The Krakow Post

NO. 15 WWW.KRAKOWPOST.COM AUGUST 16-AUGUST 22, 2007 WEEKLY

Tourists from Sardinia pose outside one of the dormitories of Jagiellonian University. Krakow, with an abundance of universities, has thousands of dormitory rooms available. PHOTO/The Krakow Post

THIS WEEK Grazyna Zawada University (AGH). It has thousands. don’t have to fight for customers before the STAFF JOURNALIST Its 15-story dorms are visible from far start of the summer season. Presently our away. For that reason, it hangs banners on business is very good. We don’t even need City fashioned after Krakow universities rent their dormitory them advertising rooms. It also advertises an Internet reservation service. We even rooms during summer vacation – and make on the Internet. plan to launch a frequent-customer card to Wild West to be built good money out of it. “We have a standard similar to a hostel,” entitle our guests to discounts.” The city would join a short list of Using dormitories as cheap hotels dur- said Andrzej Sabuda, substitute director of Both universities’ offerings appeal to a ing summer has been a common practice the AGH campus. “We advertise as the big- range of customers – of all ages and many Wild West-type towns in Europe in many European cities – for example, gest and cheapest lodging place in Krakow. nationalities. – just like in the movies 3 Prague. We can host as many as 4,000 at one time.” “Of course everybody wants to have as Krakow, with an abundance of univer- Most Krakow students are happy that many customers as possible, but we don’t sities, has thousands of dormitory rooms their rooms are rented in summer because fight,” said Muszanska. “Competition al- EU nationals to buy available. They range from hostel-like their universities use the money to keep stu- ways results in raising the standard, which shared facilities to private rooms. dents’ room rates steady and to improve the is the most important thing.” land freely by 2009 Those who want to spend as little as pos- dormitories. Despite the demand for dormitory lodg- sible, or get a taste of a student’s life, can When the students return in the fall, the ing, regular hotel and hostel owners aren’t As of May 1, 2009, foreign choose a room with a bathroom that is down university does not rent rooms to outsiders, panicking. nationals will be able to freely the hall or shared with another room. Sabuda said. “The students are most impor- “Of course we take the competition into purchase real estate in Poland These cheap rooms typically feature tant,” he said. account,” said Szymon Tokarczuk, owner without permits 6 bunkbeds. The only television is in a com- Other universities also have some rooms of the Kadetus hostel on ul. Zwierzyniecka. mon television room. to rent all year long. One is Jagiellonian “But in fact, Krakow’s hostels standard is Price of the cheapies is about 25 zloty a University, Krakow’s most prestigious one of the highest in Europe, one we may Forced labor camps person. higher educational institution. be proud of.” The average price of a private room is 50 “We have all-year-round hostel-type He also contended that “dormitories will to 60 zloty. rooms in our dormitories,” said Marta never be able to create that homelike, pri- found near Krakow The “ritziest” private rooms, which have Muszanska of the university’s Bratniak as- vate atmosphere that hostels do. And our National Employment Inspectors a bathroom, a TV, a telephone and a refrig- sociation. “They are of much higher stan- service, the help we offer, is unavailable in uncover a forced labor camp out- erator, go for about 100 zloty. dard than other lodgings of this type. dormitories. side of Krakow where Ukrainian The biggest purveyor of dormitory rooms She said the university carries out its His conclusion: “There are enough tourists in Krakow is the Mining and Metallurgy nationals were forced to work 10 “advertising campaign all year long, so we in Krakow” for all those offering lodging. 2 The Krakow Post POLAND AUGUST 16-AUGUST 22, 2007

R E G I O N A L N E W S

Tight security for Estonian

Gay Pride after 2006 trouble German Haema earning on Agency LUK Estonia will hold its fourth Gay Pride parade in the capital Tallinn amid stepped up security after the event last year was marred by violent far-right protesters. blood and plasma donation Police have warned troublemakers to the krakow post twice a month, he can get anoth- Polish politicians. stay away from the route of the parade, er 5 euro. Haema also rewards a Konrad Szymanski, an MEP which caps a week-long gay cultural fes- Residents of Zgorzelec, a driver who brings other donors from the Law and Justice Party tival known as Tallinn Pride 2007, saying Polish city on the German bor- to the company (15 euro for (PiS), has lodged a complaint that the event will be videotaped by law der, are traveling to the neigh- each one). In Poland, no money against Haema to the European enforcement officers. boring German city of Görlitz to is paid for blood. The donor Commission. The annual march was first held in Tal- donate blood and plasma. But the EC maintains that linn in 2004, and the first two parades went A few months ago, a Haema the German enterprise doesn’t without a hitch. Haema pays people for the blood donation center, one of pay for blood donation but only Last year, however, a group of around blood donations. For 500 15 such facilities, opened in compensates for time losses (a 20 young men who dubbed themselves Görlitz. milliliters of blood, the donor plasma donation takes about two Estonian patriots ambushed the 500-strong Haema is a company that gets 20 euro. For 750 mil- hours) and for travel to Görlitz. march armed with sticks and stones. buys blood and plasma to resell liliters of plasma, 15 euro. Even if Germans can consider One parade participant, a Spanish citi- to Austrian companies for med- Blood donation by 15 or 20 euro as a compensa- zen, sustained serious head injuries and ical uses. Half of the donors tion, for some Polish citizens it about dozen others received medical treat- an individual is limited in Gorlitz are Poles from Zgo- has become an easy way to earn ment after the attack in the Old Town of to a few times a year. rzelec and neighboring cities. money. That is why they prefer Tallinn last August. At first glance, nothing seems to donate blood in Haema rather “Until last year, Estonia was a safe haven alarming about the situation. receives only a few chocolate than in Poland. for gay rights’ marches,” Lisette Kampus, But transactions are not al- bars, coffee, sometimes a meat The number of donators on spokeswoman for Tallinn Pride, told AFP. ways as noble as they seem, can as a compensation for nutri- the Polish side of Zgorzelec “No one seemed to be prepared that it and some Polish politicians are tion losses. Poland is not alone continues to decline. Of course would happen here, such a blatant attack on critical of the German business with this policy. there are many different motiva- gay and lesbian people in the very heart of and a resultant decline in blood Since 1975, the World Health tions behind donating. the Estonian capital,” she said. donations on the Polish side of Organization has asked its But blood donors interviewed Organizers again expect about 500 peo- the border. member states to conduct only by the daily newspaper Gazeta ple to participate in this year’s parade. Haema pays people for the voluntary and non-remunerated Wyborcza admit that beside the Following last year’s violence, police blood donations. For 500 mil- blood donations. idea of helping other people, had initially declined to give permission liliters of blood, the donor gets Donated, no-pay blood is they think about earning money, for the 2007 march to take place in central 20 euro. For 750 milliliters of considered the safest. And not too. Tallinn, but then agreed to the march after plasma, 15 euro. Blood dona- everybody can become a blood Some of them are saving organizers slightly modified the route. tion by an individual is lim- and plasma donor. Medical money for holidays, some to The 2006 violence dented Estonia’s im- ited to a few times a year, while history is considered and doc- buy a car, others to buy clothes, age as being more tolerant towards homo- plasma can be donated up to 36 tors interview potential donors. beer or other pleasures. Some of sexuals than other post-Communist coun- times a year. The blood-for-money business them have never donated blood tries. Problems have been frequently seen If a person provides plasma in Germany has angered some in Poland. in its fellow Baltic state of Latvia, where For some, donating blood is a way of making a living. there has been trouble on a much larger scale, or Poland, where a ban on marches sparked a rebuke from the European Court of Human Rights. Estonian gay rights campaigners note that no local political leaders have taken Vatican reassures Jews over pope’s part in previous events, unlike their coun- terparts in several of the EU’s member states in the West. In addition, Estonian authorities have meeting with outspoken Rydzyk rejected proposals from the homosexual community to give legal status to same-sex partnerships. Estonia’s lesbian and gay community The meeting with Radio Maryja’s controversial director Tadeusz has become more visible since the coun- try regained independence from the Soviet Rydzyk prompted Jewish associations to seek clarification Union in 1991 and became a member of the EU in 2004. (AFP) agence france-presse The European Jewish Congress said it was “shocked (and) astonished by the fact that Slovak boy shelters in Italian The Vatican late last week issued an un- Pope Benedict XVI has granted with a pri- embassy, seeks father common explanatory note over a meeting vate audience and his blessing a man and an between Pope Benedict XVI and the direc- institution that have tarnished the image of An 11-year-old boy took refuge this week tor of a Polish Catholic radio station accused the Polish Church.” at the Embassy of Italy in Bratislava because of anti-Semitism. The Representative Council of Jewish he is unhappy with his Slovak mother and The meeting Sunday with Radio Mary- Institutions in France said that its director, stepfather and wants to live with his Italian ja’s controversial director Tadeusz Rydzyk, Richard Prasquier, was “deeply shocked” father, reports said late last week. whom Benedict reprimanded last year, by the meeting, “during which the anti- The boy, identified only as Marco, es- prompted Jewish associations to voice Semitism of the Polish radio station Radio caped from Bratislava airport after returning alarm and seek clarification. Maryja ... does not appear to have been home from a holiday in Tunisia. “With regard to requests for clarification discussed.” He took a taxi and went straight to the about the ‘kissing of the hand’ received Radio Maryja “has for many years been Italian mission. from Rev. Tadeusz Rydzyk ... this occur- spreading caricatural anti-Jewish messages “I want to be with my father. I get along rence implies no change in the well-known and stereotypes,” the CRIF said in a state- better with him. I don’t want to live with my position of the Holy See on relations be- ment. The meeting means the broadcaster stepfather, I don’t like him,” the boy is re- tween Catholics and Jews,” the terse com- “is unfortunately tolerated by the Catholic ported to have written in his diary. munique said. leadership and hierarchy, despite protests A Slovak court has ruled that the boy Rydzyk was part of a delegation of Pol- within Polish society itself,” the statement should rejoin his mother, a Foreign Ministry ish pilgrims when the two met at the pope’s said, adding: “The action is totally incom- spokeswoman said. summer residence in nearby Castelgandolfo patible with the climate of comprehension The Italian embassy, contacted by AFP, at the end of the Sunday Angelus prayer. and friendly relations built between the meanwhile refused comment. (AFP) Last year, Rydzyk fell foul of the Vati- Catholic Church and Jews for many years.” can over what were considered anti-Semitic Based in the northern Polish city of To- “Little Godzilla” croc still at broadcasts. Rome ordered Poland’s bishops run, Radio Maryja claims some 3 mln listen- large in Ukraine to set up a watchdog body for the radio, ers from among Poland’s mainly Catholic but it apparently has had little impact and population of 38.2 mln. A small crocodile called “Godzik,” or the Church has faced criticism for failing to But it wields considerable political influ- “Little Godzilla,” which escaped from its bring Rydzyk under control. ence in Poland and has campaigned openly cage in southern Ukraine at the end of May, Radio Maryja’s daily newspaper, Nasz for the governing Law and Justice (PiS) is still at large and apparently enjoying it- Dziennik, revealed the meeting between the party, even though it has begun sniping at self, an official said late last week. pope and Rydzyk in an article illustrated by Poland’s conservative leaders for allegedly The 70-centimeter long Nile crocodile, photographs last Tuesday. going soft. The Radio Maryja media em- which swam away during a publicity show A Vatican source confirmed the meeting, pire, which also includes a television sta- on a beach on the Sea of Azov, is defying saying that while at Castelgandolfo, Bene- tion, mixes Catholic fundamentalist, Polish attempts to recapture it. dict “receives many people who ask to see nationalist and anti-liberal ideologies. Dariel Adjiba, of the local office of the him,” adding: “Generally nothing is known In July, Rydzyk was caught up in a new emergencies ministry, said the reptile had (of these meetings) except when they them- dispute over comments slamming Presi- apparently made its home on an abandoned selves report them.” dent Lech Kaczynski for giving in to Jew- barge which ran aground in the shallow Nasz Dziennik said Benedict “thanked ish demands for compensation for property sea, where it could often be seen sunning the station’s thousands of listeners for their lost after the Holocaust in post-war Poland, itself. prayers on his behalf and blessed Radio and suggesting Jews wanted to strip Poland Godzik had been with a traveling circus Maryja and its work,” while the Vatican’s of billions of dollars. The Israeli ambassa- for approximately a year when it escaped note suggested that the encounter was lim- dor to Poland urged the government to con- at Maryupol on the northern shore of the Last year, Radio Maryja’s controversial director Tadeusz fell foul of the Vatican over ited to Rydzyk kissing the pope’s hand. demn Rydzyk’s remarks. inland sea. (AFP) what were considered anti-Semitic broadcasts. AUGUST 16-AUGUST 22, 2007 POLAND The Krakow Post 3 City fashioned after Wild West to be built in Zory

Alicja Natkaniec Zory officials want the city to be open all STAFF JOURNALIST year long. They said it would require up to 100 actors for its shows. Zory officials are trying to find an inves- Why an Old West city instead of another tor to build an American Wild West city as kind of tourist attraction? a tourist attraction. The American West still intrigues even They have already designated a location grown-up men and women. Every child along Highway 81 about halfway between played cowboys and Indians. A Wild West Katowice and the Vistula River. Now they city would let them go back to those times. need someone to – as cowboys would say Zory officials point out that other cities – “cough up” the estimated 9 mln zloty have castles or aquaparks. Zory wanted a needed to build the city. different kind of attrac- The city, which would tion. be one of a handful in The city, which would Wild West cities else- Central Europe, would be one of a handful in where in Poland and in be right out of the West- Central Europe, would be the Czech Republic have erns, with all the roman- proved popular. tic atmosphere and rough right out of the Westerns, An Wild West city beauty. with all the romantic near Karpacz shows that It would boast a sa- atmosphere and such an investment, aside loon, shops, a sheriff’s rough beauty. from being great fun, is office, a jail and a bank. also a profitable busi- It would also have a ness. Thousands of tour- working barbershop and photo studio. ists have come to one near Karpacz to show You would be able to watch gunfights their children what life was like in the Wild in the city. You would also be able to learn West, to let them see horses, rest in a big how to use a lasso and an Indian bow. And meadow or listen to country music. you would be able to don warpaint in an But the biggest profits from the Karpacz Indian teepee. attraction have come from corporate events The city would have its own adminis- and weddings. tration, water supply, phone network and The facility accommodates hundreds of of course a sheriff, who would make sure people for a big event, such as a company there was law and order. gathering or wedding reception. Polish officials are looking for investors to build a Wild West-type city in Poland to attract more tourists. Russian Paranoid power twins head towards elections prison Jean-Luc Testault receiving kickbacks. Agence France-Presse Obsessed by their main priority, the de-com- fugitives munisation of a Poland that only emerged from a LUK Agency LUK Obstinate, nationalistic, and often paranoid, the dictatorship 18 years ago, the twins have neglected Kaczynski twins, after sowing the seeds of chaos more important issues. Reforms that had been fast- snared in within their own party in Poland and throughout tracked before Poland joined the EU are no longer Europe, have called for early elections in October. moving forward with the same urgency. The health- Poland: police Lech, the president, and Jaroslaw, the prime minis- care system is on the verge of collapse, with the ter, have alienated many of their European counter- country’s doctors and nurses both staging industrial Agence France-Presse parts, including some of their former allies on the action in recent months over their miserably low right in Poland, with their puritanical approach to wages. The government has refused to budge. Two convicts who escaped from a corruption and communism. The country’s privatization program has practi- prison in the Russian Baltic enclave “They didn’t know how to show that they knew cally ground to a halt and many observers fear that of Kaliningrad have been arrested in how to govern,” said Public Affairs Institute direc- the lack of movement on economic reform will neighboring northern Poland, while tor Lena Kolarska-Bobinska. hamper growth for years to come. another remained at large, Polish po- “The government has fallen apart and it’s chaos, The twins have made their presence felt within lice announced late last week. including within the ranks of their own party,” she the EU, though perhaps not in a way that some of The two men, identified only as added. their European partners have appreciated. Vladimir R., 27, and Oleg L., 26, The twins run the ultra-conservative Catholic They made it their business to block any talks were detained in Bartoszyce, a town Law and Justice (PiS) party, which they founded between the EU and Russia on an economic agree- some 20 kilometers from the border, in 2001. ment. And while Jaroslaw Kaczynski sent his police spokeswoman Izabela Niedz- In government, the two have progressively brother to the EU summit in Germany last June, he wiedzka told AFP. pushed aside anyone around them with any politi- left him no room for manoeuvre. EU officials ended “The police are continuing to hunt cal weight, replacing politicians with yes-men. up having to negotiate with him by telephone. for the third fugitive, and his arrest is Their latest victim was Janusz Kaczmarek, who Nor has Poland’s EU membership inhibited the just a matter of time,” she said. was previously interior minister. Then, while vaca- twins’ attacks on their neighbor and EU founding The three convicts escaped from tioning in Italy, he was informed that his services member Germany. In the wake of the fractious EU a prison at Bagrationovsk, which is were no longer required. Police also searched his summit, during which Germany and Poland argued only a few kilometers from Kalinin- house. over voting rights within the bloc, Jaroslaw Kac- grad’s border with Poland, and are Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski told report- zynski compared modern-day Germany to the era believed to have crossed the frontier ers that Kaczmarek was among a circle of indi- that brought Adolf Hitler to power. overnight. viduals suspected of involvement in a leak that had He even invoked the carnage wrought by the Na- Before they are extradited to Rus- compromised a corruption investigation. zis in his country to support his claim to increase sia, they are due to be tried in Poland Kaczmarek, previously one of the twins’ closest Poland’s voting rights within the EU, arguing that for crimes allegedly committed dur- collaborators, responded by saying: “We live in a without the war Poland would be a more populous ing their brief spell of freedom, nota- totalitarian state.” – and therefore powerful – country. bly a burglary in a bar in Bartoszyce. But for Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the strategist and the more powerful of the two brothers, suspicion comes as second nature. He recently admitted that he didn’t have a bank account because he was afraid bad-intentioned peo- ple would see his bank balance and accuse him of President Lech Kaczynski (center).

Three killed in Polish Gallery of Smiles, Cosmetic Dentistry coach crash in France Impress with a smile! agence france-presse - Go home with a new smile! - No waiting list At least three people were killed and 26 - Cheaper than in Western Europe injured last week when a Polish coach over- - English-speaking staff turned on a motorway in northern France, emergency services said. It was the second - Top international-level training fatal accident in less than three weeks involv- - Hygienic, contemporary equipment ing a Polish coach. Six of the injured, who - Caring patient-oriented atmosphere included teenagers, were described as serious. The Polish-registered coach, which had come from Belgium, overturned as it was taking a slip road to a service area. The accident happened at 06:00 around 429-1470 Opening Hours: about 10 kilometers (five miles) outside Monday to Friday: 09:00-21:00 Dunkirk, where it had been heavily raining. Saturday: 09:00-15:00 On July 22 a coach carrying Polish pilgrims crashed in the French Alps, and fell into a rav- Tel.: +48 12 429-1470 ing, killing 26 passengers and injuring 24. [email protected] 4 The Krakow Post POLAND AUGUST 16-AUGUST 22, 2007 R E G I O N A L N E W S Poznan Tzadik Turkish Cypriot jailed for Jews join Progressive Jews community killing Slovak waitress Festival at A Turkish Cypriot man was jailed for life last week after a Cyprus court found former synagogue him guilty of raping and strangling his Slo- vak former girlfriend and burying her body on the outskirts of the capital, Nicosia. Alicja Szwinta-Dyrda a treat for lovers The court, in the southern coastal town of Larnaca, described Panicos Netzadi, 32, of Jewish music as a “cold and calculated murderer” whose the krakow post only motive was to exact revenge on 20- year-old Slovak waitress Janka Kovacova One of the highlights was a concert by after she ended their relationship. the renowned jazz artist John Zorn’s Ma- Kovacova broke off the affair after dis- sada quartet. The festivities, which opened covering that the man was married. She on August 11, surprised fans, who thought was last seen on August 17, 2006 being of Zorn as an avant garde group. The group bundled into a white van outside a five-star stuck to traditional jazz, although the pieces hotel in the resort of Ayia Napa where she were laced with elements of Jewish musi- worked. Police later arrested Netzadi who cal tradition. led them to where he buried the girl. Uri Caine appeared as a special guest at At the time of Kovacova’s abduction, the concert to complement Zorn on saxo- Netzadi was out on conditional bail await- phone, Dave Douglas on trumpet and the ing trial in another rape case, police said. others. Police said the man had confessed to It was a coup for the festival to get Zorn, her rape and murder but later retracted the who is world-renowned not only for his confession. musicianship but also because he founded The court was told that shortly before the New York record company Tzadik in his arrest, Netzadi told a friend: “Where I 1995. The Washington Post said Tzadik put her, nobody will find her.” (AFP) “champions Jewish music, jazz and avant- experimentalism.” Ukraine court overturns The label, a major promoter of Jewish bloc’s exclusion from election artists, has released more than 100 albums since its founding. A Ukrainian court early this week ordered In the last 10 years it has recorded some the electoral commission to reverse its deci- of the world’s most innovative Jewish sion not to register candidates from a pro- artists, many of whom performed at the Western opposition bloc for next month’s Poznan Tzadik Festival. legislative polls. It said the commission “Tikkun” magazine recently said “Zorn must process the registrations of Yulia Ty- has forged a hugely eclectic and uncompro- moshenko’s bloc, the Interfax news agency mising canon of music.” reported. Tymoshenko welcomed the rul- Also appearing on opening night at the ing. “I think that the provocations against Poznan Tzadik Festival was the French our bloc are already worn-out,” she told quartet Zakarya, which combines Klezmer Interfax. The commission had refused to tradition with rock avant garde rather than register the bloc for September 30 polls on The Jewish Cultural Association was founded in 1999 by American Severyn Ashkenazy as a home for the Progressive Jews community in jazz. The festival is about more than mu- the grounds that her list lacked information Warsaw. It has been the only spiritual and cultural center for Polish liberal-minded Jews. sic. It evokes Jewish religion, culture and on where the candidates lived. Her support- Alicja Natkaniec Judaism view Jewish laws as adaptable to among Jewish intelligentsia and bourgeoi- tradition, especially the social and moral ers had demonstrated against the decision, STAFF JOURNALIST the changing needs of cultures over time. sie. Haskala‘s followers supported “cultural context of being Jewish. and Tymoshenko condemned it as “political As a result, they look to the Bible for basic assimilation,” which included the use of lo- Events besides music included meetings persecution” by commission members loyal More and more Poles of Jewish descent moral principles, but they do not believe in cal languages in religious offices, the secu- with authors and poetry readings. to the pro-Russian government. are joining the Progressive Jews community a literal reading of the Bible. So they ignore larization of education and a growing role Agnieszka Sabor, a journalist at the Pro-Western President Viktor Yushchen- in Poland, Dziennik newspaper reports. Get- some rules important for Orthodox Jews, for women in religious practice. One of the newspaper Tygodnik Powszechny, dis- ko intervened to urge the commission to ting much of the credit for the movement is for example about kosher food or clothes, most famous Haskala supporters in Krakow cussed her new book, “Shtetl: Traces of change its mind, saying the problem was an the Beit Warszawa Jewish Cultural Asso- which they find outdated. Progressive Jews was Jozef Oettinger, the first Jewish lecturer Jewish Small Towns.” “invented” one. ciation in Warsaw. The association aims to are also more socially liberal than many at the Jagiellonian University. A highlight of the last day of the festival Last month, Yushchenko set the date for revive the tradition of Progressive Judaism, In the 19th Century, Progressive Jews was a poetry recitation of “A Holy Word, a parliamentary elections in an effort to end which was active in Poland before World were often the objects of attacks by Ortho- Cursed Word.” a months-long power struggle with Prime About 200 Jews belong to War II. To attract Poles to Progressive Ju- dox and Hasidic communities. Today the The concert venue – the former syna- Minister Viktor Yanukovych, his Moscow- Beit Warszawa, and each year daism, the association organizes courses in ideas of Progressive Jews continue to be gogue – helped create the nostalgic atmo- backed rival. Hebrew and Yiddish, as well as lectures on this number increases. Active rejected by Orthodoxy. Progressive Judaism sphere that the festival organizers wanted. Opinion polls that Tymoshenko’s bloc Jewish religion and culture. communities of Progressive is perceived by Orthodox Jews as a breach The synagogue on ul. Wroniecka opened would come second behind the prime min- About 200 Jews belong to Beit Warsza- Judaism exist not only in the of Jewish law and ethics and is treated as a in 1907. ister’s party in next month’s elections, with wa, and each year this number increases. larger Polish cities, but also foreign religion. However, the number of During World War II the Nazis removed the president’s party in third place. (AFP) Active communities of Progressive Juda- in smaller communities like Progressive Jews is growing throughout the the star of David from the dome. In 1940 ism exist not only in the larger Polish cit- Bilgoraj and Zielona Gora. world. In the U.S., 60 percent of Jews be- they turned the building into a swimming Estonian growth slows, but ies, such as Krakow and Gdansk, but also long to Progressive communities. pool for Wehrmacht soldiers. The pool is remains robust: official data in smaller communities like Bilgoraj and In Poland, Progressive and Orthodox still in the temple to this day. Zielona Gora. Orthodox congregations. For example they Jews face another problem – worship space. Estonia’s breakneck economic growth Beit Warszawa was founded in 1999 by have a more relaxed attitude towards homo- The regained Jewish properties, such as rate dipped in the second quarter, but re- American Severyn Ashkenazy as a home for sexuality and other controversial issues. synagogues or prayer houses, belong to the mained a robust 7.3 percent compared with the Progressive Jews community in Warsaw. According to their rules a Jewish identity Orthodox community. Whale sighted off the same period in 2006, the Baltic state’s It has been the only spiritual and cultural can be passed down through either the moth- In the face of the growing needs of the statistics office said late last week. center for Polish liberal-minded Jews. Their er or the father. The origins of Progressive Progressive community, which currently Poland: expert “The economy continued growing fast rabbi is Burt E. Schuman, a New Yorker Judaism go back to “Haskala,” the 18th- rents a house in Warsaw, this issue will have but decelerated at constant prices primar- with Polish roots. Members of Progressive Century Jewish Enlightenment developed to be resolved soon. Agence France-Presse ily due to the slowdown in the value-added growth in manufacturing, wholesale and A whale has been spotted off the Polish transport as well as in storage,” the nation- coast after apparently losing its way, in a rare al statistics office said in a statement. appearance of such a marine mammal in the In the first quarter of this year, gross Getting U.S. visas gets tougher Baltic Sea, an expert said early this week. domestic product (GDP) had grown by 9.8 “If my observations prove right, it is a percent compared with the same period of the krakow post eligibility in the visa-waiver program. Too Minke whale which can reach up to 10 me- 2006. Over the whole of 2006, Estonia’s many Poles breach American immigration ters in length,” oceanographer Krzysztof GDP had grown by 11.4 percent on an Getting a visa to the U.S. may depend on regulations by staying in the U.S. after their Skora told AFP, who sighted the animal in annual comparison, according to official an applicant’s good or bad timing, Dziennik visas expire. the Gulf of Gdansk near the port city of the statistics. newspaper recently announced. “Poles are still not coming back from the same name. Like neighboring Latvia, which also “I advise you to come on Friday,” “Be- U.S. on time, and we’re all paying for this,” “But it’s 100 percent sure that it’s a whale broke free from the Soviet Union in 1991 fore the weekend the said Polish Prime Minis- and probably the same whale which was Americans are in a good ter Jaroslaw Kaczynski. and joined the EU in 2004, Estonia has ex- “Poles are still not coming seen off Sweden a month ago.” perienced spiralling growth as its economy mood,” “It is better to The visa application pro- The whale, which would normally live come when the weather back from the U.S. on time, cess includes an interview catches up with older members of the EU. and we’re all paying for this,” in the North Sea or the Altantic, would have Both countries have also had problems is fine...and you should with a consul in a U.S. made its way into the Baltic through the nar- said Polish Prime Minister keeping inflation under control, sparking be nicely dressed.” These consulate or embassy. row outlet across the Straits of Oeresund warnings of overheating, which are par- are some examples of Jaroslaw Kaczynski. The visa While these interviews between Sweden and Denmark. ticularly acute in Latvia. advice given by workers application process includes may be critical to the visa “It risks dying of hunger because the Bal- Estonia’s growth rate last year was the at American diplomatic an interview with a consul in a rulings, guidelines for tic lacks krill, the tiny crustaceans which are second fastest in the then 25-member EU, offices to Poles seeking U.S. consulate or embassy. the consuls’ decisions are its traditional food,” said Skora. lagging just half a percentage point behind visas for the U.S. lacking. Polish politicians “The Baltic Sea is not an ecosystem where Latvia, where the 11.9-percent annual GDP Although Poland is are trying to get visa rules Minke whales live. It is actually an ecosys- growth seen last year was also fueled by an ally of the U.S. in the wars in Iraq and clarified. Last year about 26 percent of the tem for porpoises, which are disappearing, strong domestic demand. Afghanistan, and Poland also is consider- Poles seeking U.S. visas were unsuccessful. but unfortunately no one is interested in Latvia’s GDP grew by 10.7 percent in ing hosting a part of a U.S. missile defense It is hoped that if the rules are clarified, them. There are plenty of Minke whales in shield, the U.S. government does not grant within six to seven years the percentage of the first quarter of this year on an annual U.S. visa application. Europe,” he added. Last year a Humpback comparison, according to that country’s Polish citizens free entrance to America. Re- visa denials will drop to about 10 percent. whale also found its way into the Baltic and statistics office, and preliminary figures re- cently, the U.S. dropped visa requirements And then, perhaps, if Poles do a better job of was spotted off Gdansk and the Gulf of Fin- cently showed that second-quarter growth for Estonians and Czechs. But Poland still heeding visa expiration deadlines, the U.S. land further north before being found dead was 11.3 percent on a similar basis. (AFP) does not meet the formal conditions for will drop the visa requirement entirely. in the Gulf of Riga, off Latvia. AUGUST 16-AUGUST 22, 2007 POLAND The Krakow Post 5 Poland’s preparations for Euro 2012 tournament are far behind schedule Father Rydzyk will not be punished by his superiors

LUK Agency LUK circles. His media outlets have given strong support to the Law and Justice party (PiS) led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the twin brother of President Lech Kacz- ynski. The current uproar results from state- ments reportedly made at a lecture by Fa- ther Rydzyk at his journalism school. The lecture was given in the spring but a tape recording was only recently made public by “Wprost” magazine. During the lecture, “Wprost” reported, Rydzyk called President Kaczynski a “swindler” and accused him of bowing to pressure from the Jewish lobby. In relation to First Lady Maria Kaczyn- ski’s decision to sign an appeal opposing amendments to the Constitution regard- ing restricting abortion, Rydzyk called Radio Maryja of Father Tadeusz Rydzyk. her “a witch” who “is talking about killing people, but she should start with herself.” the krakow post Some 700 Polish intellectuals, including former Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazow- A controversial priest’s remarks about iecki and former Auschwitz inmate and Poland’s president and first lady – in Foreign Minister Wladyslaw Bartosze- which he allegedly called the president wski, signed an open letter condemning a “swindler” and his Rydzyk’s statements. wife a “witch” – have A controversial priest’s re- They said that Ry- produced protests and dzyk’s comments “re- calls for punishment. marks about the president vealed his contempt” Father Tadeusz and first lady – in which for Jews and fellow The Polish application for the Euro 2012 championships proposed six stadiums in Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan, Gdansk, Chorzow Rydzyk’s Catholic he called the president a Christians. and Wroclaw. Construction is already behind schedule. superiors have taken “swindler” and his wife a “It hurts us that no action, but a civil “witch” – have produced the contemptible Alicja Natkaniec nancing and bypass bidding processes to know yet where it will be placed. Minis- prosecutor is con- and anti-Semitic re- STAFF JOURNALIST speed up construction. ter Jakubiak intends to negotiate the 2010 sidering defamation calls for punishment. marks come from a The second bill would create a company deadline for stadium completion. charges. representative of our Poland’s preparations for the Euro 2012 of 1,000 specialists to plan and supervise Spring 2011 seems to be more realistic As for Father Ry- church,” the letter said. are behind schedule. Four months after Po- the preparations efficiently. Ministry of and, hopefully, equally satisfactory for Eu- dzyk, he said that he “didn’t intend Father Zdzislaw Klafka, leader of the land and Ukraine were chosen to co-host Sport officials hope to have such a compa- ropean football authorities. In Gdansk, the to offend anyone” but he refused to Polish Redemptorists, declined to pun- the championships, the Polish Ministry of ny functioning in two months. So far, little new Baltic Arena is under construction, but apologize to the president and his wife. ish Father Rydzyk for his statements. Sport and Tourism is sounding an alarm has been accomplished. The national com- a one-year delay is expected. Only the offi- Rydzyk is a Polish Catholic priest of “He does not identify himself with the about meeting deadlines for contractual mittee appointed to supervise preparations cials in Poznan and Wroclaw are confident the Rome-based Redemptorist mis- anti-Semitism that has been attributed obligations. for the championships first had to solve the and optimistic about the deadlines. From sionary order and the owner of a me- to him,” Klafka said, and added that the And two weeks after taking office, Min- personnel problems. The Polish application an economical point of view, Poland stands dia empire that includes Radio Maryja priest was a victim of “serious provoca- ister of Sport Elzbieta Jakubiak has an- for the championships proposed six stadi- to be a big winner from Euro 2012. station, the Trwam TV station, and tion and media manipulation.” nounced a new action plan. There are two ums in Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan, Gdansk, The massive infrastructure build-up in the daily newspaper Nasz Dziennik. Klafka’s opinion was approved issues of great urgency, she said. The first Chorzow and Wroclaw. Poland will generate thousands of jobs. He is also the founder of the College by Father Joseph Tobin of Rome, the is stadium construction. The second is or- Construction of some is already behind But the construction sector and other in- of Media and Journalism in Torun. worldwide head of the Redemptorist ganizing specialists to supervise the cham- schedule. The worst situation is in the capi- dustry segments are already experiencing Father Rydzyk has gained notoriety in order. The prosecutor in Torun is check- pionships. Each issue demands legislative tal city. It is already apparent that the new skills shortages. Poland also needs to make the past for his allegedly anti-Semitic, ing the credibility of the tape recordings changes, because the existing rules are de- Warsaw stadium, which is to host the grand changes in employment legislation to open xenophobic and nationalistic opinions. of the lecture and expects to decide this fective and disfunctional. opening of Euro 2012, will not be ready on the labor market to immigration from Asia As a charismatic personality, he has month whether a defamation charge is One bill would streamline stadium fi- time. And Sport Ministry officials don’t or post-Soviet countries. become popular in extreme right-wing warranted. PiS motivating women to work It appears PiS is going soft on its right-wing family-orientated policies. A recent party campaign aims to motivate the 52 percent of Polish women who are of employable age, but do not work outside the home AGENCJA NIERUCHOMOŚCI www.property-krakow.com Justyna Krzywicka women need to be shown how a business ish government must make this its priority should have the option of micro-credit ac- STAFF JOURNALIST can be set up and managed. Stereotypes before women can initiate their own enter- cess. The business credit sector for small need to be quashed, with women finally be- prises. The “Women in Business” campaign enterprises is still in its infancy in Poland, It appears PiS is going soft on its right- ing motivated to leave the kitchen. will prove futile if regulations are not sim- with most banks refusing to lend money to wing family-orientated policies. The “Wom- The problem may not be so easy to solve plified, reported economic analyst Andrzej self-employment ventures. Financial assis- en in Business” (“Spełniona w Biznesie”) however. Poland has one of the lowest rates Sadowski from the Adam Smith Institute tance in the form of bank loans are neces- campaign is being launched this September of small business ventures within the EU. in Dziennik. Further, women living outside sary if this potential business sector of the by Joanna Kluzik-Rostkowska, the labor The Statistical Office of the European Com- industrious city regions in small villages community is to flourish. and social policy minister. The campaign mission shows small enterprises account for aims to motivate the 52 percent of Polish 14.2 percent of jobs in Poland, compared women who are of employable age, but to 31.9 percent in Greece. Polish self-em- do not work outside the ployed women account home. Even leftist femi- for only 10.8 percent of NOCLEGI W APARTAMENTACH nists such as Kazimiera The need for better regula- that total (compared to the www.aaakrakow.com Szczuka are supporting tion and lower levels of 22.1 percent of women in the campaign. administrative burdens for Greece). According to Dzie- businesses start-ups is obvi- The issue lies with nnik newspaper, the ous. The Polish government the stringent formalities campaign will involve must make this its priority involved in starting up [email protected] billboards, TV advertise- before women can initiate a business, regardless of ments and programs de- their own enterprises. whether you are male or picting women who have female. Poland has one been successful in open- of the most complicated ing their own businesses. A web site and an and expensive business registration proce- infoline have also been set up. The aim of dures in the EU. It takes up to 45 days to both is to inform women about the steps register a limited company, involving over involved in starting up a business. Advice five governmental institutions of registra- in taxation, accounting, social security and tion. In comparison registering a company business registration is given and explana- in the UK can be done within less than two tions are provided online. days. People in Poland are therefore quickly Dziennik reports many women in Poland frustrated and easily overwhelmed with the are keen to commence their own ventures, procedure. The need for better regulation but lack the know-how in getting things and lower levels of administrative burdens CALL IN AND SEE US! started. According to Kluzik-Rostkowksa, for businesses start-ups is obvious. The Pol- ul. Napoleona Cybulskiego 2 6 The Krakow Post POLAND AUGUST 16-AUGUST 22, 2007 EU nationals to purchase land freely by 2009 Justyna Krzywicka border of Poland some 60 kilometers from STAFF JOURNALIST Berlin, is surrounded by lakes and forests. The area has great swimming, hunting and As of May 1, 2009, foreign nationals other recreational possibilities. cc:sa: Robert A cc:sa: Robert will be able to freely purchase real estate Debno Council’s Registrar Arek Maze- in Poland without permits. Concerns have pa told The Krakow Post, “There is some been raised that foreigners will “buy up” German investment in the area and we the most attractive areas of Poland. gladly welcome it.” If private recreational One of the general principles of the EU land was to be further sold into the hands is the free movement of capital. In accor- of foreign investment, “it would only boost dance with the Treaty of Accession all EU the local economy and develop the region citizens have the same rights as the nation- further,” he added. “There are German pri- als of a given member state to purchase vate owners in the area who are planning property within that state. Poland has a on building hotels near the lakes or have five year leeway period from its accession already established recreational private fa- into the EU to impose property purchase cilities such as ranches. We at the Council restrictions for foreigners. By May 2009 see it as a positive sign, rather than a con- such restrictions will be lifted. Foreign na- troversy.” tionals will be able to purchase real estate Currently a non-Polish national must including recreational land as their “second receive a permit from the Ministry of In- home.” Restrictions for the purchase of terior and Administration to purchase more forests and agricultural land will be lifted than one piece of real estate in Poland. The in 2015. Predictions of increased German process is time-consuming and difficult, property investment are already being restricting foreign investors. made, with the rise in real estate prices Loopholes in the legislation mean that as proof in western Poland. According upon registering a limited company in Po- to comparable real estate prices, a meter land, an investor may make multiple pur- squared of a building plot in Nysa’s lake chases through the company. region has risen from 35 zloty to 90 zloty in With the amendments coming into effect the last year alone. This however cannot be on the May 1, 2009 and Poland’s entry into attributed to the increased level of foreign the Schengen Agreement, the existing ob- land buyers. Land prices have risen across stacles will be eradicated. Free movement all of Poland in the last year as a result of into the country will be possible as pass- Nysa, Poland. By May 2009, foreign nationals will be able to purchase real estate including recreational land as their the current housing boom. port border control in western Poland will “second home.” Restrictions for the purchase of forests and agricultural land will be lifted in 2015. Debno, a small town on the western be eliminated. Iced tea with cannabis? the krakow post Drug experts say the slogan “fantastic natural feeling” may encourage normal- An iced tea containing cannabis extract ization of cannabis as an image in young is hitting stores in Poland. Iced tea with people’s minds. Produced by an Austrian marijuana on a hot summer afternoon? company and using hemp grown in Swit- Why not, actually. Espe- zerland, the drink is avail- cially for 1.49 zloty. able on the Continent and This drink is being This drink is being sold in in South Africa. sold in stores in Lodz, stores in Lodz, Wroclaw In Poland it quickly Wroclaw and Poznan. and Poznan. But it may not became a popular item. But it may not last Recently, it was impos- long as the drink has last long, because the drink sible to find a single can caught the attention of has caught the attention of in shops. the police. Selling prod- the police. Selling products It was available, how- ucts containing drugs is ever, on Internet auc- illegal. containing drugs is illegal. tions, selling at twice the Sold under the label Sold under the label retail price, of course. “C-Ice Swiss Cannabis “C-Ice Swiss Cannabis Iced Tests of the drink in Iced tea,” the chill-out Poland confirmed that drink comes in yellow tea,” the chill-out drink the tea contains tetrahy- cans decorated with comes in yellow cans deco- drocannabinol (THC), cannabis leaves and the rated with cannabis leaves the active ingredient of slogan “fantastic natural marijuana responsible for feeling.” and the slogan “fantastic a euphoric feeling. The word “cannabis” natural feeling.” Although the THC is means marijuana. In fact a tiny quantity (0.0015 this drink contains 5 per- percent), it technically is cent hemp flower syrup and a tiny (0.0015 enough to make the tea illegal in Poland. percent) quantity of THC, the active ingre- In fact, any product with a hemp extract is dient of marijuana. banned. So why was the tea permitted into Any percentage of an ingredient that the Polish market? The company distribut- could put the tea in a drug category report- ing Cannabis Tea in Poland says the prod- edly has been removed to make the drink uct was tested in Austria and judged legal legal. According to the manufacturer, drink- by the EU. With that decision, the company ing the tea won’t lead to any dependency. says, the tea doesn’t need further approval However, the drink created concern among in Poland. So what’s the final tea verdict British anti-drug campaigners as soon as it in Poland? The case will be further investi- appeared across the UK. gated by the public prosecutor.

HOTEL COPERNICUS Tel.: +48 (0) 12 424-3400 Hotel Copernicus Fax: +48 (0) 12 424-3405 ul. Kanonicza 16 Email: [email protected] 31-002 Krakow, Tests of the drink in Poland confirmed that the tea contains tetrahydro- Web site: www.hotel.com.pl Poland cannabinol (THC), the active ingredient of marijuana responsible for the euphoric feeling. AUGUST 16-AUGUST 22, 2007 KRAKOW The Krakow Post 7 Animal abuse in Zakopane Anna Biernat STAFF JOURNALIST

Sheep getting their photos taken with tourists on Zakopane’s main Krupowski promenade are suffering from abuse, claims the Animal Care Society. Residents have complained that the sheep, whose owners charge 5 zloty per pic- ture session, stay in the sun for hours and their hooves are bloody from running on cobblestones. The complaints led to the Animal Care Society investigations. They found the sheep emaciated from lack of food and suffering

Residents have complained that the sheep, whose own- ers charge 5 zloty per pic- ture session, stay in the sun for hours and their hooves are bloody from running on cobblestones.

muscular atrophy from lack of exercise. Police are looking into possible animal- abuse charges against the three brothers who own the sheep. The boys, 19, 16 and 5, are from nearby Murzasichle. If found guilty of animal abuse, the oldest boy can get up to a year in jail. Local officials are asking tourists not to have their photos taken with animals. City Council spokeswoman Ewa Ma- tuszewska told Gazeta Wyborcza: “Appeal- ing to tourists is the only effective method of curbing this shady business. As long as there are people interested in that type of at- traction, there will always be someone will- ing to make a business out of it, not caring about the animals’ fate.” said it isn’t just sheep suffering in Zakopane. Puppies that a high- lander is selling at a market in Gubalowka look listless, it said. Police are investigating that case, too. Animal Care Society has intervened in similar cases in Zakopane. Police have end- ed up not filing any charges in those cases, however. Sheep getting their photos taken with tourists on Zakopane’s main Krupowski promenade are suffering from abuse, claims the Animal Care Society.

JAGIELLONIAN UNIVERSITY Krakow launches film competition Polish for Foreigners New Courses, Low Prices!!! the krakow post The film competition is open to all, in- marketing projects and expos. size of the viewing audience and therefore cluding amateur film directors as well as to Jurors, comprised of journalists, writers, the traditional filming method is no longer The biggest and oldest School of Polish Krakow’s Municipal Council is launching those with professional photographers, artists, as required. Instead digital photographic cam- Language and Culture invites you to its a film competition. Budding filmmakers will experience. well as Council officials, eras, mobile phones and webcams have latest program: not be restricted as to the filming medium. The film competition “Autumn with the Polish Language The idea behind the will choose the winning become filmmaking tools for filmmakers by the Wawel Castle in Krakow” Mobile phones, digital cameras and anima- competition is to promote is open to all, includ- entry according to its to reach that wider audience. The Krakow tion are all acceptable forms of filming. The Krakowian filmmakers as highest level of creativity. film competition wants to tap into this grow- - Two-week Polish-language courses only restrictive element about the film com- well as to expose Krakow ing amateur film The film competition is ing phenomenon by allowing entries full (50 hours of instruction) petition is its running theme. on a silver screen. directors as well as not restricted to one film- creative filming possibility and unrestric- - Two sessions (first and second half of All entered films must somehow incorpo- The winning film will ing medium, in order to tive methods of having their footage taken. September) rate Krakow into the filming process. be shown across Poland to those with profes- show that the traditional Details of the film competition will soon be - Different levels of proficiency Krakow must appear either directly or in- in various independent sional experience. method of filming is no made available on: www.krakow.pl. - Small groups directly as a setting of the action, as a back- cinemas. It will also be longer the only method of Filmmakers will be able to download the - Experienced teachers drop to the storyline or as a major protago- incorporated into Kra- filming. Internet sites such entry forms and read about the rules of the - Latest teaching methods nist of the film. kow’s promotional campaigns and used in as YouTube and Flixter have opened up the competition. - University diploma at the end of the course Information: www.uj.edu.pl/SL [email protected] Tel.: +48 (0) 12 421 36 95

Krakow’s Municipal Council is launching a film competition. All entered films must somehow incorporate Krakow. 8 The Krakow Post KRAKOW AUGUST 16-AUGUST 22, 2007

Letter to the editor Shedding light on Rynek Glowny from an angry British expat

British expats

The Krakow Post victims of Polish “revenge” attacks

Mark Stevens

We are all familiar with the drunk- en British tourists – groups of young men – who flock to Krakow, drink to excess and then act like animals. Residents are appalled by them and headlines appear in Polish news- papers about their bestial behavior. However, there is also another, per- haps more surprising group of people suffering from the beer-fuelled antics of these weekend visitors: the English expatriates living in Krakow. Attacks by Polish men on expat residents are rising, widely believed to be caused by growing Polish resentment at the perceived “invasion” of their town by ignorant UK visitors. And anger from these UK expats is not directed so much at the Poles attacking them as at the British louts who provoke them and trigger such tensions in the first place. “I can understand it from the Pol- ish point of view.” said Daniel Rob- erts from London, a web site editor and Krakow resident of two years’ standing. “They see this English scum come over here for the week- end, yelling, vomiting and molesting their girlfriends, and so they develop an entirely reasonable hatred of them. Unfortunately, they then take out this Tourists and locals alike are baffled by this shed on Rynek Glowny. What is it? Not a pigeon coop or a secret entrance to underground Krakow, but rather a simple ventilation hole. hatred on innocent expats. Three of my friends have been beaten up by Martyna Olszowska Wyborcza, one of the biggest newspapers in pigeon coop, people who know scoff at that “It is a ventilation hole,” Zaborski ex- Polish men in the past month, and I Staff JOURNALIST Poland, decided to do its own investigation. idea. plained. “It reduces humidity in the Mar- have heard countless other stories of The newspaper first asked residents for There is no hole so birds can enter and ket’s underground and in this way protects people being threatened, punched, A mysterious – and tacky – structure has their suppositions. no shelves inside for the pigeons to roost on, it against mold. We put it there at the recom- and even held at knifepoint.” turned up on Rynek Glowny. “It looks like a doghouse, but maybe the experts say. mendation of a heritage conservator.” “The irony is that I hate these Eng- It’s a big shed made of roofing paper. after the renovation the workers forgot to “But the place definitely is ideal for pi- The city is going to open a museum un- lish bastards even more than the Pol- Krakow residents are wondering what it take it and birds took ad- geons,” said Krystia Bed- derground to allow people to see historical ish do!” says Simon Thomas, an Eng- is. Because it’s attracting a lot of pigeons, vantage of it,” said Stani- narz, a pigeon fancier. “It artifacts that archaeologists excavated. lish teacher at the Hologram school. some think it’s a roosting place. slaw Kania, walking in the A big shed has appeared is made from material The shed is a cheap ventilation system Others think it’s a tool-storage shed left square with his family. on Rynek Glowny. that they like and it is near – but Zaborski hastens to add that it’s only “I’d happily arm the Krakow city po- behind by the workers who repaved the sur- ”No,” his wife said. people who feed them.” a temporary fix. lice and tell them to aim for the head Krakow residents are when it comes to loud British tour- face of the square. “There is going to be a wondering what it is. Be- Finally, Andrzej Za- He said the shed will disappear when Japanese tourists happen by. One asks the monument to pigeons in borski of the City’s Pub- work on the underground museum com- ists. However, with my limited grasp guide if the shed is a tourist attraction. The Krakow, so maybe they cause it’s attracting a lot lic Works Department mences, though nobody knows when that of Polish, it’s difficult to communi- guide assures him it isn’t. are testing how it will of pigeons, some think (Krakowski Zarząd Drog) will happen. cate this fact to someone such as the Finally, someone comes up with an “X- look, although it’s strange it’s a roosting place. solves the mystery for ev- “I can only promise that somebody will gorilla-like thug who punched me in Files” idea: Maybe it is a secret entry to un- they’re doing it here.” eryone. clean the area around the shed,” Zaborski the side of the head in Kazimierz last derground Krakow. Although the structure As usual, the explana- said. That will be a challenge, given the night whilst shouting ‘Speak Polish!’ The case was serious enough that Gazeta appears to the uninitiated as if it could be a tion is more mundane than exotic. number of pigeons on Rynek Glowny. ‘Go home!’ and some other words beginning with ‘p’ that I imagine you can’t print in a newspaper.” Many expats suspect that such at- tacks occur because the visiting stag parties usually travel in groups of What has been cut over ten people and as such would LUK Agency LUK be more difficult to take on in a fight. English residents of Krakow, how- off can be sewn back ever, can often be found in smaller groups – two or three perhaps – in bars and pubs away from the mar- on: resident of Sucha ket square and police patrols, and in which ‘locals’ are more likely to gather, all of which makes them easi- er targets. Reports of organized vigi- Beskidzka severs penis lante groups, possibly linked with na- tionalist football hooligans who hunt in packs for Englishmen, have even started to surface. “I can understand their anger, but I wish they’d take it out on the right targets. Please, be my guest, beat the hell out of the English vermin that During the reattachment comes over here on stag weekends operation, which took about and who show no respect to the seven hours, the surgeons town. But kindly leave me alone. rejoined the severed arteries, I work here, I pay taxes in Poland, veins and nerves. The key I don’t bother anyone and I don’t factor contributing to the suc- show my backside in bars,” said cess of such kind of Andrew Norton, another English operations is time. language teacher (like the major- ity of British residents in Krakow). Like many Englishmen living here, he seems to have far more hatred for the English visitors than does the average Polish Krakowian. “One of the reasons I left the UK was to es- cape from these people.” AUGUST 16-AUGUST 22, 2007 KRAKOW The Krakow Post 9 More than 50,000 dumplings take part in fifth annual Pierogi Festival in course of two days

Michal Wojtas tastiest pierogi was given – this time by Order. Apart from the pierogi tasting, sev- Staff JOURNALIST a jury led by Artur Zyrkowski from the eral concerts and tours of the Dominican promotion department of the Krakow City monastery in Krakow were conducted. The fifth annual Pierogi Festival last Council. What are pierogi? Pierogi are dumplings Agency LUK weekend was surely a joyous moment for The sculpture of Saint Hyacinth, who made of unleavened dough filled with local pierogi fans. according to an old tale brought a pierogi ground meat, fruit, or other foods. The At the festival on pl. Szczepanski, eight recipe to Krakow in the 12th Century, was dumplings are boiled or sometimes fried. restaurants prepared more than 40 varia- claimed by rookies in the pierogi contest They are usually semi-circular and quite tions of the Polish dumplings and served who had placed second in the public vot- small and thus served in large numbers. A them in stalls on one of ing. The Polskie Sma- local version of pierogi is present in almost the Old Town squares. What are pierogi? ki’s spinach dish was every eastern European cuisine. They are Krakow residents and rated as near perfection, called “pyrohy”’ in the Ukraine, “koldu- tourists lined up to taste Pierogi are dumplings receiving a total of 48 nai” in Lithuania and “pirogi” in Russia. as many as possible. And made of unleavened points from the five ju- Ironically, the most popular stuffed dump- they’ve chosen their fa- rors. Each of them could lings in Poland are called “pierogi ruskie” vorites. dough filled with award a maximum of (Russian pierogi). On Saturday, pierogi ground meat, fruit, 10 points. The second- They are filled with cottage cheese and filled with apples and rose or other foods. The place pierogi with groats mashed potatoes and served with fried petals were voted the best. and roasted bacon from onions or bacon. Another popular Polish Only 310 of the thousands dumplings are boiled Bohema Restaurant got dish is pierogi filled with sauerkraut, cab- of the festival participants or sometimes fried. 44 points, while the au- bage and mushrooms or ground meat, all took part in the voting, dience winner, Pierogi of them usually spiced with lots of black and 51 of them favored They are usually Kingdom, scored 43. pepper. “Uszka” (little ears) are small the specialties of Krolest- semi-circular and quite The results have been dumplings filled with mushrooms only. wo Pierozka (Pierogi small and thus served also confirmed by the Served with a spicy soup made of beet Kingdom) Restaurant. demand for the prize- roots (“barszcz”), the dish is served tra- The Pierogi Kingdom re- in large numbers. winning specialities. ditionally on Christmas Eve. Pierogi may peated last year’s success Several meters-long also be sweet when stuffed with fruits. when the restaurant also lines led to the stalls of The most typical come with blackberries won the audience’s hearts. And the trophy, the Krolestwo Pierozka and Polskie Sma- and strawberries and are served poured a sculpture of Karzmierz the Great, the ki. Everyone who wanted to taste their with sweet cream. Pierogi fillings are 14th-Century king of Poland, will remain pierogis had to wait more than 20 min- limited only by the cook’s creativity, and at the restaurant for another year. utes. According to organizers of the event, it’s impossible to count the number of re- The pierogi lovers also appreciated more than 50,000 dumplings were eaten gional variations. But always the dough is dumplings with spinach from Polskie during the weekend. This year’s edition a key to success – the same as with pizza. Smaki (Polish Tastes) Restaurant (second of the pierogi festival was celebrated in The word “pierogi” is the plural form of place) and traditional meat-filled pierogi conjunction with the 750th anniversary of “pierog.” However, the singular form is of Smakosz (Gourmet) Restaurant (third the death of the Catholic Saint Hyacinth, a not used often because the dish usually place). On Sunday, another title for the medieval Polish member of the Dominican consists of at least six or eight pieces. A chef dishing pierogi to customers. Malopolska struggles to find workers for its rapidly developing market as locals leave Poland for West

Wioletta Ziemba Staff JOURNALIST

Malopolska regions with the highest percentages of emigrants are those with Agency LUK the highest unemployment rates – Gorlice, Limanowa, Nowy Sacz, Oswiecim, Olkusz, Tarnow, Chrzanow, Nowy Targ and Wado- wice. Some community members are also leaving permanently, including those from Zabno, Andrychow, Libiaz, Tarnow and Olkusz. Jaroslaw Medynski, representative of the Town Hall Office in Olkusz, admits that while the situation on the job market is not easy in Olkusz, there are also many new people coming into the town and buying property in the area, especially from Kra- kow. According to statistics, eight percent of Malopolska inhabitants work abroad, 70 percent of them having left after Poland’s accession to the EU. Some analysts say, however, that statistics may be imprecise as some people leave without giving no- tice. Various sources estimate that at most 200,000 people left the country to find tem- porary work abroad. Local airports are expanding to handle the influx of foreigners and foreign investment. Last year only 32,000 emigrants from Malopolska reported their departure to the and Podhale families, Germany is often official administration offices, making it dif- chosen for seasonal work, and young peo- ficult for local employment offices to deter- ple from bigger cities prefer Britain and Ire- mine accurate emigration figures, warning land. According to Agnieszka Kosmidek, a that current information should be used with EURES employment agency advisor at care. Administration offices often learn that Krakow’s Employment Office, individuals somebody went abroad by individual cases, who emigrate become increasingly inde- while conducting standard administrative pendent and no longer appear to need help procedures or during army recruitment. The or advice, as they would before. Malopolska emigration also modifies Polish Malopolska currently has 3.27 mln in- unemployment statistics showing 145,000 habitants. Overall, last year’s migration people as unemployed in early January balance was positive as the region gained 2007, versus 119,000 by the end of June. 1,292 permanent residents and over 14,000 “There is a large group of people without temporary residents – primarily in Krakow permanent jobs who don’t come to register and its nearby regions such as Wieliczka because they do not need to,” says Tomasz and Myslenice. Magdziarz, director of the Regional Em- However, other large Malopolska cities ployment Office in Limanowa. “They can experienced a negative direction, with the choose between a well-paid job abroad and number of inhabitants having decreased in a permanent full-time job in Poland.” places like Tarnow and Nowy Sacz, though Emigrants choose various destinations; this may partially be a result of “internal the U.S. is still popular with many Tarnow migration.” 10 The Krakow Post KRAKOW AUGUST 16-AUGUST 22, 2007 Forced labor camps found near Krakow Justyna Krzywicka and human trafficking. In July 2006, Polish STAFF JOURNALIST and Italian police uncovered a forced labor camp operating in Italy’s southern region of

LUK Agency LUK Last week National Employment In- Puglia; more than 113 Poles were rescued. spectors and police uncovered a forced An international criminal ring comprised labor camp operating just outside of Kra- of Poles, Ukrainians, Italians and Algeri- kow. Gazeta Krakowska reported that 13 ans orchestrated work camps with squalid Ukrainian nationals were conditions and meager forced to work on an ag- The illegal Ukrainian work- wages. During their two- ricultural farm alongside ers were employed to plant year-long operation, more Polish workers. than 1,000 Poles were es- The illegal Ukrainian shrubs and trees, while hav- timated to have been lured workers were employed ing their passports removed into such camps. to plant shrubs and trees, by the property owner. The Unlike the free labor while having their pass- movement between some ports removed by the eight men and five women EU countries, Poland lim- property owner. The eight lived in unacceptable condi- its its entry of Ukrainian men and five women tions and worked over 12- workers, allowing them lived in unacceptable hour work days. Wages were to work legally in Poland conditions and worked three months with a valid over 12-hour work days. paid only upon workers’ visa. A work permit is not Wages were paid only departure, while the Ukraini- required for that period. upon workers’ departure, ans worked anywhere from After three months, the while the Ukrainians Ukrainian worker is obli- worked anywhere from a few weeks to a few months gated to return to Ukraine a few weeks to a few at the labor camp. before re-entering Poland months at the labor camp. for work. According to According to Gazeta Krakowska, the il- the National Bureau of Statistics, 1.3 mln legal workers must leave Poland and will illegal foreigners were working in Poland. have their entry visas temporarily suspend- Only 10,000 work permits were granted. ed. The agricultural property owner will be Entry visas granted to Ukrainian nationals facing charges for illegal employment of numbered at nearly 1.5 mln. The black mar- foreigners. Poland is not the only country ket for Ukrainian illegal workers is big, as The roots of forced labor in Poland: Unlike the free labor movement between some EU countries, Poland limits its entry of Ukrai- dealing with forced labor camp problems manual labor is especially needed. nian workers, allowing them to work legally in Poland three months with a valid visa. LUK Agency LUK

Mayor Jacek Majchrowski smiles during the maiden voyage of Krakow’s new retro, electric tram. It’s a cafe and transport vehicle in one. The tram travels five times per day leaving from Kazimierz at 09:00. More information and tickets are available at Tourist Information Offices (Biurach Informacji Turystycznej). AUGUST 16-AUGUST 22, 2007 KATOWICE The Krakow Post 11 Finnish exhibition opens at BWA contemporary art gallery Joanna Zabierek Eero Markuksela, Reima Nurmikko, Jaakko the artists take note of ecological disturbanc- sTAFF JOURNALIST Pernu, Anni Rapinoja and Anu Tuominen. es, as well as the fragile balance between cul- The subtitle of the exhibition – “Animal, ture and nature. The artists also ask questions An exhibition of contemporary Finnish about the relationship between humanity art will go on display August 24 in the BWA This is the first exhibit in Po- and nature. They present various contempo- Contemporary Art Gallery in Katowice. The land of the most recent Finnish rary world problems, such as globalization, urbanization, pollution, genetic manipula- exhibit will continue for about two months, art. Entitled “Certain Finland,” tions, tensions between civilizations, human until October 14. This is the first exhibit in it was prepared two years ago Poland of the most recent Finnish art. En- rights, feminism, the place of man in the by the Belgian Museum “Ate- titled “Certain Finland,” it was prepared two universe...and many more. After Katowice, lier 304” in Brussels. years ago by the Belgian Museum “Atelier “Certain Finland” will be on display at the 304” in Brussels – an independent cultural Polish Sculpture Center in Oronsk, the BWA center famous for promoting artists on the Vegetable and Social Aspects in Contempo- Contemporary Art Gallery in Wroclaw and outskirts of Europe. The Finnish exhibition rary Finnish Art” – illustrates the variety and finally the Arsenal Gallery in Bialystok. The will be composed mostly of sculptures of nature of the display. Finnish art has a strong exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue in 12 well-known artists: Jussi Heikkilä, Timo environmental heritage and foundation. Na- four languages (Polish, Finnish, English and Heino, Pekka Jylhä, Kaarina Kaikkonen, ture and natural materials have always been French) and contains artist biographies as Kaija Kiuru, Kaisu Koivisto, Elina Lind, important. In almost all the works on display, well as reproductions of their art. Wizz Air launches new flight Silesian Rope Park from Gatwick to Katowice opens August 16 Foto Alfa Andrzej Batog Alfa Foto

the krakow post wood poles, each 14 meters high, linked by steel ropes with 43 obstacles installed on A rope park is the newest attraction for them. thrill-seekers at the Chorzow Amusement The park has three different skill levels Park. The “Palenisko” rope park is open- and professional guides. The various de- ing just two months after a roller coaster grees of difficulties give people a chance made its debut at the park 80 kilometers to measure their agility and fitness in a new from Krakow in southern Poland. The rope and unexpected way. routes welcomed their first visitors on Mon- The lowest degree of difficulty allows Last week Hungarian low cost airline Wizz Air announced the launch of a Katowice-London Gatwick flight on January 31, 2008. day, August 13, but the official opening is even small children to cross the route at a planned for today, August 16. 3-meter height. Danuta Filipowicz carryon maximum weight limit of one 10 kilo- further increase the operational efficiency of the If interest is strong enough, an altitude The second route is for adults, with the STAFF JOURNALIST gram item nor the extra check-in 8 euro fee for airline that will help us to maintain and further each kilogram exceeding the 20 kilogram maxi- improve our on-time performance,” said Head obstacle path will be open the entire year, platforms 6 meters high. No special abilities Last week Hungarian low cost airline Wizz of Corporate Communication and Public Af- the newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza reported. are needed for this line, but it demands and Air announced the launch of a Katowice-Lon- fairs Natasha Kazmer. The Chorzow Amusement Park is one of the promotes agility, concentration and determi- don Gatwick flight on January 31, 2008. Gat- Wizz Air is increasing its Wizz Air airline was conceived in June 2003. most popular in Poland, with an estimated nation. wick will be the third direct flight destination in number of routes to 25 with The first flight took off on May 19, 2004 from 1.5 mln visitors each summer. The amuse- The third route is the extreme one. Some London – following Luton and Stansted – from the new connection from Katowice. ment park is one of many attractions in the obstacles hang 12 meters above the earth. Katowice International Airport. The new route Katowice, further reinforcing Today the airline has six operating bases in Silesian Central Park. Others are: Silesian “This is only for people who have very will operate daily in the afternoon. its status as Silesia’s leading Katowice, Warsaw and Gdansk (Poland), Buda- Stadium, the biggest sports stadium in Po- strong hands and arms,” said Wojciech Sie- pest (Hungary), Sofia (Bulgaria) and Bucharest Wizz Air is increasing its number of routes airline. The airline offers the land; Elka, the longest European cable line prawski, chief of Trance-Blues Co., the park to 25 with the new connection from Katowice, most flights and flying routes (Romania), offering flights to almost 50 destina- further reinforcing its status as Silesia’s leading tions. Wizz Air opens its seventh base in Poznan railway; the Silesian Planetary and Astro- builder. “It finishes with over 90 meters of airline. The airline offers the most flights and from Katowice. in January 2008. nomical Observatory; the Upper Silesian Tyroliennes (cable pulleys).” flying routes from Katowice. Katowice airport is getting busy, as “Luf- Ethnographic Park; International Katowice Before attempting the rope walks, park The airline is also introducing a fee for all mum weight allowance. thansa,” the German flag carrier and sixth Fairs; the Zoological Garden and other staff members give safety advice. Walk- checked-in luggage that will apply to all passen- “We are pursuing our philosophy of charging largest airline in the world, is also boosting fre- sports complexes. ers are attached to the steel ropes and are gers with reservations for flights after October the passengers according to their needs and we quency of flights from Katowice to Dusseldorf The rope park is situated between the observed by experienced climbers ready 27. Passengers checking in luggage must pay 3 are using this change to keep our airfares down. (Germany). Silesian Stadium and the Zoological Gar- to give assistance if needed. Ticket prices Passengers who will only travel with carryon Beginning September 1 the airline will in- euro per bag at the time of purchase or 6 euro den and cost an estimated 450,000 zloty range from 15 to 30 zloty, depending on the if paying later (via call center or at the airport). luggage will benefit with even lower fares. At crease its flights from 5 to 6 per week, after add- The new check-in policy will neither affect the the same time, less checked-in baggage will ing a Saturday flight. (120,000 euro). The rope park includes 26 route difficulties. Guido becomes Silesian tourist attraction the krakow post at the 320-meter level to showcase 20th- been dug out and rebuilt. Most of the museum’s underground Century mining. The mine owner, Gliwicka Spolka We- chambers have an interactive character. One The defunct Guido coal is open to tourists In the 19th-Century exhibition area you glowa (the Gliwice Coal Company), lobbied multimedia exhibition shows fossils found again after seven months of making it safe, will see the stables where the coal-cart-pull- hard for government money to reopen the at different levels below the surface in vari- equipping it with informational tools such as ing horses rested, as well as mining imple- museum. Warsaw allocated 10 mln zloty, ous parts of Poland. multimedia displays and adding amenities ments, pumps and compressors. much of which was used to drill a better ven- Visitors also hear the recorded sounds of such as an underground restaurant. One rea- The artifacts are in a brick-lined chamber. tilation system and carve out a better evacu- miners at work, horses neighing and other son visitors want to come is that it is the only It is so large that it takes 1.5 hours for visi- ation route. The corridors at the 170-meter noises. The 20th-Century exhibition area, place in Europe where they descend into a tors to go through it. When they’re finished, level were the first to be opened to sight- which will open next year, will acquaint vis- mine. Other European mining museums of- they can stop in an underground restaurant. seeing. There, visitors can see how miners itors with more modern mining technology. fer only mock-ups of mines. The route to the surface takes visitors worked in the 19th Century. It will include machinery and even a wall of Visitors make heart-pumping descents in through a warren of passages to a mine cage, Exhibits include drainage pumps made by coal that miners had actually worked. a mine cage to both the 19th-Century min- which they hop into for a fast ride back to the Swiss company Sulzer and a 1914 com- Besides being a place that presents the ing level of 170 meters underground and the the surface. The mine was closed to tourists pressor made at Zabrze’s Donnersmarckhüt- history of coal mining, Guido is also going 20th-Century level at 320 meters below the in December 1999 because of insufficient te mill. Other attractions besides the mining to be a cultural center. surface. So far the only exhibition area is the ventilation and lack of an adequate evacu- equipment and stables include devices to Plans are to build an art gallery at the one at the 170-meter level that showcases ation route. At the time, the mine lacked ferret out the location of coal seams and a 320-meter level. A restaurant serving Sile- 19th-Century mining. Plans are to open one funding to drill them. Now the groove has unique trolley for transporting coal. sian dishes will adjoin it. 12 The Krakow Post ALTERNATIVE CONSUMER AUGUST 16-AUGUST 22, 2007 From fire to charcoal... ble, and readily inflames at 380 degrees Cel- sius; made at higher temperatures it is hard and brittle, and does not fire until heated to about 700 or even 800 degrees Celsius. The process has to be observed so that the wood doesn’t burn too quickly. A frag- ment of Arthur Ransome’s book, “Swal- lows & Amazons,” from 1930 describes this: “We want ours to burn good and slow,” said Young Billy. “If he burns fast he leaves nowt but ash. The slower the fire the better the charcoal.” “To make one kilogram of charcoal you need around five kilograms of wood,” says Tymczak. The process takes about 24 hours but has to be watched carefully. “The two of us sleep here.” Indeed the workers have two poor shelters on the glade surrounded by forests. It takes a lot of courage to sacrifice so much for work. “It’s a 24-hour job because the fire is no joke,” Tymczak says. “You have to be born to do this job.” When the smoke changes from white to blue, the burning is finished. The charcoal’s extreme temperature makes it impossible to take out immediately. “We pour as much as 100 liters of water on it, using only buckets, and we wait hours so that it’s cold enough,” Tymczak explains. Later, the trucks take the charcoal to the sorting plant where it’s packed and sent to other regions in Poland, foundries or Germany. In the past, massive production of char- coal has been a major cause of deforestation, especially in Central Europe. In some parts of Scandinavia, charcoal was thought to be the by-product of wood tar production that had led to rapid deforestation. All Finnish forests are estimated to be younger than 300 years old. The end of tar production in the 19th century also allowed for rapid forest re-growth. Nowadays, ecologists are concerned about the environment because primitive methods of coal burning contaminate air, The modern process of carbonizing wood in cast iron retorts is extensively practiced where wood is available in larger amounts. water and soil, and emit substances harmful The highest number of “wypalarnie,” where wood is burned, is situated in Bieszczady Mountains, in the southeast Poland. to humans and the environment. The burning process emits high amounts Karolina Nowak of the factories. He and his coworkers are put it inside until the furnace is full.” of a particular wooden gas that contains car- sTAFF JOURNALIST called “weglarze” (“coal-workers”). “I’ve Each furnace has four small chimneys for bon dioxide, carbon monoxide, ethane and been working for more the smoke to get out and hydrogen. People have used charcoal throughout the than 20 years in this field, Everyday he takes wood from an opening through which The pitch can also get into waters and ages. Science, technology and art owe their just as my father did.” a pile to the furnaces. Each the wood is inserted. To the ground. Many Polish ecological orga- development to this material, having ranged Everyday he takes piece of wood weights a few burn such large quantities nizations have created a list of precautions in use from the earliest cave-painting art, to wood from a pile to the kilograms, requiring significant of fuel, oil is spread over aimed at impeding pollution of groundwa- contemporary art, fuel, military gas masks furnaces. Each piece of body-strength to lift the pieces it to make it ignite faster. ter, surface waters and the environment in and the development of alimentary canal wood weights a few kilo- hundreds of times. It’s not easy The temperature of car- general. medicine. Modern cast-iron wood carbon- grams, requiring signifi- to fill up 10 containers with a bonization is important; Wood burning furnaces are usually situ- izing is extensively practiced where wood cant body-strength to lift capacity of a few cubic meters. according to specialists, ated far from villages so that the emission of is available in large quantities. The largest the pieces hundreds of wood becomes brown at gasses would not harm nearby residents. number of Poland’s “wypalarnie,” wood times. It’s not easy to fill 220 degrees Celsius, a The charcoal from Bieszczady is used in burning factories, is in southeast Poland’s up 10 containers with a capacity of a few deep brown-black after some time at 280 de- Poland and sent abroad, as well. “It’s a pity Bieszczady Mountains. cubic meters. grees Celsius, and an easily powdered mass our environment suffers. We send the char- “Here in Bieszczady we have enough “Every type of leafy wood can be used,” at 310 degrees Celsius. Charcoal made at coal to Germany where it’s used but we burn wood,” says Mieczyslaw Tymczak from one Tymczak says. “Oak, Alder, Birch tree – we 300 degrees Celsius is brown, soft and fria- it on our ground,” worries Tymczak.

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Tel.: 513 646 332 [email protected] AUGUST 16-AUGUST 22, 2007 ALTERNATIVE CONSUMER The Krakow Post 13 Lviv: The undiscovered city Roman Catholics, the majority of them Ukrainian blood.” Poles, accounted for 64 percent of the popu- He noted sadness that before 1918 Poles lation in the 1920s. Ukrainian Orthodox fol- and Ukrainians were like brothers. The con- lowers were in second place. flict over Lviv changed that. After World War II, all of what is now Has he ever considered moving to Poland? Ukraine, including Lviv, became part of the “No,” he said. “I feel happy here in Ukraine, Soviet Union. The Ukrainians expelled most and I am proud of my Ukrainian citizenship of the Polish population to Poland. as well as of my Polish nationality.” The population transfers altered the tra- ditional ethnic and religious composition of Wandering around the myth-city the city. The Ukrainians converted most of the Catholic churches into Orthodox. Many Poles consider Lviv a kind of The Soviets pursued a policy of Russifi- mythical city, a bridge between the Western cation in Ukraine – forcing Russian culture and Eastern civilizations, the Latin world and institutions on the Ukrainians. and the Orthodox. Although communism was atheistic, the Polish tourists find traces of Polish, Ar- Soviets grudgingly allowed some religious menian and Jewish culture throughout the activity. But they wanted it Russified. So city. Some wish wistfully that Lviv was still they ordered the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Polish. Church abolished. Its parishes were trans- Today’s Lviv is not only a Ukrainian city, ferred to the Ukrainian division of the Rus- however, but also the heart of the Ukrainian sian Orthodox Church. independence movement and Ukrainian cul- After the death of Soviet dictator Josef ture. Thousands of Lviv residents traveled Stalin in 1953, the policy of Russification in to Kiev to lead the Orange Revolution that Ukraine was relaxed. Lviv again became a prevented the pro-RussianViktor Yanukov- major hub of Ukrainian culture. ich from stealing the presidential elecition of Three gorgeous cathedrals – Roman Cath- 2004. Although many Polish tourists spend olic, Greek Catholic and Armenian – are only a weekend in Lviv, the city is worth a among the city’s biggest tourist attractions four- or five-day stay. It takes that long to today. Their beauty masks a tension among explore the city’s unique atmosphere and its the branches of Catholicism, however. treasures from the past. The Roman Catholic bishop of Lviv, Some of its architectural, historical and Marian Buczek, noted that “Lviv has for cultural wonders date to the 13th Century. ages been a city of multicultural dialogue Lviv boasts more than 30 museums of his- but now relations between Roman Catholics tory, ethnography, art – and even arms. and Greek Catholics aren’t a model.” The city has also always been an impor- Although the Roman Catholics built the tant educational center, led by its famous Seminary Church, he pointed out, an agree- Ivan Franko University and its Lvivska Po- ment between the Roman Catholics and litekhnika (Lviv Polytechnic University). Market Square in Lviv, Ukraine. Greek Catholics led to both Latin and Greek In 1998 the United Nations Educational, masses being held there. Scientific and Cultural Organization added Anna Biernat Empire for two centuries and of Poland for In 1920 the Ukrainians signed an agreement “However, to our surprise, the Greek the historical center of Lviv to its list of sTAFF JOURNALIST 500 years. It was also a melting pot of ethnic recognizing Polish control of Lviv. Catholics built an iconostas next to the main World Cultural and Heritage sites. and religious groups. Greeks, Italians, Serbs, Both Polish and Ukrainian victims of altar, which prevented us from saying mass The historical city center of Lviv is bigger Tourists who want to see the gems of Armenians, Hungarians, Russians and Jews the fighting are buried at the picturesque at the main altar.” An iconostas is a partition than Krakow’s Old Town. Central and Eastern Europe include Prague, were among those who settled there, con- Lychakivskiy Cemetery. Conflict between on which icons are placed. It separates the From the city’s highest vantage point, Budapest and Krakow in their itineraries. tributing to today’s variety of traditions and Polish and Ukrainian officials about the in- main altar from the rest of the church. The Wysoki Zamek Hill, you can see a vast area Few go to the western Ukrainian city of architecture. scription on a plaque commemorating the iconostas is only used by Greek Catholics. of the Old Town with many church towers. Lviv, which glitters as much as any city in After the Russians, Austro-Hungarians fighters, and about other cemetery issues, Roman Catholics use the main altar. After Around it are a lot of lovely Western Euro- the region. Lviv, only a few hours’ drive and Prussians partitioned Poland at the end have erupted many times over the years. In the Greek Catholics built the iconostas in pean-style buildings, many built by the Aus- from Krakow, has often been compared with of the 18th Century, Lviv, then known as 2005 the sides finally reached agreement on the church, Roman Catholics could no lon- trians. It isn’t until you get beyond those that it. Both cities have unquestionable charm Lemberg, became the capital of the Austrian the inscription. It simply says: “Polish and ger say their masses from the main altar. you find the ugly, typical Soviet blocks of and beauty, and both share similar histories. kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria. Ukrainian soldiers killed in the years 1918- apartments. But, unlike Krakow, the tourist industry Although the Austrians changed the of- 1919 are buried here.” Double identity The city’s key attractions include a Re- has yet to spoil Lviv, a city of about 800,000. ficial language of the city to German and naissance-style Market Square with a big You see tourists from all over – especially put most of the city’s administrative posts in An uneasy dialogue Andrzej Cirog is a carpenter for the Ro- 19th-Century Town Hall in the middle, a Poles in the summer – but not the throngs of Austrian hands, Lviv remained an important man Catholic parishes of Lviv. He is Polish 14th-Century Armenian Cathedral, a 500- visitors elsewhere. center of Ukrainian and Polish culture. Conflict about the Lviv Eaglets Cemetery but has a Ukrainian wife and is proud of his year-old Roman Catholic Cathedral, Boim’s Wandering along the beautiful cobble- As in Krakow, Austrian rule was liberal. still strains relations between the city’s Pol- dual identity. Chapel, St. George Cathedral, an Opera stone streets or riding an old tram, you can Most of the time, residents of Lviv could de- ish and Ukrainian residents. “My two daughters were brought up to House that rivals the one in Vienna and the get bewitched by the relaxed atmosphere. velop both culture and science freely. “We are a minority now,” said Zbigniew respect both religious traditions, Roman and 19th-Century Stryj Park. With the collapse of the Habsburg empire Jarmiolko, vice chairman of the Society of Greek Catholicism,” he said. It’s easy to get to Lviv from Krakow. One Complex history and present diversity at the end of World War I, the Ukrainian Polish Culture in Lviv, an organization that Cirog has for years been head of the eth- way is a night bus. The drawback is long population proclaimed Lviv the capital of the Polish government finances. “Currently nic-Polish Boy Scouts in Ukraine. lines getting through Ukrainian Immigration Lviv is only 80 kilometers from the Pol- the West Ukrainian People’s Republic. there are only between 12,000 and 20,000 Another of his volunteer activities has at the border at Medyka. ish border town of Medyka. The Poles, who constituted a majority in Poles in Lviv.” been donating blood. He has done so almost Another way is to take a train to Przemysl Danylo Halytskiy, one of the most power- the city, took up arms to ensure that Lviv and Jarmiolko added: “Local authorities in 50 times. Only once has he come across xe- and then a 20-minute minibus ride to Me- ful princes in east-central Europe, founded the surrounding region were Polish. They Lviv – in fact, in all Ukraine – simply ignore nophobic feelings related to the donations. It dyka. The fastest way to get to Ukraine is it as a fort in the 18th Century. He named it soon took control of most of the city. Poles. There is no cooperation between us happened not in Lviv, but in Poland. to cross the border on foot in Medyka at the after his son Lev, which meant Leo, a lion. The Ukrainians then attacked the Polish and the City Council.” “Some time ago, when I was in Przemysl, border post with all the Ukrainian and Pol- A lion is still the symbol of the city. You irregular forces defending Lviv, including a When the occupation of Poland ended I heard on the radio that blood was needed ish cigarette and alcohol smugglers. This is see stone lions everywhere. group of boys known as the Eaglets. after World War I, Lviv became part of an for victims of an accident,” he said. “I went also an interesting attraction to see. On the Lviv was part of the Austro-Hungarian Heavy fighting did not end until July 1919. independent Polish state. That led to a surge to a hospital and wanted to donate blood. Ukrainian side you simply catch a minibus in Polish immigrants, further reducing the They asked me where I was from. When I to Lviv. The whole trip shouldn’t take more minority Ukrainian population. replied Lviv, they said they didn’t need my than six hours.

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ul. Szeroka 2 +48 (12) 4291528 [email protected] www.arka-noego.pl Cemetery of Eaglets at the Lychakivskiy Cemetery in Lviv, Ukraine. 14 The Krakow Post ARTS & IDEAS AUGUST 16-AUGUST 22, 2007 Australian “Function Ensemble” Joe Cocker visits four Polish cities: Gdansk, Warsaw, Poznan, Krakow rocks Krakow Michal Wojtas Staff Journalist Agency LUK

Last April “Triosk,” a famous band from the Australian independent music scene, played in Krakow club RE. Their coming opened the door to this Saturday’s RE “Function Ensemble” show through a friendly connection with the Australian group. But the band “Function Ensemble” has no ties to any specific country. Matt Nicholson, an Australian musi- cian, composer and sound engineer started the band 12 years ago in his homeland but has since collaborated with artists from ev- ery continent. Currently “Function” band members are Nicholson, Clare Tuckley, Pascal Babare, Felicity Mangan, Ian Wad- ley and Patrick Liddell. The musicians use various instruments to create slow sound landscapes – something between ambient, folk and jazz. “Function” has previously released two albums: “The Zillionaire-Retarded Speeds of Ordinary, Measured Light” (2003) and “The Secret Miracle Fountain” (2006). The latter took three years to record in more than 10 countries. The recording came about with the collaboration of over 30 musicians. Nicholson says their third LP is ready and will be released at the end of 2007 by Chi- cago label Locust. “Function” will be playing in Gdansk, Warszawa, Poznan and Krakow. The RE club (ul. sw. Krzyza 4) gig begins Saturday, August 18, at 20:30. “Function” will be playing in Gdansk, Warszawa, Poznan and Krakow. Danuta Filipowicz of [a parody] off a TV program, with STAFF JOURNALIST John Belushi doing me being spastic and pouring beer, I became hysteri- Joe Cocker, the English rock and cal,” he added. “But moving my hand blues singer popular since the 1960s around is subconscious with me. A lot New album released by gifted performed last Monday, August 13 at of the time I’m more or less conduct- Wawel Stadium in Krakow. Crocker is ing the band, just keeping a feel. I don’t famous for his gritty voice and covers know why I do it. It’s just one of those of popular songs. The program included things.” young pianist Cedric Tiberghien several of his greatest hits like “Sum- The concert was organized in one mer in the city,” “You are so beautiful,” of Krakow’s stadiums expecting a big Przemek Psikuta (“Variations”) with the well-known French original. The album begins with Chopin’s “Unchain my heart” audience, but because Staff Journalist label “Harmonia Mundi.” Ballades op.23 and 38, follows the Brahms and “With a little help of the expensive tick- The 2005 recording of three of Bach’s cycle of Four Ballades, op.10 and ends with from my friends,” as Despite his age, ets (the cheapest be- Cedric Tiberghien: New talent and Chopin’s Ballades op. 47 and 52, two of the well as a selection Cocker was in ing 110 zloty – 30 from the latest album interpretation in Harmonia Mundi Unassuming, open, frank and most complex and sophisticated pieces in euro) and the shoddy recording of Chopin: 4 Ballades; piano repertoire. “Hymn for my Soul.” exceptional vocal and weather – with heavy Brahms: Ballades op.10 contemporary, Tiberghien’s Tiberghien commences the pieces vigor- The concert was part physical form. rain just an hour before interpretations of Chopin are ously displaying technical virtuosity from of a European tour However some critics the concert began – the Chopin and Brahms’ Ballades, written very different from the highly the first bars. promoting the artist’s stadium was less than during the peak of Romanticism, are ex- personal and individualistic His playing is clear and precise and the newest album. say his voice has been half-full. ceptionally demanding compositions. They creations of Arrau, Magaloff performance of Brahms is charming even Krakow was the “touched” by time. The stage was too far second city on the list pose a great deal of technical and interpre- or Rubinstein. without the gloomy and mysterious atmo- from the audience, and tive challenges for pianists despite the ex- sphere that Benedetti Michelangeli con- of five performances Even if his classic only the VIP section tensive room for personal interpretation in jures up in his unrivaled 1981 recording. in Poland this year, hoarseness is the same was seated closer at 10 the rhapsodic forms. Cedric Tiberghien is “Partitas” reveals Tiberghien as an intrigu- Unassuming, open, frank and contempo- the first performance as always, Cocker is to 40 meters from the among the most promising young pianists ing new talent. rary, Tiberghien’s interpretations of Chopin being in Poznan on edge. The organizers’ emerging from France in recent years. The young pianist exhibits great sensitiv- (particularly Ballade No.3, op.47) are very June 24. The day after beginning to waver lack of consideration He released his fourth solo album after ity in his playing and an ability to skillfully different from the highly personal and indi- the Krakow concert, in the higher ranges. for the audience was three recitals of Bach (“Partitas”), Debussy combine poetry with energetic playing. vidualistic creations of Arrau, Magaloff or Cocker left for Gdyn- apparent as not even (“Estampes,” “Images”) and Beethoven The arrangement of the pieces is highly Rubinstein. ia (northern Poland) However, thanks to large screens were pre- for his next show. the ladies in the chorus pared to make up for Katowice expects the and rhythmic section the poor visibility. Work of renowned Ukrainian artist Mikhail Kolesnik for sale at Gallery W&L singer on November Joe Cocker slowly 5 and Warsaw on De- this slight flaw was “moved” the audience Mikhail Kolesnik’s burning desire to cember 10. perfectly veiled. while playing a great create helped him to find a rare and Despite his age, concert, as always. He Cocker was in excep- truthful harmony of color. His remark- started with “Feelin’ Gallery W&L tional vocal and physical form. How- alright,” then “Chain of fools” and fin- able knowledge of the ancient world ever some critics say his voice has been ished the show with “When the night together with his love for Russian art “touched” by time. Even if his classic comes” and his characteristic jump. and immense sympathy for Western hoarseness is the same as always, Cock- After “Just pass it on” and “Summer in The only gallery er is beginning to waver in the higher European painting allowed him to form the city,” both Polish and English fans ranges. However, thanks to the ladies sang along. “You are so beautiful” left with genuine a unique perception of color – an em- in the chorus and rhythmic section this the audience hypnotized. pire of colors that is vivid in his work. slight flaw was perfectly veiled. But Cocker sang without reduced Russian and Kolesnik’s one-of-a-kind perception of The 63-year-old artist, still in tip- tariff. “Up where we belong,” “I keep top shape, gave the impression that his color opened new paths for the artist, forgettin’,” “Hitchcock Railway,” “I put Ukrainian art whole body was singing and his hands a spell on you” and “Hymn 4 my soul” helping him to overcome the limits fac- playing an invisible guitar or conduct- were all sung with his signature hoarse- in Krakow. ing artists of less esteem and ingenuity. ing the orchestra. ness. He played every song that made Kolesnikov created numerous paintings His stage behavior has been parodied him famous, including the Beatles’ Open Daily: many times as something quite separate “With a Little Help from my Friends,” worthy of praise for their depth and from his voice; it’s also another reason which he sang at the Woodstock festival. 11-20 range of color. For the artist, life and to love Joe Cocker. “This thing about It was a genuine “Best of Joe Cocker” ul. sw. Jana 30 art were a single process of continuous me being spastic is something I can’t concert that charmed the audience, giv- learning, and a prism through which he get away from,” Cocker is quoted on an ing them the kind of music that brings [email protected] Internet web site. “When I saw a video tears of joy. worked to understand nature. Ukrainian artist Mikhail Kolesnik. AUGUST 16-AUGUST 22, 2007 DISTRIBUTION The Krakow Post 15

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