Agnieszka Twardosz

by Agnieszka Twardosz (1995), Marlena Nowak (1995), LOK Krakow/Poland

The Polish situation in PRL times was very hard. The Soviet regime imposed its ideology and traditions on Polish people. National Polish and Christian festivals were substituted by secular festivals which came from the Russian or Soviet culture. We don’t think that the young generation of the 21^st century would like to take part in them.

For example Santa Claus was changed into Russian Father Frost. Children still got presents, so in fact nothing changed, but Santa Claus was a part of our tradition. He is connected with our religion, and children in school were learning about him and in one moment they had to forget everything they had learned and accept Father Frost, who was an unknown figure for them.

1^st May was established a national “Holiday of Work”. Seemingly that holiday was free of work and school, what people really liked, but on the other hand ,they didnt’t have a free time as usual, but they had to work very hard. Young people had to join the parades, learn poems and prepare for meetings with representatives of the government. If they hadn’t joined the parades, they would have been punished. Retribution was severe, so some of teenagers were scared and that’s why they took part in the celebrations.

We think that the young generation of 21^st century wouldn’t like to join these festivals. They are similar to teenagers who lived in PRL times. We want to believe that they would organise strikes and protests and tried to fight with the regime. We think that they are too attached to the Polish culture and traditions to accept the Soviet ideology.

Do you agree with us ?

A Parade organized on the occasion of “Holiday of Work” in Poland.

by Agnieszka Twardosz (1995), Marlena Nowak (1995) LOK Kraków/Poland

Stefan Drzewiecki was a famous Polish inventor, credited to the most outstanding engineer at the turn of 18th and 19th century. He was working out some types of submarines, propelled by the power of human muscles. He constructed a turbine prototype and a propeller. He was a collaborator and close friend with Gustave Eiffel – the constructor of Eiffel Tower. He initiated the building of a wind tunnel in Saint-Cyr near Versailles, he published his works range of propeller theory. Most of his experiments were done in his own laboratory which was loacated in the Eiffel Tower.

Bleriot XI airplane with a propeller Normale, constructed by Stefan Drzewiecki.