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"I must have been inspired" Joseph Conrad
PRL

The ‘April Fool’s orange movement’ that helped bring down communism

Enjoying their first breakthrough success on April Fool’s Day, 1987, tomorrow marks one of the most important dates in the history of the Orange Alternative. Paweł Kula/PAP

Sometimes cited as one of the inspirations behind Ukraine’s Orange Revolution, and often widely (and incorrectly) credited as being the root cause behind Wrocław’s recent epidemic of decorative gnomes, the legends that surround the Orange Alternative hide an extraordinary story of a group that played a defining role in the fall of the PRL.

Toy Story: campaign underway to find retro playtime artefacts for PRL exhibition

Appealing to the public to send in both stories and toys, the Nowa Huta Museum has already been flooded with donations for an exhibition that will explore the wonders of childhood.

Pioneering PRL-era fashion house that ‘lightened the common grey and mediocrity’ awarded ‘historical’ status

The studio belonging to model-turned designer Grażyna Hase was a key part of Warsaw’s bohemian scene during the Polish People's Republic (PRL), and a critical innovator of Polish fashion design.

Beer still standing, yeah, yeah, yeah! TFN steps back in time to explore some of Warsaw’s oldest bars

For a minority, the essence of the weekend rests in the foggy little bars that were established during Communism. Though fast dwindling in number, and left utterly winded by the lockdown, these have tapped a new wave of fans among a small group of people.

Wish you were here? Photographer captures haunting images of abandoned Communist-era holiday resorts

Once seen as evidence of the collective ambitions of the Communist system, today they stand as haunting, empty shells – an eerie reminder of a political order that would ultimately come crashing like a house of cards.

Lubin man recreates communist past with intricate handmade models

Initially inspired by his grandfather’s old Fiat 126 p, Marcin Wasilewski’s models include not only the iconic PRL car but also complex clay copies of tower block apartments and their interiors.

Katowice’s Spodek ‘flying saucer’ celebrates 50th birthday

Opening its doors for the first time On May 8, 1971, the Spodek Arena in Katowice has since hosted dignitaries, rock stars and sporting royalty. Alex Webber looks back at the iconic building’s iconic history.

Renowned Polish cartoonist Papcio Chmiel dies

Henryk Jerzy Chmielewski, better known by his pen name Papcio Chmiel, a cartoonist famous for his adventures of Tytus, Romek and A'Tomek, has died aged 97.

Happy birthday, big boy! Warsaw’s Dworzec Centralny hits 45

Through Brezhnev and the bad times to its sparkling reinvention, TFN looks at the highs and lows of Warsaw’s central station.

Massive monument honouring legendary canned fish spread erected in Szczecin

Created by local photographer Bogusław Dyjek and unveiled by former workers at the factory where it was produced, the enormous can of Paprykarz Szczeciński was revealed on the city’s Gryfitów square, named after the factories and processing plants where the spread was made.

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Top 5 articles:

  • Over 100,000 slaughtered with axes, pitchforks, scythes and knives: The Wołyń massacre started 76 years ago today and lasted for two years
  • The systematic massacre of all children under 10 will forever be a stain on humanity, says TFN’s Stuart Dowell
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  • It’s official! Kraków is the best place in Europe for food, says European Academy of Gastronomy
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Culture | History | Life

How Warsaw was rebuilt using mountains of post-war rubble illustrated in fascinating new exhibition

The story, which is being told in the 70th year since rebuilding was officially completed, is an important one as perhaps no other city in history has had to handle, process and use as much rubble as Warsaw did in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

The first report:

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  • Poland enters price negotiations with US for Hellfire missiles
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  • Polish farmers impacted by Ukrainian imports to get over EUR 210 mln
  • General government debt hits 49.3 percent of GDP at end-2022 says FinMin

Exclusive

Rzeszów scientists develop phone battery that charges in eight minutes and lasts 68 YEARS!

Produced by The Batteries, the new technology has already been dubbed “a game changer” by the industry press, with the firm hoping to begin large-scale production once work on their “pilot factory” is finished.

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