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The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (in Polish called Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy, commonly abbreviated to WOŚP) is an innitiative incomparable to any other European or international charity campaign. Since 1993 this foundation has been raising money for purchasing medical equipment and conducting health care programs throughout the country. As for now, it is the second biggest charity in Poland, giving place only to Caritas.
Each year, in the first weeks of January, the GOCC celebrates its so-called ”Finale”, collecting money on the strrets of most major Polish cities and organising free concerts and cultural events in the whole country. Regadless of the snow and freezing cold, millions of Poles outdoors and celebrate together, all contributing to the foundation's cause. Last year, for example, the GOCC volunteers collected almost 50 mln PLN and - what's worth mentioning - these numbers grow larger each year.
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Poland is a country known for many distinguished individuals like John Paul II, Lech Walesa, Frederic Chopin, Marie Curie, Joseph Conrad or Nicolaus Copernicus. But can you name some commonly known and used inventions that would be devised by Poles? Can't do it? Exatly. Poland is generally associated with things like great beer, beautiful women and kielbasa, but it seems that thoughout the ages it hasn't bred any significant inventors. This, however, couldn't be further from the truth. I will prove you that the Poles have in fact created appliances that I bet you have heard of, or maybe even used. So, there we go:
1. Bulletproof vest
Yes, you read that right. The bulletproof vest was in fact created by a Polish inventor called Jan Szczepanik in 1901. The vest was made of multiple layers of silk that were specifically woven so that they could stop bullets. The invention turned out be quite successful and the cloth used in the vest passed the practical test when it prevented the assasination of the Spanish king Alfonso XIII. In 1906 in Paris, he was travelling in a carriage padded with Szczepanik's special silk when suddenly a bomb exploded. Thanks to the bulletproof material, the king was unharmed and Szczepanik gained himself quite a fame. Everybody should agree that his acclaim was well-earned, right?
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November 1st seemed to be a peaceful day. As it is All Saints' Day, an important Polish holiday, most of us were out visiting graves of our deceased relatives and spending time with our families. Nobody would expect to hear such terrible news – one of LOT's (Polish airlines) Boeings was circling over Warsaw and preparing for an emergency landing on Okęcie airport.
It turned out there was a failure of undercarriage gear and the pilot had to land the machine without wheels. The whole country froze in disbelief and terror, as that kind of landing is extremely dangerous. The situation seemed hopeless. It would be another Polish aircraft tragedy, just a year and a half after the tragic accident in Smolensk, where the president Lech Kaczynski and 95 more died. When the plane's fuel tanks were almost empty the pilot decided to finally attempt the crash landing. We were all crossing our fingers while we watched a live broadcast on tv or listened to an audition on the radio. Fortunately, the pilot managed to sit the plane on the runway so smoothly that only occasional sparks and flames indicated that it wasn't in fact a regular landing. Even some of the passangers say that they were convinced they landed on wheels, not on the plane's belly. Right after the machine came to a halt all passengers disembarked and no-one was injured. This was also the moment that we lauded Tadeusz Wrona, the Boeing's pilot, as our new national hero.
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Celebrating Halloween is a very popular tradition around the world. It stems form a Celtic festival called Samhain, which has been a vital part of Irish tradition since as early as the 10th century and from that time it has been spreading around and gaining fame in a multitude of different countries. Yet, in Poland still hardly anyone dresses up and goes trick-or-treating. Moreover, many people, mainly the elderly, find kids going door-to-door asking for sweets quite annoying and distrurbing.
The reason for this aversion towards Halloween probably derives from the traditional christian character of our country – in the past dressing up as ghosts and monsters was considered a dangerous pagan ritual. That belief has been passed on though the ages and has stuck deeply in the conscience of the Poles. Another factor is that we were always more focused on celebrating All Saints Day, which in our culture is a very melancholic and pensive holiday, so it doesn't correspond well with the festive and joyful character of Halloween. Furthermore, in the past decade or so the festivities of October 31st have been associated with the tacky American pop-culture cliche and regarded as undermining the very principals of the All Saints Day.
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“Haven’t you heard there’s a war on?” was a question heard frequently throughout Britain during World War II. The question wasn’t literally meant to remind fellow Brits that they were at war – the evidence of that was all too apparent. Rather, it was a question laced with irony, poised when someone was a bit too extravagant in their behavior. However, during the first year of Britain’s involvement in the war, another question sometimes heard was, “What war?”
On September 3, 1939, within a half hour of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain formally declaring war upon Germany, the first aid raid sirens sounded over London, a practice run for what lay ahead. Preparation for rationing had begun months earlier, and in November, the first issue of ration books appeared. During the first year of World War II, everyday British citizens were feeling the inconveniences of war more than its horrors. All that changed on September 7, 1940.
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Cyla Cybulska & Jerzy Bielecki
Usually, our first thought about the World War II is suffering and death of millions of people, battles, alliances and pacts...
Nevertheless, we just don't want to forget about the beautiful love stories which emerged during the war! We would like to tell you about the most famous of them...
They met each other in Auschwitz, Bielecki was assigned to work in warehouses and Cyla worked as seamstress . Occasionally , they had chance to meet face to face. They became friends and then, little by little their relationship grew into love. Knowing about sealed fate of Cyla, Jerzy started planning their escape from the camp...
21 of July 1944, Bielecki, speaking excellent German and wearing a stolen SS uniform, came to take Cybulska "for interrogation".
With overwhelming fear of being recognized and shot, the couple quit the camp.
For nine nights, they marched across fields and woods, to reach the house of Bielecki's uncle near Krakow. Cyla was hidden in a nearby farmhouse, while Jerzy decided to go to Krakow. They were supposed to meet when the danger of being captured by Nazis would be over.
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Irena Sendler
We'd like to tell you the story of Irena Sendlerowa, a brave woman who risked her life to save 2,500 Jewish children during WWII. Let's get to know a little bit more about this noble and inspiring heroine...
Irena Sendler was born on 15th February 1910 in Warsaw. Already as a child, she was sensitive to other people's harm. She observed her father treating people whom no one else wanted to take care of. Many of them were Jews...
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Tatra Mountains is the highest mountain range in mountain-chain of Carpathians. It occupies 758 square kilometers of surface, but only 22% belongs to Poland. Tatra Mountains are one of the most recognizable symbols of our country, among the tops there is important national park with hundreds of uncommon animals and plants. Many people consider that this is the most beautiful place in Poland. It’s very hard to say that is true, because there are a lot of wonderful corners in our country, but for sure we can agree that Tatra Mountains are marvelous and magical.
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Summer is approaching, so authorities think what to do, to make Polish cities more attractive for tourists. The greatest efforts can be seen in Warsaw. Capital of Poland prepares a lot of new attractions which let visitors to meet every corner of the city that is worth to see. Especially City Transport Management has a lot to offer. Water or retro trams and horse-drawn buses are only few among plenty of vehicles that make travelling around Warsaw easier and much more pleasant.
From the beginning of June Vistula becomes a great attraction, trough water trams and cruises from Warsaw to Serock by Zegrzynski Bay. During hot summer days there is nothing more pleasant than relaxing on the board of a gently swaying boat, listening sound of water and birds singing. Cruise by water tram stays about 2 hours, during which You can hear about the most interesting sights near the river from the audio guide, try some barbecue dishes and also listen to live music playing by on-board orchestra. If it's not enough for You, You can try another cruise, the longer one, which leads to Serock, small town with medieval architecture, placed by the bay. You will be able to marvel landscape park surrounding the town which contains amazing amount of unique birds and other fauna and flora species.
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In the consciousness of many Europeans, Poland is still poor, communistic country, full of drunkards and car thieves. We had such periods in our history, when the situation in Poland wasn’t very well, so Poles also wasn’t nice. But we’re sure, that we already left behind those times and nowadays we are equal to other European nation. Unfortunately our past has created few stereotypes that are still believed. I’d like to introduce and comment most common of them.
Poles are idlers and ignoramuses
Totally false! This stereotype appeared probably because of strange communistic system of work. In those days there was a proverb “If You stay or if You lay, 1000 zlotys You’ll be paid”. Nowadays You have to work to earn Your payment and because of high level of unemployment, Poles respect work very much.
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Electrician who changed the World
One of a few Poles who are known all over the World. Very important character for Polish history and independence. Co-founder of Solidarity, former president and Nobel prize winner. Who is he? Lech Walesa – electrician who changed the World.
Solidarity
Lech Walesa
Walesa was born in 1943. In 1961 he finished trade school and started to work in National Engine Centre as an electrician. There he joined trade union what was very important movement for him and later for whole Poland. Lech Walesa was one of the strike leaders in his work place. In this time Polish workers was protesting against communistic regime. Walesa was committed in activity of Free Trade Unions and because of this, he was victimized by communistic services. Later he became a co-founder of Solidarity - Independent Self-governing Trade Union which was fighting for worker-rights and led to debates of Circle Table thank to which Poland has emancipated from the soviet supremacy in 1989.
After 1990
Walesa has been decorated with Nobel prize in 1983, because he shown that it’s possible to fight for freedom without violence.
In 1990 he became a president of Poland and he was fulfilling this duty to 1995. Today former president is still trade-union and human-rights activist. Often described as very charismatic leader, he is decorated with many orders and he’s also honorary degree of 15 universities.
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Who doesn’t know such masterpieces as Revolution Etude or Funeral March? Those two and many more supreme compositions has signed to piano music canons thank to the most famous Polish pianist and composer, Frederic Chopin.
Chopin was a representative of romantic music. He was born in 1810 in Żelazowa Wola. According to legend while he was being bear, his father, Nicolas, was playing violin. Probably it was the first sign, that Frederic will be connected with music for all his live and maybe that’s why he has become such genius.
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Less than a month ago Russian Communist Party shouted that Katyn was a Nazi crime. Brain washing and false propaganda would have no end but on Saturday morning unbelievable information shocked the world. Now, there’s no doubt that tragic events of Katyn was a Soviet crime. Russia stops the silence and beat its breast. But why such great sacrifice was needed to stop this lies?
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We invite you to visit the most majestatic and impressive mountains in Poland - Tatra. See the photogallery of popular sites in Tatra Mountains...
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For the tourists willing to spend the long weekend in Poland below are provided two different weekend variants: close to the nature and in big city style...
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