News / Lithuanian ambassador 'Poles not loyal citizens' [63]


Is this site still hacked? Every so often I am being redirected to a sink and this is why I am late with my response here.

Harry, your foregoing conclusions are premature here. I hate to repeat myself: the kids in grades 1-3, of this particular school in Puńsk, are taught both languages + mathematics in both languages. There are classes with Polish instructional language, and other parallel classes with Lithuanian instructional language. So no, they do not have to do any translation at the age of 7.

Let us check the higher grades. The best way to decide on this issue is to go to the source:
The list of textbooks for grade VI of the Darius and Girenas Primary School with the Polish and Lithuanian instructional languages, in the school year 2011/2012: gimpunsk.com/word/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Wykaz_do_klasy_VI-SP.pdf

1. Polish language - Polish textbook
2. History - Polish textbook
3. English - English textbook
4. Mathematics - Polish textbook
5. Religion - Polish and Lithuanian textbooks
5. Nature - Polish textbook
6. Art - Polish and Lithuanian textbooks
7. Computers - Polish textbook
9. Lithuanian - Lithuanian textbook
10. Lithuanian History - Lithuanian textbook

But there is a Lithuanian only high school in the same village of Puńsk, "Punskas Kovo 11 Lithuanian Secondary School", (Kovo 11 = March 11, the Day of Independence of Lithuanian Republic) where - I presume - all textbooks are Lithuanian only.

zsopunsk.internetdsl.pl/new/en/index.html

News / Lithuanian ambassador 'Poles not loyal citizens' [63]


Sorry try this: (I missed this tail: "?file=4&file2=2")


Not really, if you understand Polish take a look punskas.pl/leidykla/podreczniki.html (already posted). For the lowest grade (1-3) they clearly talk about languages + mathematics, as in:

"Matematikos pratybų sąsiuvinis II kl., 1 dalis. Zeszyt ćwiczeń do matematyki do nauczania zintegrowanego w kl. II, cz. 1.

For the high school, I can see entries specifically Lithuanian, such as:
R. Koženiauskienė, D. Mikulėnienė, Lietuvių kalba. Kalbos raida ir istorija. Rašytinė ir sakytinė kalba. Tarmės ir tarmėtyra

Which Google translates to: R. Koženiauskienė, D. Mikulėnienė of the Lithuanian language. The development of language and history. Written and spoken language. Dialects and "tarmėtyra". I do not know whether this is a language book or a combination of language-history curriculum.

We might discuss whether physics is actually taught from Polish books, with the help of Polish-Lithuanian dictionary. But I know that it is definitely taught in Lithuanian.

Should Polish MEN do more? I guess so, yes. But saying that there are no Lithuanian textbooks in their Lithuanian-only schools (at some level) is plain wrong.

I also know that both countries have been working hard on common books for geography and history. Work in progress..

News / Lithuanian ambassador 'Poles not loyal citizens' [63]

I would advice you to stop repeating the same erroneous tune over and over again and check some simple facts. I already posted some stories about Puńsk (Punskas) and their educational facilities at several levels. The implication was that the kids learned from the Lithuanian-language books, and they were taught by Lithuanian teachers in their own Lithuanian language.

In some previous posts you did not deny it, but you only whined about the fact the the textbooks were pre-approved by Polish authorities, while the Lithuanian authorities just paid for Polish textbooks published by Poles. Now you changed your tune and say - <<Lithuanian children in Poland are forced to learn from Polish books>>.

All you are doing is repeating certain propaganda from certain Lithuanian circles, similar to this:


baltictimes.com/news/articles/28383/

Do not tell me that you really believe all that bullshit, do you?

Now read this - and I expect a profuse "thank you" from you for the time I had to spend on this issue to correct your errors.

Item number 1
A significant role for the small town, which is Puńsk, plays Publishing House "Ausra". It prepares and publishes the Lithuanian school textbooks for the needs of local educational institutions, and also publishes other books in both Lithuanian and Polish. In accordance to its technical and financial means it supports tourism and cultural activities through publishing interesting brochures, folders, postcards, advertising, etc., and posting information on web servers.

The Puńsk high rank cultural position is due to existence of several Lithuanian magazines, "Saltinis" (journal of the Association of St. Casimir in Sejny), "Ausra" (biweekly of Polish Lithuanians), "Ausrele" (monthly magazine for children), "Suvalkietis" (quarterly of Lithuanians from Suwalki region). A coffee shop at the Ausra Publishing House sells not only local publications, but also books and recorded music from Lithuania.

Books published by the Publishing House "Aušra" in the years 1992 - 2003:
Check it out - about 60 positions, Lithuanian titles, Polish summaries.

punskas.pl/leidykla/ksiazki.html


Publishing House "Aušra" now has the following manuals, books, teaching aids and programs for primary and junior high:
The detailed list is here:

punskas.pl/leidykla/podreczniki.html

Here at the highlights of their offer:

Grade 1-3: Integrated teaching
All written by the same Lithuanian authors G. Karaneckienė and I. Berneckaitė . Includes textbooks, exercise books and teaching instructions for reading, writing and mathematics, in both languages.

Grade 4-6. Lithuanian only
N. Grigutienė Motina. Kalba. Tėvynė. Podręcznik języka litewskiego. Lithuanian Language Textbook. (one for each grade, same author)
Instructional Guide to Teaching Lithuanian, for grades 5 and 6, including CDs and big didactic boards

Gymnasium - Junior High School
Textbooks for grades 1-3, plus exercise books and didactic materials for teachers
Polish-Lithuanian terminological dictionaries:
+ mathematics
+ geography
+ art
+ physics
+ chemistry
+ biology
+ programming

Liceum - High School. All Lithuanian
+ Culture, rhetorics, communication
+ Development of language and history. Written and spoken language. Dialects
+ Lithuanian language. Style. Style measures. Style. Language stylization. Style of interaction. Text styles and genres. Modern developments in the Lithuanian language.

All of these books are provided to schools free of charge upon presentation of a written order on selected items certified by the Board of Education in Suwalki.

(...)
School and Pedagogic Publishing House
through Publishing House "Ausra"
Orders for Big-boards must also be confirmed by the Board of Trustees

Information
Editors of Books and Textbooks
Tel: (087) 5161410

Publishing House "Aušra" Sp. o.o. Mickiewicza 23, 16-515 Punsk
cond. Romuald Witkowski, Deputy Director. Sygit Birgiel editor

tel: 87 5161410 87 5161049; 87 5 161517
Fax: 87 5161049, 87 5161812
REGON 790127214
NIP PL 844-000-82-28
Bank PKO SA O / Suwalki No. 91124018481787000020757256

Item number 2
This offer is a bit outdated. The list of textbooks as recent as 2010 is shown at the bottom of this page: kjoib.uw.edu.pl/publikacje_nijola_birgiel.pdf

Item number 3
Ministry of Interior and Administration, Minutes of the August meeting of Committee on Education of National Minorities
Sejny, 2 March 2005

The minutes deal with the following subjects:

1. School network and funding of education of the Lithuanian minority in Poland
2. Premises for the high school in Punsk and primary and secondary in Sejny
3. Implementation of publishing plans and curricula and publishing projects for 2005
4. Tests and examinations in the Lithuanian language

I'll just translate one little fragment:
In the field of publishing - Ministry of Education and Science continued fruitful cooperation with the publishing house "Aušra" in Puńsk. In 2004, MENS spent 374 200 PLN on Lithuanian textbooks. They planned to spend 402, 650 PLN in 2005.

Again, there must be some current data available for 2010, for example. But I am not writing a dissertation I am just pointing out the obvious flaws in your statements about lack of Lithuanian textbooks in Poland.

Item number 4
The list of textbooks and manuals approved for school use, intended for general education for national minorities and ethnic groups and communities using the regional language, taking into account the core curriculum specified in the Minister of National Education of 23 December 2008 on the core curriculum of preschool education and training general in particular types of schools

(Journal of Laws of 2009 No. 4, pos. 17))

Lithuanian: altogether 7 series of textbooks, approved by MEN, published by Ausra
(as specified under item number 1)

reformaprogramowa.men.gov.pl/nowepodreczniki/wykaz_dopuszczone_lista2.php

News / Visegrad Battle Group under the command of Poland [261]

On June 10 the first deputy foreign minister of the Czech Republic Jiri SCHNEIDER visited Ukraine to patch a recent diplomatic spat between the two countries. In the interview with the Ukrainian Deń he talked openly about Visegrad-Ukraine relationship and Ukrainian perspectives in the the framework of the Eastern Partnership.

When asked about the decision to create Visegrad Battle Group and how it compared to Piłsudski's idea of intermarium he answered that there was no geopolitics involved and this was just a pragmatic model to have a military capability to do things on the mandate of the Security Council of the United Nations: peacekeeping, peacemaking, etc. When asked about the reason that this was happening currently he cited some bud­getaway constraints, more humble national aspirations and greater openness to share the burden and to save the resources by doing things together.

In terms of past Ukraine's military cooperation with Poland, proposed cooperation with Poland and Lithuania (L-P-U Battle Group) or with the Visegrad Battle Group he said he was very open to such concepts. He explained that the idea of Ukraine joining the EU defence operations and also the NATO defence operations would make a lot of sense - especially in terms of cooperation in anti-piracy operations. He stressed that Ukraine's airlift capability would make it a very useful partner for Visegrad, EU and NATO.

Finally he expressed his thoughts about perspectives of Ukraine in Eastern Partnership.


Stratfor has just recently published its Geopolitical Weekly, entitled: "The Divided States of Europe", by Marko Papic:

stratfor.com/weekly/20110627-divided-states-europe

Somewhere down the page there is a map showing Europe's Evolving Spheres of Influence. The author identifies and describes various spheres of influence as shown in the map: German, Nordic, Visegrad-plus, Mediterranean, Turkish, "Free Radicals" and Undeclared. Of those I only quote a fragment related to Visegrad Group.


There are few good points in the article.

News / Visegrad Battle Group under the command of Poland [261]


There are certainly some common indirect interests - underlined by the "Carpathian Convention" formed in 2003 by the seven European countries that share the striking Carpathian Mountain range: Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine. The countries decided to join forces to guarantee sustainable development of tourism in this unique area, while also protecting its ecosystem.


carpathianconvention.org/index


forestportal.efi.int/content/view/226/15

Language / Why when spelling Polish names abroad, Polish letters are ignored? [68]

Ok, you are welcome, I exaggerated . :-)

Language / Why when spelling Polish names abroad, Polish letters are ignored? [68]


When I saw this statement the first time, I ignored it. Now you caused me to waste my time to prove how wrong this statement is. I just scanned all available font collections on my Mac, with support for character "ę". Here you go:

UNICODE Name: LATIN SMALL LETTER E WITH OGONEK
Collection: Modern
Futura: Condensed Medium, Medium, Condensed Bold, Medium Italic
Gill Sans: Light, Regular, Bold, Italic, Light Italic, Bold Italic
Helvetica Neue: Condensed Black, Condensed Bold, Light, Medium, Regular, Ultralight, Bold, Italic, Ultralight Italic, Bold Italic
Collection: PDF
Courier: Regular, Bold, Bold Oblique
Helvetica: Regular, Bold, Oblique, Bold Oblique
Times: Regular, Bold, Italic, Bold Italic
Collection: Traditional
Cochin: Regular
Didot: Regular
Collection: Web
Andale: Mono
Arial: Bold, Bold Italic, Regular, Black regular
Comic Sans MS: Regular , Bold
Georgia: Bold, Bold Italic, Italic, Regular
Impact: Regular
Times New Roman: Bold, Italic, Bold Italic, Regular
Trebuchet MS: Bold, Bold Italic, Italic, Regular
Verdana: Bold, Bold Italic, Italic, Regular
Collection: Fun
American Typewriter Condensed: Regular, Light, Bold
American Typewriter: Light, Regular, Bold
Herculanum: Regular
Marker Felt: Thin, Wide
Zapfino: Regular
Collection: Fixed Width - for us, programmers
Andale Mono
Courier: Regular, Bold, Oblique, Bold Oblique
Courier New: Bold, Bold Italic, Italic, Regular
Menio: Bold Bold Italic, Italic, Regular
Monaco: Regular

Would you call it decent enough?

Language / Why when spelling Polish names abroad, Polish letters are ignored? [68]


You were right gumishu, the German keyboard layout is not compatible with the English one. So when I use the virtual German keyboard (on my standard keyboard) the "qwertyu" becomes "qwertzu", etc.

But I forgot to add last time that you can also generate foreign characters, plus bunch of mathematical symbols, etc., not from the virtual keyboard, but from a character palette (viewer). In such a case you do not need to play with national flags or virtual keyboards, but you enter the characters directly from a huge - but well organized - viewer. I often collect most commonly used symbols at one place to keep them handy for easy access.

But then there is a third method:
Check out a page "Special character chart for German",
german.about.com/library/blcharcodes.htm

It deals with both Windows and Mac.

I will concentrate on the Mac version because I can test it right now on one of my machines and provide the proof that it works. It is easier than the Windows version, where you have to memorize the numeric codes.

Here is how you generate special German characters on Mac, using the standard English keyboard, not the German one. Make sure that your "national" flag is set to the standard keyboard (British, American, Canadian). Then type one of those:

Alt u + a = ä
Alt u + A = Ä

Alt u + o = ö
Alt u + O = Ö

Alt u + u =ü
Alt u + U= Ü

Alt s = ß
Alt e + e = é

P.S. ALT is actually called OPTION in Mac, but that does not matter much, so I used a familiar term ALT instead.

Language / Why when spelling Polish names abroad, Polish letters are ignored? [68]


I do not think so - since Polish letters are mostly Latin this would defeat a purpose of Unicode.

For example, my operating system offers a sticky bar at the very top of the monitor - with some little gadgets allowing me to quickly change certain characteristics of my computer: a music volume, a current cell position in a grid of a virtual screen, date representation, quick access to "Time machine" (backup), etc. One of them is a national flag. Currently it shows as "red-and-white", which allows me to type regular English plus those special Polish characters.

And if for whatever reason, I want to temporarily switch to German specific characters, I replace the Polish flag by "black-red-orange" and continue typing in German for a while. But since I do not know the German rule, that corresponds to the Polish alt+basic, I have to additionally invoke the German virtual keyboard and type those few umlauts from there. If I were using German daily, I would certainly memorize their rule for generation of special characters.

But such rules are not applicable to languages that differ dramatically from Latin, such as Russian or Greek. You would be stuck with virtual keyboard, unless you have a language specific national keyboard.

News / Tusk drops Chinese COVEC building the A2 motorway in Poland [83]

If you care to read again the detailed complain note from COVEC, which I translated here, they did not actually said that GDDKiA was ever late. All they said was that GDDKiA delayed until the last moment - according to the contract agreement - of 59 days after receiving their invoice.

Language / Why when spelling Polish names abroad, Polish letters are ignored? [68]


Actually they do.
Since there are only eight funny characters in Polish, instead of using a Polish virtual keyboard, you can just type alt+basic character - if you have chosen a so-called Professional-Polish keyboard layout. For example:

ą = alt-a
Ć = alt-shift-c

This covers:ą, ę, ś, ć, ń, ó, and ż.
The remaining character ź is generated by alt-x. But check it out, you operating system may have reversed ż with ź.

Language / Why when spelling Polish names abroad, Polish letters are ignored? [68]


Both. And also on aesthetic grounds since the photographs are beautiful. Check the Google books, there are many pages available for free viewing.


And "Monachium" and "Mniszkowo" in Polish. The place where many Polish painters studied and made their careers.

News / Visegrad Battle Group under the command of Poland [261]

Yes, however not everything is so cosy.


politics.hu/20110617/slovak-pm-rejects-hungarian-house-speakers-insult

During the "Visegrad Four" meeting of prime ministers, in Bratislava on Thursday, in private conversation with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Slovak Prime Minister Radicova said that such expressions were harmful for good neighbourly relations between the two countries.

Orban responded that he would make a personal effort to promote cooperation between Hungary and Slovakia, and voiced "Hungary's respect and esteem for all well-wishing Slovaks". Concerning Hungary's new constitution, Orban said that it did not pose a threat of any kind to Slovakia.

Language / Why when spelling Polish names abroad, Polish letters are ignored? [68]

Kiriwina Islands formerly known as Trobriands Islands - the place dear to the hearts of Polish schoolboys. (A hint: "The Sexual Life of Savages in North-Western Melanesia", "Życie seksualne dzikich")

News / Polish journalist's "show trial" Belarus [40]

Mysterious billions of Lukaszenko

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said at a press conference that if all goes well, then his country would soon receive 10-12 billion dollars. But he did not explain where the money is coming from, nor for what Belarus is to receive it.

- It will be our money, not loans - said Lukashenko, then added: "For now, I simply do not want to talk about it."

Assuming that he is serious here, then the only logical explanation is a sellout of some assets. Russia wants to acquire cheap Belarusian assets in return for the financial support.

The President underlined that Belarus will not part with the current "socio-economic development model" - inform the Belarusian media. When asked about warning - appearing in some media - that the current model of Belarus may collapse, he said: "It never fell, and it will never fall down. The socio-economic model of development of the Belarusian state will survive. We will not move away from it by one iota, nor by one step"- he said.

Well, in the past many a man strongly believed in THE models. The "belief" is an operative word here: this is a religious term.

Lukashenko blamed journalists for creation of the artificial economic crisis in the country. - In the process of rising panic journalists played a big role. Anxiety on the consumer market was created with the active participation of some of the media - he stressed.

- Now they try to break Belarus using some other methods, such as that garbage, which is the internet. This new approach is already approved by some countries - he said. - They stay there and salivate - waiting for us to quickly fall down. But this will never happen - assured Lukashenko.

Yes, a typical siege mentality. "Trashy internet", "salivating beasts waiting to attack us" - one of them must be Poland, of course.

- People are worried now that prices are high, that they miss some importable goods. But we have enough to eat. And what that we have not enough money? In a few months we will get out of this situation. But most importantly, we ourselves can still produce. And if ever a disaster occurs, we will close the borders and we will be buying only this what we really need - he said.

Now, that's almost a quote from "The Animal Farm". The man sounds sick.

Belarus is currently in the deepest financial crisis since Lukashenko took power 17 years ago - it has a huge trade deficit and shortage of foreign currency. In late May, authorities were forced to devalue the Belarusian ruble against the dollar by 56 percent. Price of many goods - including fuel and cigarettes - went up dramatically.

Lukashenko pointed out on Friday that devaluation has also its good side - it is beneficial to export-oriented economies. He also claimed that there is no crisis in Belarus. "A crisis occurs when companies are being closed and people are being thrown into the streets" - the president said.

Supporters of Polish-Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut protests outside the court in Hrodna, Belarus. 23 June 2011.
There are several pictures there of small group of - mostly elderly - people and his wife, displaying his photo on the the front page of their local paper "Głos", with the heading "They will not break me". The police seems to behave quite gently. One photos shows Mrs. Poczobut climbing the courtyard fence to see how her husband is escorted to the court.

But this demonstration is nothing compared to social unrests organized via internet.


reuters.com/article/2011/06/23/us-belarus-protests-idUSTRE75M33520110623

News / Polish journalist's "show trial" Belarus [40]


I know about the recent events, about beatings of the opposition leaders, about tough jail sentences, etc. What I really wanted to know was how the general population reacts to all of this.

I used to work - six years ago to be exact - with a Belarusian man in his thirties, in Toronto Canada, where he could feel safe and open in his opinions. I drilled him with questions, not hiding my critique of Lukaszenko. He vehemently objected and was proud of all the democratic achievements of Belarus. And about industrial output, etc. Then I stopped talking politics with him. After all who I was to criticize if he liked the status quo. And he was a university graduate and not stupid man at all. Brainwashed? Perhaps, perhaps not.

Two other Belarusians, the girls, would avoid talking about Belarus.

I have read plenty of reports about Belarus. About countryside people, for example. I read interviews with people who knew Lukaszenko as a young ambitious thug or a good man - depending whom the reporters were talking to. But there is no statistical data on the subject of their love/hate relationship with the current regime.

Well, I listened to your opinion. You described the stalinist-era terror, as it was in Poland in 1950s. Sad. A neighbour scared of neighbour.


Please, I did not mean that. I was talking about a sad statistics in Belarus. I must dig up that old, scientific paper, which very clearly shows a huge difference between status of Ukrainian/Russian vs. Belarusian/Russian.


I only partially agree. Language is important and it was mostly via language and Polish literary output, the church and other cultural traditions that Poland as a nation has survived. Russification program of Poles in both Crown (Warsaw, etc.) and today's Belarus was fierce, deadly and persistent. Eliza Orzeszkowa, for example, a novelist from Grodno and Wilno (Vilnus), fought tooth and claw - using both open and clandestine methods - for the rights to publish Polish papers and books, to teach children in Polish. Germanization was even worse in Wielkopolska and Royal and East Prussia.


Good for them. :-)
1. Cleaner. Yes, Poland has not cleaned after the communism yet, and unfortunately started a new era of rampant capitalism, billboards everywhere, and wild development with no urban planning. 1:0 for Belarus.

2. Impressive avenues and buildings. Every dictatorship does that. Nazi Germany, Ceausescu's Romania, Castro's Cuba to some extent, Arabian princedoms. But hey, I am not jealous, 2:0 for Belarus.

3. Men with muscles. It was a dream of Soviet Union to prove that Soviets are better than anyone else, including sports. Do you remember the East German women, winning all those medals? But hey, good for them "healthy body - healthy spirit", 3:0 for Belarus.

4. I only saw some Belarusian women, beautiful dressed in folk garb - some beautiful, some not. I am not giving any points here.

News / Polish journalist's "show trial" Belarus [40]


Yes they were, but dealing with current Belarusian establishment and with the opposition is not the same as 20 years ago in Poland.
1. Belarus is at the direct backyard of Russia. The Bear has grudgingly accepted changes in Poland. But it will get very angry when sensing outside interference in Belarus.

2. Should we provide moral and propaganda support? Yes. Direct support? No.
3. Credibility of opposition? I really do not know who they are.
4. Due to the geopolitical postion of Belarus any changes must come from inside, not outside
5. It might be as well that the majority of population is actually happy with status quo, or would be happy to be Russian again. Could you prove otherwise?

Let me comment on the Belarusian language status, as this is the most important means of a nation identification. I read a report of a scientist from Minsk about this issue, 2-3 years ago. The statistics were appalling, with minority of B. papers, B. speakers in parliament, B. schools. So this is an identification issue.

Other than that I am really very sorry for their economic trouble. This should not be used as a political weapon.

News / Polish journalist's "show trial" Belarus [40]


According to an article in Naviny.by, reprinted here in Polish: kresy24.pl/przeglad_prasy/id/5815/, many Belarusians who used to be passive and neutral begin getting angry for Lukaszenko crossing the acceptable limits. Economic situation gets worse and worse. Here are few fragments, which I translated:

Wrong borders closed
By imposing the export duty on individuals the government stunned the ordinary citizens, businessmen and custom officials. Nobody understands how the new system of control - over the export of socially important goods, especially gasoline - should be implemented in practice. Analysts are surprised: what is the point of fighting with the alleged speculative export of goods (to EU), while access to the main market - Russia - remains free!

(...)
At this time, the food importation scale to Russia by Russians themselves is constantly increasing. Border cities are stormed multiple times by Russians and the shops have fully surrendered. For example, almost all the streets in Mścisław are crowded with cars with the Russian plate numbers. Russians buy dairy, meat products, semi-processed meat, sweets and sugar. Sugar is already not available despite the sugar prices increase in the border areas.

(...)
The possibility of buying up cheap Belarusian products by Russians is expanding because of the incomprehensible government monetary policy and the National Bank of Belarus.

"The whole group of our citizens travel to Smolensk, to exchange our Belarusian rubles for Russian rubbles at the rate of 300:1. Russians are willing to buy our domestic currency, and then they take the bus to Belarus and - using the Belarusian rubles - they swept out everything from the shop shelves. The merchandise cost them almost nothing"- said one expert.

News / Polish journalist's "show trial" Belarus [40]


And then released ... and not getting 3.5 years of jail sentence - as it recently happened to many Belarus opposition leaders.

News / Polish journalist's "show trial" Belarus [40]

Ever increasing number of Belarusians help themselves by going abroad to work. Their main target is, first of all, Moscow, where it is not so difficult to find a job for a thousand dollars a month, which is four times more than the average wage in today's Belarus. Such "voting with their feet" is not really to Mr. Lukashenko's liking. The president lashed out at the "guest workers" at the recent meeting of his government.

- We should tell those "fliers": - You traveled voluntarily to another country to earn your money but you do not bring anything back to the state. Go then. But first of all, your family should pay 100% for the communal services. You should pay 100% for medical care. You earn money - you pay - demanded the dictator, then he ordered his ministers: - Carry out immediately. With the beginning of the next semester!

(...)
Lukashenko is trying to heal the situation, as much as he can. Belarusians are not allowed to export televisions, refrigerators, cement, dairy products, sugar, flour, meal, fuel and many other goods. Authorities have also introduced the ban on export of waste paper till the end of the year. According to Lukashenko, the waste paper should be processed at home to bring some profit to domestic economy.

To alleviate a growing annoyance of the crisis-ridden Belarusians he uses traditional methods, such as freezing price of vodka for the next two months.

But to those who - in spite of such benefaction provided to them by the authorities - dare to rebel, Lukashenko announced that he will be watching and then he will pacify them in his traditional way: - When I hit them, it will be too late for them to make a break for the border - threatened the dictator.

News / Visegrad Battle Group under the command of Poland [261]


morh.hr/en/news-press-releases-annoucments/press-release/seminar-o-borbenim-skupinama-eu.html

History / Symbols & Signs in Polish History, Culture & Life [89]


Yes, that helps..

Superstitions
There are tones of superstitions in Poland, most of them "international", some recently imported - mostly for fun. For example, internet websites offer advice to brides in form of "bride decalogs" or other such stuff. Black magic, voodoo and shamanism are also being imported - as "New Age" interests develop. Some are harmless, other ones are scary. Here is what "Old Poland Encyclopedia" says about origins of imported superstitions:

Illiteracy and ignorance of the natural sciences introduced to the old beliefs of nations the world of prejudice, witchcraft and superstition. After the superstitions of the peoples of Western Europe found their way to manuscripts and printed books they quickly spread among all social strata of the Old Poland.

For example, the work entitled "Secrets of Pedemonte," a treasure trove of thickest superstitions, translated into Polish and published in the form of a large book on 1620, taught such nasty things as incensing by cadaverous tooth to protect from spells or cooking an un-butchered but plucked goose, alive at simmer. The famous book "The Hammer for Witches" (Krakow 1614) is a Polish translation by Stanisław Ząbkowicz from a German work, published in Frankfurt in 1600, by the German witch inquisitors: Jacob Sprenger and Henry Instytor (Spells).

In terms of knowledge and the industrial culture we stood below the West, but our home customs - as in all ethnic Slav cultures - were more human, more gentle and good-natured. If someone took trouble to categorize and sort out all known European superstitions, they no doubt would find with us the enormity of stupid beliefs, but not harmful to anyone - for example, a belief that it is an evil omen if a woman or a hare crosses your road, or the belief that a stake stuck into the ground top-down, or a log - used in house construction - put upside down brings misfortune to the host.

(...)
Translated from Encyklopedia staropolska ilustrowana (tom IV), Zygmunt Gloger, 1900-1903 edition, pl.wikisource.org/wiki/Encyklopedia_staropolska/Zabobony

History / Symbols & Signs in Polish History, Culture & Life [89]


You caught me in act with blood on my hands. :-)


articles.cnn/2007-11-16/travel/poland_1_milk-bar-poland-krakow?_s=PM:TRAVEL


I know Jamie Stocks's articles, and I like them too. Every one of them comes out in both languages: English and Polish under the generic name "Okiem Angola". They are linked to Kraków Post. He is also active at polandian.com blog.

Chimney sweepers
Fake or drunk chimney sweepers, who sell calendars and intimidate people, give a bad rap to this old and noble profession. A yearly visit from your friendly chimney sweeper is a messy but necessary affair. With some soot left in your ashpans and some on the floor but with the cleansed chimney flues both sides part in high spirits: he - with a satisfaction of a job well done and well earned money in his pocket and you - with an extra calendar, good stove draft and no fear of chimney fire for the next 12 months or so.

Yes, the dreaded chimney fire. Over the course of a season creosote deposits can become several inches thick. Creosote is a black, oily substance that builds up inside chimney flues when wood or coal burns incompletely, producing soot and tarry smoke. Since creosote is highly combustible, a thick accumulation creates a fire hazard. If a hot fire is built in the stove or fireplace, and the air control left wide open, this may allow hot oxygen into the chimney where it comes in contact with the creosote which then ignites - causing a chimney fire.

During my seven years adventure in the woods of Muskoka cottage country I solely relied on efficient airtight fireplace, with two little blowers efficiently dispersing the heat over the entire house. My heating costs were minimal - 12 face cords of well seasoned firewood, typically sugar maple, used to cost me from $35 to $65 a cord - the former if I bought it early in April-May, stacked it myself outdoors and let it dry until it was ready to be stacked in the woodshed attached to the cottage.

Quality firewood is one of the keys to avoid chimney fires. Resinous pine wood, branches or pine cones are not recommended because of quicker buildup of creosote in your chimney. But as I remember from my childhood - this kind of material was almost solely used for cooking during summer days. No wonder that the yearly visit from the chimney sweeper was a must.

I was told that when a fire department is called to chimney fire they dump some devilishly smelling fluid down your chimney. The smell will persists over the weeks to come. Forget about the comfort at your fireplace and weep. Secondly, the fire department and your local administration will charge you for services and penalize for negligence.

History / Symbols & Signs in Polish History, Culture & Life [89]


Yeah! The milk bars! A plate screwed to the table, a chained spoon.

And the appropriate joke:
- Do you have russian?
- We have.
- And lazy?
- Yes, we have them too.
- So for God's sake why don't you chase them to work.

• 
  sad reality of the milk bars
  

History / Symbols & Signs in Polish History, Culture & Life [89]

^
This picture is too small for me to identify the object. It looks like a pendant of a sort. Sailors would hang small utility knives with marlin spikes at the belts. I used to proudly display decorative knots. :-)

History / Symbols & Signs in Polish History, Culture & Life [89]


The horseshoe is generally considered a good luck and I've seen it affixed to the main entrance of the house. I have not seen it signed though - so that's the interesting twist. But I do not think that this custom is specifically Polish.

As to Wałęsa and a bent spoon - I have no clue what you are talking about. Perhaps Antek will help. Unless you are talking about "niezbędnik", folded utensils, camping essentials, a toolkit.

Niezbędnik - a combination of a spoon, knife, fork or spoon and fork, designed so that the utensils fold up together or are attached to each other permanently. The kit may also include a can and bottle opener. Used mostly by soldiers, scouts, tourists and lovers of survival.

In the army camp - one of my friends came up with a better name for it - "narządy żrące".
Untranslatable - corrosive organs?

• 
  Camp utensils
  

History / Symbols & Signs in Polish History, Culture & Life [89]


If the spoon was inside the boot-top one could not spy it - even if they had cameras at those times. So I have no such photo.


A convenient place to store such a precious object without loosing it? Spoons had no hooks to hang at one's belt.


Perhaps they washed it before or perhaps after. A level of the hygiene in Middle Ages was much higher than it is popularly thought of. People washed their hands quite often and they took a bath from time to time.

Poles loved hunting and they did it often. They cooked their meals outdoors (see the origins of the famous Polish hunter's stew, the bigos) - during hunting or on the military march. Having one's own utensils was handy. A modern soldier, when not at base, does exactly the same.

Originally, soups and meats were eaten from simple plates made from the bottom crusts of day-old, stale, bread. It was called a trencher. The trencher would soak up the juices of whatever meat was served on it and could be consumed as part of the meal. It was a very common feature of dinner in a medieval castle.

In the later Middle Ages wooden trenchers evolved. At first they were simple flat boards, but later they contained depressions to hold food, and sometimes separate indentations for salt or a knife.

But trenchers are not specifically Polish. I just wanted you to have a broader picture. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trencher_(tableware)

• 
  Trencher table setting
  

History / Symbols & Signs in Polish History, Culture & Life [89]


Oh, you are spoiled myjustyna - we have already provided you with many other symbols, not necessarily military. And yes, military things were indeed very important part of Polish society - just read the history.

Nevertheless ....

£yżka za cholewą - A spoon inside a boot-top

A very interesting phenomena were old Polish culinary customs. Polish nobility had the habit of carrying a cutlery on their person: a knife in the belt and a spoon inside the boot-top. Each of these items was peculiar. Humorous sentences were engraved on shafts of Polish spoons, and on the other side - coats of arms of the owner. Forks appeared in Poland sooner than in France and were in widespread use already in the seventeenth century.

We know that an Arian, Wacław Potocki, bought in Krakow a knife and a fork, bound in ivory, and for his wife - in the coral. Henry Valois, residing in Wawel Castle for one year (of which he mostly slept and feasted), marvelled at the Polish culinary customs and took with him to France a habit of using a table fork - that's why Valois is considered an inventor of the cutlery.

translated from :
apetycik.pl/teksty.php?tekst=373&kat=28

The beautifully illustrated book "£YŻKA ZA CHOLEWĄ A WIDELEC NA STOLE", 1977, by Maja Berezowska, Stefania i Tadeusz Przypkowscy and Magdalena Samozwaniec humorously describes many Old Polish culinary customs.

I do not know of any English translation of that book.

History / Symbols & Signs in Polish History, Culture & Life [89]

Buława and buzdygan are war maces , often fancifully decorated, symbolizing various positions of power. Both names are of Turkic origin. Although originally the Eastern weapons - Egypt, Iran, Turkey, India - they have become symbols of military commanders of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (PLC) and also later of Dnieper Cossacks.

There were four top commanders in PLC, originally nominated by King for particular war expeditions or defence actions, later nominated or elected for life:
Hetman wielki koronny, Grand Crown Hetman
Hetman polny koronny, Field Crown Hetman
Hetman wielki litewski, Grand Lithuanian Hetman
Hetman polny litewski, Field Lithuanian Hetman

Grand hetmans were the number one military commanders in PLC, second to the kings. The field hetmans were their deputies, but also holding significant power. The word hetman is probably derived from the German "Hauptmann" - the captain, or from the Turkic "otoman"/"ataman".

Buława was an attribute of a hetman. It was made of a handle and a round or pear-shaped head, richly decorated in gold, silver and precious stones. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulawa

Buzdygan was a flanged mace, usually with 6 or 8 flanges, made of brass or steel, sometimes covered with silver or gold material, sometimes decorated with precious stones. It represented authority of Polish colonels, lieutenants and standard-bears. pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buzdygan

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mace_(club)#Eastern_Europe

• 
  Typical bu�awa of Polish hetmans, 16th century
  
• 
  An example of buzdygan
  

History / What was it like in 1989+ in Poland when the Soviet house of cards fell? [237]


Hey, we must have been on the same train, I witnessed the scene very similar to that as you described. :-)
Well actually two youngsters were horse playing, and as a result one headgear went out of the window. But the rest was the same - just as you said.