History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]


It is a Soviet soldier from the old Monument of Gratitude to the Red Army. It used to stand in Jelenia Góra's city centre, and was quite popular in communist times (below a photo taken in 1982)...



... after the fall of Eastern Bloc some scoundrels wanted to raze the statue of the soldier together with the monument but the people protested and local authorities (very wisely!) preferred to listen to their people instead of hints from Warsaw, and instead of razing it they moved it to the cemetery where every year on All Saints' Day people light candles and pray under it for the souls of fallen soldiers.

Apparently normal people have more common sense than politicians and internet haters. Go figure. :)

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Candles for the Fallen: 2014

Still in Lower Silesia. For many years the monument stood at Bankowa Street in Jelenia Góra. The city authorities resisted the pressure to raze the statue, and instead moved it to the cemetery, where people light candles under it to this very day.

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Christmas Fair in Wrocław: 2023

Nowhere near the magic of Gdańsk Christmas Fair, of course, but still worth visiting if you happen to be in the Lower Silesia.

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Sad Christmas: 1939

It was a sad Christmas in Cracow that year but people tried not to lose hope. In the photo we see krakowianie purchasing Christmas trees in the Main Square.

Language / Christmas Phrases translations [6]


Say what?

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Calm Before the Storm: 1914

Group of tourists enjoying their summer holidays in Tatra Mountains (Morskie Oko).

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Christmas Eve: 1904

Christmas Eve celebrated in Warsaw's Fine Arts Academy. Professor Konrad Krzyżanowski and his student (who will later surpass the master) Witold Pruszkowski, among others, are looking at us from this charming old photo.

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Beautiful Helena: 1938

Which of the two lovely ladies preparing to travel on this rapid (140 km per hour in 1938!) passenger train was called Helena? The answer is neither. Piękna Helena (Beautiful Helena) was the name of the aerodynamic steam engine that pulled this train (it received golden medal at Paris Exposition of Technique and Arts in 1937).

pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pm36#/media/Plik:Parow%C3%B3z_z_otulin%C4%85_aerodynamiczn%C4%85_serii_Pm36.jpg

Food / Polish Christmas Eve Dinner recipes [69]


The recipe is very easy:

1. You buy a carp.
2. You sell it for twice the price you bought it for.

... I'll get my coat.

News / Time to clean the swamp - dePiSification of Poland [298]

No probs. We are all irritated today but Adrian's antics... he is the President and I have respect for the office, but apparently he deeply misunderstands what the President's role is. :-/

News / Time to clean the swamp - dePiSification of Poland [298]


Yes, to overthrow president's veto.

But to put him before the Tribunal of State 2/3 (two thirds) of ZN votes (Sejm and Senat combined) are required, and that's about 50 votes more than the ruling coalition has.

sejm.gov.pl/prawo/konst/polski/5.htm

Art. 145, points 1 and 2.

"Prezydent Rzeczypospolitej za naruszenie Konstytucji, ustawy lub za popełnienie przestępstwa może być pociągnięty do odpowiedzialności przed Trybunałem Stanu.

Postawienie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej w stan oskarżenia może nastąpić uchwałą Zgromadzenia Narodowego podjętą większością co najmniej 2/3 głosów ustawowej liczby członków Zgromadzenia Narodowego na wniosek co najmniej 140 członków Zgromadzenia Narodowego."

News / Time to clean the swamp - dePiSification of Poland [298]


But you were talking about putting Duda before the tribunal of state which would require 2/3 votes of Zgromadzenie Narodowe... let me do the quick maths...

0.66 x 560... that's about 370 votes, and the government has 248 in Sejm and 66 in Senat - that's 314... still about 50 votes missing. :(

News / Time to clean the swamp - dePiSification of Poland [298]


You think about 50 PiS Sejm reps and senators will switch sides? Fat chance.

What to do? I suspected that Duda will try to torpedo the changes in judiciary or deeper EU integration, but the scoundrel has just vetoed even the budget bill. What a #@*¢%!!! :-(

News / Time to clean the swamp - dePiSification of Poland [298]


That would require 2/3 of National Assembly votes, which Tusk doesn't have.

What to do? Adrian will keep vetoeing everything - it is now clear. :(((

News / Time to clean the swamp - dePiSification of Poland [298]

Unfortunately, PiS still have their man Adrian - he just vetoed the budget bill...

businessinsider.com.pl/gospodarka/pierwsze-weto-prezydenta-andrzej-duda-blokuje-wydatki-co-jest-zagrozone/y8bbb9j

... :-/

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Godzina 5... minut 30... kiedy pobudka zaaagrałaaa: 2023

2022-2023 period saw the largest number of reservists being called for military training since the dissolution of Warsaw Pact, as well as the increase in numbers of territorial defence and (re)introduction of voluntary military service (28-day basic training + 11 months of specialist training).

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Words, words, words...: 2022

On its 275th anniversary, the National Library in Warsaw opened six new reading rooms, each with a charming copper ceiling to provide healthy and relaxing reading conditions for everyone.

News / Time to clean the swamp - dePiSification of Poland [298]


Geez, I thought I was the greatest Tusk hater on PF but you guys are just crazy! WTF? xD

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1800]


I'm not a big fan of the guy either but he seems to have changed since his last term in office. He's more ruthless and less susceptible to outside influence. He might do a good job yet - let's give him a chance. At the moment he seems like a better choice than demented Kaczynski and his bunch of crooks and weirdos.

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Especially for you, Alien...

Gone fishing: 2018

Local inhabitants of Sławno District stage a protest against the state of Cisowo-Kopań district road.

Off-Topic / The Pope has officially approved the blessing of same-sex couples [60]

@AntV

Hey, I am not a priest, not a bishop and not a diplomat. I am an ordinary grey Catholic - it is my God-given right to be pissed off and exaggerate. :)

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]


Aaaah, the good old royal Breslau/Wrocław.

Wait till BB sees it - he's PF's honorary wrocławianin/breslauer. That's why BB and I are such pals - breslauers and danzigers always get on legendarily well. :)

Off-Topic / The Pope has officially approved the blessing of same-sex couples [60]

A rare photo of the Pope consulting his Fiducia Supplicans declaration with his most trusted advisor...

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Hail Mary, Full of Grace: 2012

Traditional Marian shrine in a Kashubian village of Mechowo welcomes weary wanderers and invites them for a moment of rest and prayer.

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Wanted to get more sleep today, the conscience won't let me, so here's more photos...

In the Gryphon's nest: 2023

Słupsk's neo-Gothic city hall stands proudly in the very centre of this old (city charter 1310) Hanseatic city.

Pomerania in general is truly awesome: medieval castles, lakes and hills of Kaszuby, hundreds of kilometers of sandy Baltic beaches, historic towns and ports, large and liberal modern cities right next to traditional Catholic-conservative Kashubian interior - Poland's pride and future.

EDIT: Nice photos, Anti. *thumbs up*

Off-Topic / The Pope has officially approved the blessing of same-sex couples [60]


Go Nigeria!


punchng.com/catholic-bishops-will-not-bless-same-sex-unions/

... and finally today, the Polish episcopate has spoken...

"Practising sexual acts outside of marriage, that is outside the union of a man and a woman open for the transmission of life, is a tresspass against the will and the wisdom of God in the 6th commandment. Persons practising such acts cannot, therefore, receive blessing (...) It applies especially to people in same sex relations".

According to the declaration of Polish episcopate, people in same sex relations can receive a spontaneous blessing (not a ritual one) from a priest but it can be only understood as blessing of the particular people and not their sinful relation.

polsatnews.pl/wiadomosc/2023-12-22/blogoslawienie-par-jednoplciowych-oswiadczenie-episkopatu/

... so, I suppose - Go Poland!

I wonder how it will all end. United Methodist Church, one of the largest mainline protestant denominations, is in the process of splitting over the LGBT issue. Will the Roman Catholic Church go the same way?

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]


Might as well post them now and get a bit more sleep tomorrow.

A friend in need... : 2022

Train loaded with AHS Krab 155mm howitzers rolls through eastern Poland towards Ukraine on a scorching hot day in July.

Checkmate: 2021

Jan-Krzysztof Duda defeats Magnus Carlsen on his way to become the first Polish player to win the FIDE World Cup (in the final he beat Sergey Karjakin).

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]


Excellent. *thumbs up*

Expect two new photos tomorrow in the morning.

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]


Thanks, Paw. Great photo! If more people post photos here, we might be able to create a very interesting visual resource for PF visitors and members. A picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes.

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Pała gumowa, orzeł żelazny - zabiłeś dziecko, jesteś odważny: 1998

Hooligans in Słupsk go on a rampage in a 5-day riot when a policeman kills a 13-year-old supporter right after Czarni Słupsk - AZS Koszalin basketball game.

As usual, in the end the police wins...

... but the riots remain legendary in the history of Polish sport, with 72 policeman wounded and 239 fans arrested.