Poland

EU festivities face Polish wrath

Sophie Team Observers — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:18:00 +0200

This video clip, released by the EU to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the iron curtain, has prompted a furious response from Poland.

Why the fury? Poles say they are under-represented in the clip's depiction of the fall of communism. And they've also picked up on a big boo-boo - the supposed footage of demonstrations against the martial law in 1981 is in fact an extract taken from a documentary filmed in 1993.

In response to the outcry Brussels has promised to replace the shot in question and release a more Pole-pleasing version as soon as possible. One of our Polish Observers takes a look at the seemingly outraging video.

The world’s gone 'francophonic'

Sophie Team Observers — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:53:47 +0100

Our Observer Marcin Smietana is attending a Polish festival devoted to French music. ‘Francophonic' is not yet over but here's his reaction to the event so far...

L'Herbe Folle gave a good idea of the nine days ahead at the opening concert of the third Francophonic festival on 12 March in Toruń. You could say that the festival looks at French music from many angles, grouping such genres as pop, rock, electronic music, world music and immortal ‘chansons françaises' in one event. You could also say that it tries to take a closer look at the natural energy sources of the artists showing up in six Polish cities: Toruń, Warszawa, Lublin, Gdynia (Tri-city), Wrocław and Poznań. Then, whatever roots you find in their music they can all be labelled as world roots proudly proving their equal status.

L'Herbe Folle from Toulouse, the busiest band of the festival, reveal a very distinct taste of gypsy and eastern European influence in their music. At one gig in Warsaw they joined forces with Polish artist Czesław Mozil and his band, clearly sharing similar views on music.

The line-up also included Amadou et Mariam (Mariam Doumbia and Amadou Bagayoko) the duet from Mali inspired by African music, blues and funk. The duet has long been present on the world scene and was a definite star of the festival. Another brilliant artist presenting African sounds is Nuru Kane playing guimbri (a three-string guitar-like instrument) coming to Poland with his band Bayefall Gnawa. Nuru combines north-African Gnawa style with Senegalese music and adds a tinge of Malian Blues. There are also two other important points in the programme still to come. The first is a Warsaw evening featuring two women's voices - French singer Mareva Galanter, Miss France in 1999, and Polish artist Maria Peszek, while the last powerful event is a gig of two bands: Oh La La!, a rock group featuring former singer of As dragon, Natasha La Jeune, and Sex in Dallas combining different styles of sampled electronic music including French house or electro. Besides music the festival program includes a retrospective presentation of Jacques Tati's movies."

Nuru Kane and Baye Fall Gnawa in concert Friday 20 March.Photo by Marcin.

Kraftwerk, Second Life and Oskar Schindler’s factory

Team Observers — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:18:36 +0200

Image posted 24 Sept 08 by Richard M Marshall on Flickr.

Avant-garde music, Second Life and Oscar Schindler's museum - Poland's sixth edition of the Sacrum Profanum music festival came to Krakow last weekend, and brought German electronic giants Kraftwerk with it. Our Observer went to the festival.

Russian blog review: "Looking for nuclear war? Bring it on!"

Ségolène Team Observers — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:20:27 +0200

A photomontage circulating on russian blogs.The crater is on Poland.

The Georgian War and the subsequent missile defense deployment in Poland and the Czech Republic have stirred up Russian bloggers. Many vent their frustration through hawkish comments and nostalgia of Soviet military might.

Picture posted by Stanislav "Afrikanych" Ulyanov.

Writing above: "Our Policy". Writing below: "NATO"

Polish revolution hero Walesa comes under attack

Ségolène Team Observers — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:44:15 +0200

The cover of Time Magazine in December 1980.

Poland's political community has been thrown into turmoil over allegations that the country's former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Lech Walesa collaborated with the Communist-era secret police and spent years trying to cover it up.

The accusations emerged last month in a limited edition, 780-page book published by the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN). The authors claim that Walesa worked with the brutal "SB" service; Poland's answer to the KGB, between 1970 and 1976. The authors explain that Walesa, while still an electrician and union leader, had provided information to the SB, under the codename "Bolek", about strike organisers in the early seventies. Walesa did admit to having signed documents that were handed over to the political police following interrogations, but he categorically denies that the name "Bolek" was ever used.

What makes the news so shocking is that Walesa was an anti-communist and pro-human rights activist who founded the country's first independent trade union, Solidarity. He is considered a heroic figure in leading the country to independence in the 1989 revolution and someone who fought against the political repression of the communist regime, not alongside it. While some are ready to send him to the gallows, others have dismissed the news as sensationalist and recycled rubbish. Our Observers on both sides tell us why they're right.

This post was compiled with the help of one of our Observers in Poland, Marcin Smietana.

Miners go on strike…underground

Julien — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 19:08:46 +0100

Neither Christmas nor New Year alleviated the situation. Miners from Budryk, Silésie, in south-west Poland, have reached their twenty-second day of strike without disruption. The movement, which began over-ground, has now taken refuge under the soil. This weekend there were almost five-hundred gathered at the bottom of the mine demanding higher wages. Our Observer in Poland has helped us to decipher the conflict. We're also publishing a commentary from one of the leaders of the strike, who says he's asking for only to be paid the same as other miners in Poland.