossaks’ own hostel, Koss,
within the grounds of the
manor. The panoramas will be
on display throughout August.
when - Throughout August
where - Kossak Manor, Gorki
Wielkie (Near Cieszyn)
FESTIVALS
9TH FESTIVAL OF COURT
DANCES
Historians often remark
that Polish magnates
had more in common
with Indian
Maharajahs than
West European
grandees. And this year,
the acclaimed Court
Dance Festival will have
a special Indian accent,
with troupes from as far
away as New Delhi joining in the extravaganza.
As always, there will be
plenty of traditional European court dances to enjoy as
well, and performances will be taking
place at Wawel Royal Castle, Villa Decius,
the Barbican and on the Main Market Square.
when - 2nd to 10th August
where - Various
28TH INTERNATIONAL SUMMER
FESTIVAL OF ORGAN MUSIC
Krakow boasts some of the finest churches
in Poland, and here’s a chance to enjoy a superb blend of music and architecture. August
sees the tail end of this much-loved festival,
with two performances still to come. On
Thursday 7th at 7:30 p.m. you can catch
Jakub Pankowiak, who’ll be playing at
St. Florian’s Basilica, just off Plac Matejki
(ul. Warszawska 1). This is where Karol
Wojtyła (future Pope John Paul II) got his
first Cracovian parish, and Mr. Pankowiak will
be playing Bach and lesser known classics.
Finally, on Thursday 14th, Belgian maestro
Serge Schoonbroodt will be performing
at the magnificent medieval church of the
Holy Cross. He’ll be starting a little earlier at
4:30 p.m., and he’ll be playing 16th and 17th
century gems.
when - 7th & 14th August
where - Various
33RD MUSIC IN OLD KRAKOW FESTIVAL
See “Music Box” on CL 8.
when - 15th to 31st August
where - Various
6TH PIEROGI FESTIVAL
Sophisticates may sniff, but for most Poles,
pierogi are cherished as the comfort food of
choice, much like pasta is by the Italians.
This weekend’s the perfect time to try the
divisive dumplings. Besides regional chefs
competing for the crown of best pierognician, there’ll be jolly concerts of folk and
pop bands. The location is yet to be confirmed, but it is likely to be the Mały Rynek,
just behind St. Mary’s Basilica.
when - 15th to 16th August
where - To be confirmed
COKE LIVE MUSIC FESTIVAL 2008
Coke Live returns with a 24 carat bling-fest
of beats, courtesy of Timbaland, Missy
Elliott and The Prodigy. Coke-heads
should fly over to the epic Aviation Museum,
where all the action will be kicking off. Oneday ticket passes come in at 85 złoty, 150 for
the full two days. Campers can pay 15 złoty
Polish
provided by Cracow-life.com
extra for a space at the adjoining campsite.
All in all, it should be massive! Also featuring reggae raggamuffin Sean Paul. See the
Spotlight on CL6 for more details.
when - 22nd to 23rd August
where - Polish Aviation Museum, Al. Jana
Pawla II 39
EXHIBITIONS
SENSUALIA
Highly anticipated, “Sensualia” is a series of projects presented in an exhibition
at Galeria Starmach, organised by eight
students from the Jagiellonian University’s
curatorial studies department. The multimedia exhibition examines different ways
to infiltrate the senses and their ways of
mutually influencing each other, stimulating each of the senses one by one. Amongst
the featured artists are Dorota Buczkowska,
Monika Drożyńska, Ersatz, Eliza Galey, Miho
Iwata, Elżbieta Jabłońska, Koji Kamoji, Tomasz Malec, Małgorzata Markiewicz, Dariusz
Paczkowski, Joanna Rajkowska, Jadwiga Sawicka, Leon Tarasewicz, and the “audiovisual
group of friends” known as RH+.
for Foreigners
Learn Polish in the heart of Krakow
No registration fee and free internet
Unique, custom-designed study
programs including Survival Polish,
and professional courses in
Business & Law Enforcement Polish
Come and see why we have been featured in or interviewed by
over half a dozen newspapers, radio and television stations…
www.learnpolish.net
Tel/Fax +48 12 429-67-88
Mobile: +48 (0) 606-997-990
CL8 Krakow Post AUGUST 2008
www.krakowpost.com
here in the cellar gallery for many years.
Besides the avant garde aces, you’ll also
find Socialist Realist cuts. These come with
earnest titles such as “Table of an Activist,”
by Jan Swiderski.
when - Until 14th September
where - Palac Krzysztofory, Rynek Glowny 35
HENRYK STAŻEWSKI (1894-1988)
Eric Fischl The Krefeld Project: “Bedroom. Scene 7, After the Tantrum”
WOJCIECH WEISS
The Art Nouveau era saw an explosion of
talent on the Polish scene. Wojciech Weiss
was a key figure, yet in this exhibition, we
see the artist turning his back on the selfprofessed decadence of his earlier works.
Showcasing paintings from his so-called
“White Period,” this exhibition is a charming complement to the museum’s permanent
collection on the star of the age - Stanisław
Wyspiański.
when - Until 31st August
where - Szolajski House, ul. Szczepańska 11
COLOURS OF THE WORLD
Pauza began life as a bar where arty folks
stroked their beards (and stoked their bellies
with liberal quantities of beer). Now commandeering the better part of this townhouse on the Royal Way, Pauza is the proud
owner of a club, a gallery, a shop and even
a miniature cinema. Photography exhibitions
are firm favourites, and throughout the summer you can catch Maciej Duczynski’s
“Colours of the World,” which seems straight
from the pages of National Geographic.
That’s being hosted in the bar, whilst
upstairs, the Pauza Gallery is preparing for
September’s “Nihon,” a Japanese excursion
by Tomek Niewiadomski, beginning on
September 6th.
when - Until 4th September
where - Pauza, ul. Floriańska 18
JAN BULHAK (1876-1950)
This is the second part of an exhibition
chronicling the career of “the father of
Polish photography,” Jan Bulhak. Part one
revealed a dreamy, rustic world of manor
houses and market towns. However, part
two begins in 1944, when Bulhak’s world was
falling apart. Repatriated from his home city
of Wilno, which was absorbed into the USSR
as Vilnius, he witnessed the devastation of
Warsaw and then struggled to find a place in
the new, communist Poland.
when - Until 9th September
where - Museum of the History of
Photography, ul. Józefitów 16
CRACOVIAN ART AFTER 1945
The Historical Museum is in the throes of a
multi-million złoty face-lift at the moment,
but there’s still plenty to take a peep at.
For the rest of the summer, art lovers can
catch this intro to post-war Cracovian art.
A key figure - now an international icon was Tadeusz Kantor, who launched the
legendary “Grupa Krakowska II” in this very
building back in the 50s. The group exhibited
CONTEMPORARY BELGIAN ART
Krakow’s finest gallery is proud to present
three exceptional Belgians (yes, Hercule
Poirot is now yesterday’s man). The ICC is
showcasing a three-pronged promotion of
Belgian artists, with Janke, Luc Ledene
and Guy Vandenbranden in the spot-
JEWISH ARTISTS IN KRAKOW 1873-1939
The Nazi invasion may have sounded the
death knell, but some of the most celebrated
names in pre-war Poland were Jews: Julian
Tuwim, Marian Hemar, Bruno Schulz,
Arthur Rubinstein to name but a few.
All these men had their detractors, yet this
exhibition reveals that in the cultural orbit,
it wasn’t just poetry and music in which
Polish Jews shone. Held in Krakow’s oldest
surviving synagogue, this exhibition comes
under the wings of the Historical Museum of
Krakow, and some 150 works of art can be
savoured.
when - Until 31st October
where - Old Synagogue Museum,
ul. Szeroka 24
ANDRZEJ WAJDA
- ETHNOGRAPHIC INVENTORY
Andrzej Wajda is best known to the world
as one of the brightest lights in Central
XXXIII International Festival
of Music in Old Krakow
Fronted by Capella Cracoviensis,
Krakow’s pre-eminent orchestra,
the Music in Old Krakow Festival is
one of the highlights of the summer
season. Joined by a throng of international ensembles, the Capella
will be hosting concerts at some of
the city’s most magnificent venues,
from medieval salt mines to Baroque basilicas.
This year we’ve got a heady blend
of genres, taking in Byzantine,
Renaissance, Eastern Rite and even
Gypsy musical traditions. There’ll
also be excursions into the orbits of
ever-popular composers such as Mozart, Schubert, Vivaldi, Brahms and
Beethoven, and a dash of choral
music to boot.
Pencilled in on the guest-list thus
far are Berlin’s Stabrawa Ensemble,
Cuarteto Casals from Madrid, Italy’s
L’Arte dell’ Arco, the Trembita
Choir from the Ukraine, and many
more. Pick up a full programme
from the Culture Office at ul. Jana
2, or simply go online and check
Capella’s official website.
www.capellacracoviensis.pl
when > 15th to 31st August
where > Various
music box
when - Until 15th August
where - Galeria Starmach, ul. Wegierska 5
If Abstract Art is your bag, look no further.
The National Museum is shining a light on
one of the towering figures in Polish modern
art, Henryk Stażewski, pioneer and champion
of Abstractionism. Stażewski was in the thick
of it right from the word go, organising
Malevich’s first Polish exhibition in 1927,
and lending his support to dozens of other
artists who were prepared to take the Abstract plunge. Stażewski’s own canvasses
endure as classic cuts from the interwar
avant garde.
when - Until September 21st
where - National Museum, Al. 3 Maja 1
light. Champions of painting, sculpture and
photography respectively, these artists - all
alive and kicking - are well worth getting to
know. Drop in for a memorable encounter
with some Belgian beauties.
when - Until 28th September
where - International Cultural Centre,
Rynek Glowny 25
Above: Mr. Roby Lakatos, known as “the Devil’s Fiddler,”
is Hungary’s foremost gypsy musician. Born in 1965,
he is descended from Janos Bihari, “the King of Gypsy
Violinists”. Mr. Lakatos will be taking centre stage at the
Philharmonic Hall on Saturday 23rd August, where he
will be joined by Capella Cracoviensis and conductor
Maciej Tworek.
Krakow Post AUGUST 2008 CL9
www.krakowpost.com
European cinema. Still going strong in his
eighties, he won his fourth Oscar nomination
in 2008, complementing his lifetime achievement Academy Award in 2000. This exhibition
sheds light on a lesser-known strand of the
director’s career. A longtime amateur ethnographer and painter, Wajda presents here
the fruits of many decades interest in the
field, ranging from documentary film footage
to objects collected on his travels.
when - Until 31st October
where - Ethnographic Museum (Esterka
House Branch), ul. Krakowska 46
ETHNOGRAPHIC JOURNEYS
This August it won’t be necessary to leave
town to do a spot of globe-trotting. Krakow’s
Ethnographic Museum is laying on a series of
workshops for children, transporting youngsters to far-flung corners of the world. Head
on over for encounters with India, the Wild
West, and Poland itself a hundred years ago.
when - Throughout August
where - Ethnographic Museum
(Esterka Branch), ul. Krakowska 46
EXHIBITIONS AT BUNKIER SZTUKI
The “Bunker of Art” is always bubbling with
bright ideas. Drop in for some artistic inspiration, and maybe a drop of beer at their
outdoor bar.
when - Throughout August
where - Bunkier Sztuki, Pl. Szczepanski 3a
2004 by the late and great Chris Schwarz,
the centre offers fresh insights into the
700 year legacy of Jews in Poland. Besides
concerts, lectures and book launches, the
backbone of the enterprise remains the
permanent exhibition, “Traces of Memory,”
a vivid evocation of Jewish heritage in the
region. Unmissable.
when - Throughout August & September
where - Galicia Museum, ul. Dajwor 18
FIRST STEP...
Art enthusiasts from across Poland have
descended on Krakow to catch this show. The
reason? Well, this is the first major collection
of Western contemporary art to touch down
in the city. The hero of the hour is Rafael
Jablonka, owner of the eponymous Jablonka
Gallery in Cologne. As one of the most dynamic collectors on the international scene,
he’s amassed an extraordinary collection, a
princely portion of which is now on show at
the National. Decide for yourself whether
Warhol is wunderbar or a waste of space.
Likewise hot names such as David LaChapelle, Mike Kelley and many, many more.
when - Throughout 2008
where - National Museum, Al. 3 Maja 1
OPERA, THEATRE
& DANCE
THEATRE: JARMARK CUDÓW
- FAIR OF WONDERS
There’s no better starting point on the Jewish trail than the Galicia Museum. Founded in
Taking its cue from the colourful medieval
fairs of Europe’s great cities, the “Fair of
Wonders” is a dazzling slice of open-air
theatre. Performed in the courtyard of the
Esterka House, a branch of the Ethnographic
Museum, this brand new work comes from
one of Poland’s most innovative troupes.
Blending music and magic, the production is
a heady brew that’s sure to intrigue theatre
aficionados. Performances start at 7 p.m. on
21st & 22nd August.
when - 21st to 22nd August
where - Ethnographic Museum (Esterka
House), ul. Krakowska 46
k
adebostan
TRACES OF MEMORY
Andrzej Wajda - Ethnographic Inventory
OPERA, THEATRE
& DANCE
FILM
KINOBRANIE: SUMMER PICKS AT POD
BARANAMI
This huge palace was a focus for patriotic
Poles during the 19th century era of partition, when the owner styled himself as a
would-be king. Nowadays, you’ll find one of
the city’s most quirky cinemas. Throughout
August, cinephiles can tuck in to a celluloid
banquet, with dozens of films for just five
zloty a pop. Kinobranie begins with a week
of Bollywood and other exotic cuts. Week
2, starting on the 8th, comes under the
title “The Queen, The Empress and Other
Ladies,” with Stephen Frears’s tribute to
Her Madge, as well as Zhang Yimou’s The
CL10 Krakow Post AUGUST 2008
Empress and Bergman’s Persona. Next up,
starting August 15th, we’ve got an otherworldly flavour, with films such as The Great
Silence, Pan’s Labyrinth, and The Illusionist.
Rounding things off, there’s a week of cult
classics, including Jarmusch’s Coffee and
Cigarettes, Python’s Life of Brian, and
Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood For Love.
Drop by for a full programme.
when - Throughout August
where - Kino Pod Baranami, Rynek Glowny 27
A SUMMER KINDERGARTEN OF
CINEMA
Parents looking for something fun for the
family need look no further than Kino Kijow,
which is hosting some classic children’s films
throughout August. Every Wednesday you can
catch an animated ace, complemented by
readings of fairy tales and all kinds of other
interactive surprises. Perfect for a rainy
day...
when - Every Wednesday throughout August
where - Kino Kijów, al. Krasinskiego 34
POLISH FILMS IN ENGLISH
During the 1950s, Poland emerged as one of
the most dynamic forces in European cinema. That said, finding copies of the classics
- with English subtitles - can be tricky, let
alone watching one on the big screen. But
hold on, as Kino Pod Baranami has come to
the rescue with this swagbag of current cuts
and golden oldies. On alternate Tuesdays,
they’ll be screening some 24-carat gems,
beginning on August 6th. First up is Andrzej
Wajda’s Chronicle of Amorous Incidents,
set in pre-war Wilno. Then on Tuesday
August 19th we’ve got the classic comedy
Sex Mission (Seksmisja). The programme will
continue in September so watch this space
for more info.
when - Alternate Tuesdays
where - Kino Pod Baranami, Rynek Glowny 27
CINEMATIC JOURNEYS FOR SUMMER
The cult Kino Mikro has its own feast of films
over the summer months. They’ll be focusing on
a different part of the world each week, beginning with a journey along the Danube, offering
recent hits from Germany, Austria, Romania and
Croatia. Next up, the Czechs will keep you in
check (yes, terrible pun, 8th - 14th), followed
by a Scandinavian selection from directors such
as Lars von Trier and Roy Anderrson
www.krakowpost.com
(15th-21st). Rounding off August there’s an
Asia-themed week, featuring directors from the
Eastern continent, plus Wes Anderson’s The
Darjeeling Limited thrown in for good measure.
when - Until September 4th
where - Kino Mikro, ul. Lea 5
LIVE MUSIC
OPEN MIC NIGHT AT SZAFE
The Open Mic Night is a monthly event where
the organisers invite performers to get on
stage and share their music! All levels and
attitudes are welcome. Cafe Szafe (located
one block from Massolit Books) provides a
cozy stage, full PA system, and good beer... A
good time is guaranteed, whether you come
to play or just to listen. From 7 to 10 p.m.
when - 3rd August
where - Cafe Szafe, ul. Felicjanek 10
&INE4ASTE3INCE
KLEZMER CONCERTS: IRA & KLEZMERS
Irena Urbanska, the grande dame of Polish
Klezmer, has just released her eighth album,
Jewish Wedding, and fans of classic Klezmer
can catch her several times a week live at
Ariel, down in Kazimierz. Spielberg was so
captivated by the clarinetist in this band Leszek Lic - that he gave him a cameo role
in Schindler’s List. Drop into Ariel to reserve
your ticket.
when - Throughout August
where - Ariel, ul. Szeroka 18
CLUB MUSIC
ROBOTROPICS@KLUB KIJÓW
DJ Diabot presides over a night of house,
electro and minimal sounds in part one of
Robotropics on the 1st August. If you’ve yet
to discover the futuristic interior of Kijów
Klub, now is the perfect opportunity to step
on down. Catch part two of this party, a
fortnight later on the 15th.
when - 1st &15th August
where - Kijów Klub, Al. Krasinskiego 34
MIDWEEK PARTIES IN AUGUST
Don’t know Where2b (www.where2b.org) in
August? Check out Prozak on Mondays, Ministerstwo on Tuesdays, Frantic on Wednesdays
and Cien on Thursdays.
when - Throughout August
where - Various Clubs
2YNEK'ÐWNY+RAKÐW
TELWWWHAWELKAPL
Kompozycja architektoniczna by Henryk Stażewski (1960)
last page
Krakow Post AUGUST 2008 CL11
www.krakowpost.com
Stars & Puzzles
SUDUKO
A S T R O S E LT Z E R
LEO (Jul 23 - Aug 22)
You’re not quite the one-person act you’d like to be. Hating accountability
and despising people who are challenged in the imagination department, you
run with ideas, knowing that everything will be ultimately splendid. Other
people, however, have been adding up the złoty and are not happy with the
result: you’ll have to do some fancy footwork this month to keep your potentially rebellious team in place.
VIRGO (Aug 23 - Sep 22)
Your genius for “reading”
people and situations will
prove to be a lifesaver yet
again. Focused on a new
project, you’ve been ignoring
your bread-and-butter interests, incorrectly
assuming that they’ll continue to totter along
all on their lonesome. Ironically, it’s when
circumstances are completely mad that you
do your most creative thinking. Poland shares
your sign of the zodiac and you often feel
that you and your country are temperamentally one and the same.
LIBRA (Sep 23 - Oct 22)
People think you’re wonderful. “And, why not?” you’re
apt to say. But, your talent
for reeling in admirers can
work against you. An outrageously agreeable person,
you tend to say “yes” without considering
the consequences. This month, you could
be spending some time wriggling out of an
assumed agreement that has nothing to do
with your best interests. You’re a pretty
clever character and there should be no
trouble sneaking away.
SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 21)
Despite your reputation for ruthless
determination, you are still
a bit of a softy who needs
to know that there are
things you can count on:
like babcia’s pierogi. Well,
these days grannies own
nightclubs and cavort with
toy-boys. This month, you’ll be a bit of a
fish out of water, grasping for some sort
of familiarity. Remember that you’re an
old hand at psychic manipulation and will
have everyone eating out of your palms in
no time.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 - Dec 20)
People continue to be attracted to your judgementfree insights and observations. And, if ideas were
cash, you’d be giving Bill
Gates a run for his money. But more nuts-
and-bolts types accuse you of living in a
fantasy world. Ignore them. Keep your
head where it belongs: in the clouds.
Thinking your big thoughts out loud will
remind us that the world needs more conversation and fewer knee-jerk reactions.
CAPRICORN (Dec 21 - Jan 19)
If the world knew how
secretly fretful and anxious
you were, perhaps it would
be nicer to you! Although
you present a brave face in
all circumstances, you’ve been harbouring
some rather odd fears lately. This month,
confusing situations will start to make
sense and, like fellow Capricorn Jacek
Majchrowski, it will become as clear as
ice that you’re going to be around for the
long haul.
AQUARIUS (Jan 20 - Feb 18)
The recipient of a thorough
ego-massage, you’re floating on air, quite pleased with
yourself. That is all quite
wonderful; but, are you ready for the next
step? Your currently sedentary, predictable
lifestyle promises to be turned on its head
if you accept a juicy new offer that is coming your way. Only an idiot would say no.
PISCES (Feb 19 - Mar 19)
Innately philanthropic and
kind-hearted, you nonetheless refuse to be played for
a fool. Some people, unfortunately, are so dismally
thick-headed that they have
no idea that you’ve been keeping tabs on
them. You’re about to draw a few lines
in the sand that will, hopefully, keep opportunists at a safe distance. On a more
positive note, a bit of that extra weight
you’ve been trying to shed will magically
disappear into thin air.
ARIES (Mar 20 - Apr 19)
Boundlessly enthusiastic
about relationships of all
sizes, shapes and colours,
you feel that you’re starting to “fit in” with other
people. This emotional vibrancy will be
Star-Signs drawn by Dominik Nawrocki
questioned by the end of the month as
you begin a process of measuring what you
give against what you get. The final sum
will not be a happy one.
TAURUS (Apr 20 - May 20)
A trifle unsettled by colleagues’ lack of interest in
what you’re doing, you’re
in danger of blowing things
out of proportion; people
are simply pre-occupied with
their own mundane stuff and are not out
to get you! Momentary paranoia aside,
you’ll be blowing people’s minds by September when one of your brilliant ideas
becomes a reality.
GEMINI (May 21 - Jun 20)
With your life continuing in
an orderly fashion, you assume that there’s no reason
to scratch beneath the surfaces. This could be mistaken for the sort of complacency (smugness,
perhaps?) that drives more sensitive types
to distraction. If - or, when - your nearest
and dearest seem unaccountably distant, it
could be that they think you’re taking them
for granted.
CANCER (Jun 21 – Jul 22)
You promise the moon to
clinch a deal, but things
could get wildly interesting when it finally hits you
that you have to deliver the
goods. As per usual, you’ll
pull through at the eleventh hour, but the
stress involved is likely to outweigh satisfaction. Why have you been so distracted
lately? Is it love or indigestion?
Krakow Post’s astrology column is for entertainment purposes only, and the Post is not responsible for any consequences incurred as a result
of this column. Written by Kerwin McLeister,
[email protected]
SUDOKO SOLUTIONS
To play: Complete the grid so that every
row, column and every 3 x 3 box contains the
digits 1 to 9. There is no guessing or maths
involved, just use logic to solve.
write here!
write now!
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