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Showing posts from July, 2016

Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw

An eyesore or an iconic landmark, it all depends on your point of view.  For years this was the tallest building by far in Warsaw and what made it important was that it was a gift to all of us Poles, from our friend Joseph Stalin.  As to be expected, the Palace generated very strong feelings.  It was hated and resented, but as the political climate changed, it became innocuous. Originally the building was called the Joseph Stalin Palace of Culture and Science but that was nixed really fast. The construction of the PC&S was finished in 1955, it was  built almost entirely by 3,500 Soviet workers, 16 of whom died in accidents during the building process.  The Palace was designed by a Soviet architect Lew Rudniew and it closely resembled the main building of the Moscow State University. This is a huge structure that holds a cinema with eight screens, four theaters, Museum of Evolution, Museum of Technology, a large swimming pool, various offices, two private Universities, the Poli

Street Art in Warsaw

Whatever country I find myself in, street art is something I am very drawn to.  One can get a great sense of the political and economic climate just by looking at the murals and graffiti. It is also fun to see the creative side of the locals and I am always entertained that the F-word finds its way into every culture.  Polish art, especially poster art, has been very well regarded in the world and the murals throughout Warsaw are just as creative. Some are for pure entertainment, some are political commentary and some are soccer related.  Joanna