Life / Places to buy a decent suit in Warsaw [16]

With that budget you'll find a couple of decent suits from the better places in the Zloty Taras mall behind the station.

USA, Canada / 10 things that show you are Polish [24]

More interesting facts about Poland than elsewhere. Like the sheer number of types of kielbasa.

History / Are there still communists in Poland? [58]

Whether Kuklinski was a double agent or not is something that we will probably never know. What we do know is that 99.99999% of the army were completely loyal. Had their been a conflict between Warsaw Pact stated and NATO, they would have obeyed orders.

Poland is essentially a conformist society and though a regime might be disliked, that does not mean that the populace would mysteriously do the bidding of another regime thousands of miles away.

News / Presidential elections and debates 2015 Poland [472]

I like her suggestive name, but sadly no chance this time.

USA, Canada / 10 things that show you are Polish [24]


What's that got to do with people in Poland. Who do not do this polka thing and have mostly never heard of it.

By the way, names get mangled in Poland too. Changing it is very personal. My own name was Anglicised in generations past. I wouldn't change it again - if others can't be bothered to learn, it's their look out.

USA, Canada / 10 things that show you are Polish [24]


In Poland all sausage is kielbasa - and everyone can pronounce your name, unless its foreign. I've never seen anyone starting to 'polka' either.

Work / Salary in Gdansk (multinational IT based company) [11]

I think you should take the job. The salary isn't huge but it's certainly enough to live on for somebody in their 20s, and enough to find a small studio somewhere like Gdansk and have money left over.

You don't say which neighbouring country you're from, however I'm guessing it isn't Germany or Czech, so I'd say yes, this is an opportunity to get your foot on the ladder here in Poland.

If it doesn't work out, you can always return and you'll have something interesting on your CV as well as having lived somewhere else.

History / Are there still communists in Poland? [58]

Some of them undoubtedly were anti-Semites and people can be men of honour when (even especially) if they have a point of view other than your own extreme one.

None of the things you've described is anti-Polish and I notice you've started using that phrase to describe any viewpoint other than your own - bizarre when criticising totalitarianism.

Study / German v.s. Russian, language usefulness in Poland? [54]


All who aren't a. kids who grew up post-PRL and b. who paid attention at school understand at least some. My social circle is fairly representative of urban educated people between 35 and 49 and I do sometimes feel left out if there's a Russian present and I can only follow the gist of what's being said.

History / Are there still communists in Poland? [58]

Again (for the second time today) you've described somebody Polish as being 'anti-Polish' simply because they don't share your own extreme political views. It really does look like you'd prefer a very different kind of totalitarian state.

News / Presidential elections and debates 2015 Poland [472]

That doesn't make sense, as usual. I get the impression that you'd be happier without opposition parties, as it was in your glory days, and for the president not to be elected but to be appointed, perhaps by the church.

History / Are there still communists in Poland? [58]


So why would a jailed activist


for the regime who jailed him? Pol3, you're just spewing hatred as usual.

History / Are there still communists in Poland? [58]

What responsibility or lack thereof would he or should he bear, since he has always been a private individual (and one jailed by the regime) and does not hold public office either now or then?

He publishes a newspaper that people buy if they want to read it and don't buy if they don't want to read it.

Perhaps you think that only voices you approve of should be heard.

News / Poland have the 3rd best Education System of Europe [49]


Yes. In PL the govt and the educational establishment are desperate that the 'Magister' be considered equal to a Master's Degree (which it isn't) and this skews results - the same with stats about schools.

History / Are there still communists in Poland? [58]

Why would a newspaper Editor who was jailed by a regime before he was a public figure and for fighting to destroy the regime bear any responsibility for that regime?

News / Presidential elections and debates 2015 Poland [472]

So essentIally, you have a very low opinion of Polish voters and at the same time describe the Polish government as anti-Polish. Not much logic there, unless you genuinely believe you know what's best for people and they themselves don't.

News / Presidential elections and debates 2015 Poland [472]

I don't think we'll see a 'fifth republic' or even a fourth. The last time anyone tried it there was not only no support, but also great antipathy.

News / Presidential elections and debates 2015 Poland [472]

With any luck he'll certainly continue to support the elected government rather than be at loggerheads.

Interesting that you call the Polish government anti-Polish.

News / Presidential elections and debates 2015 Poland [472]

Fortunately it's a non-executive presidency so if the Dud won, he couldn't do any real damage, and if President Komorowski wins, we'll have a president from the ruling party which keeps things sweet and simple.

Life / Little-known facts about Poland [45]

Things varied from period to period (the attitude of the regimes in both places) plus architectural fashions, technology, building materials, housing needs and policies etc.

Yes you're right I think, I've never heard of (purpose built) Komunalki in Poland either. Though nothing would surprise me :-)

Life / Little-known facts about Poland [45]

As a prize for guessing, I'll buy you a pint next week (or if you're in pl. Grzybowska for that concert on Sunday - there's a 50% chance that I'll be). Perhaps that's taking the mystery thing too far. The development is at the bottom of Zoliborz, near the citadel. Only half of the estate was finished before war broke out however they did actually finish it (not sure who moved there - I'm pretty sure it was spoldzielniowy) a year later, in late 1940.

Contemporary photos show nice landscaping and a tram route.

There are a lot of very little known facts about Poland in wartime. Most people would be surprised that early on in the war, Gentiles used to go into the ghetto for an evening out (most of the good musicians were there). Later of course it was a different sadder story.

Life / Little-known facts about Poland [45]

This is actually intriguing - and yes, a little known fact about Poland. Do you have any sources (that's a genuine request, not arguing etc) - pictures especially would be interesting.

Another little known fact about Polish housing is that a (fairly) high end housing development was completed in Warsaw actually during the war, despite occupation etc - it belongs to the city now and semi-homeless people are housed there.

Life / Little-known facts about Poland [45]


All PRL era flats were built with bathrooms and kitchens - the buildings you describe are perhaps not apartments - they sound like hostels for people who live elsewhere. Plenty of places like than even now and some of them post-PRL.


Even detached new-build houses. It used to actually be illegal in the UK (under very old planning laws now repealed) but in Poland they think very differently. Frustrating to have no bathroom window.

UK, Ireland / Are Poles in UK really that big of a deal? [112]

Remember the migration has come at a time when employment rights, job stability etc have been eroded and that has played its part.

Life / Little-known facts about Poland [45]

There are actually two, one (like the Polish one defunct) from the Seventeenth Century, from Northern Europe, and one, still in force in a Latin country. Both mentioned on this forum already.


Well, apart from me being assimilated Polish and therefore being mysterious by habit now, we are after all talking about little known facts :-)

Life / Little-known facts about Poland [45]

Nope, they didn't have that in Poland either in the PRL years. Some of the 5 story early 60s blocks just had little kitchenettes, since the day's main meal was supposed to be at work, however that never really caught on and people just use them as normal kitchens. All had their own bathrooms, very occasionally 2.

You can still find shared toilets in nineteenth century buildings that haven't been modernised, however the little known fact in question is that Poles often build flats and even houses with the bathroom on an external wall but no window at all. No shame about a glass panel in the bathroom door though!

News / Presidential elections and debates 2015 Poland [472]

Oddly enough, Pol3, most people do know that. As I say, why would someone need the franchise in a place they've never lived?

History / Chance of Lwów once again became coming part of Poland [344]

And that period shaped so much of the city's life and culture. Now proudly Ukrainian, however you can still hear the Polish traces in the way people speak there.

News / Poland have the 3rd best Education System of Europe [49]

Until the cheating problems are solved, no statistic on education in Poland is reliable.

Life / Little-known facts about Poland [45]


Have you actually been to Poland? There are no blocks "built purposely with no bathrooms or kitchens", not since the war, anyway. Even in Russia they didn't do that.