From Thursday, January 27, you can also test yourself for SARS-CoV-2 in pharmacies. The test will be carried out by a pharmacist, it is free, and the result is available in several minutes.
As announced by the National Health Fund, in Małopolska, the test can be done in 11 facilities, in Kraków alone, tests are performed by two pharmacies.
List of pharmacies in Lesser Poland where you can perform a free test:
Andrychów : The White Eagle Pharmacy, 32 Rynek
Bolesław : Tęczowa Pharmacy, ul. Laskowska 4a
Chrzanów : Pharmacy Diafar, ul. Kościuszki 18
Chrzanów : Senior Pharmacy, Piłsudskiego 7
Chrzanów : 4 Seasons Pharmacy, Rynek 2
Czernichów : Pharmacy in the Clinic, ul. Wiślana 2
Okay , Limanowa poviat: Apteka Dobra
Rabka-Zdrój: Pharmacy U Farmaceutów, Rynek 8A
Tarnów : Apteka Nova, ul. Romanowicza 39a
The test is paid for by the National Health Fund and no referral is needed. The patient will receive the result via SMS or via the Patient Online Account. As the Ministry of Health assures, the antigen test performed in the pharmacy is quick (the result is obtained after a few or several minutes) and easy to perform.
From January 28, new collection points are also operating in Małopolska:
Krakow, ul. Konopnicka 2 – car park at the Forum hotel
Accesses (Kocmyrzów-Luborzyca commune, ul. Krakowska 114)
Rabce-Zdrój (next to the City Hospital, ul. Słoneczna 3)
The best film soundtracks and musical series themes return together with the Film Music Festival in Krakow to the city’s VOD platform. The main part of this year’s edition was exceptionally held in Park Jordana. All the concerts have been recorded and from the beginning of December, new materials are available for free on Play Kraków every Monday.
Special memories are something that will remain forever after each festival concert. Now you don’t have to wait for the next edition of the festival to feel this wonderful atmosphere again or for the first time. The FMF gala was divided into three parts, each of them is on the Krakow VOD platform.
Mesmerizing music from the series “The Crown”, “Wiedźmin” (“The Witcher”), “Wataha”, “House of Paper”, “Black Mirror” or “Queen’s Gambit” and the world premiere of music from the last season of “Vikings” performed by Krakow artists can already be heard in every house. This is not the end of the attractions, because a musical journey to Aga Baga’s planet awaits the youngest. Joyful sounds will also make the slightly older ones dance.
At the end of the month, we will hear music from the concert “The Best of John Barry” with memorable songs from the films “Dancing with Wolves”, “Immoral Proposition” or “Farewell to Africa” as well as music to films about the adventures of James Bond. Again we will hear songs from “Greetings from Russia”, “In the secret service of Her Majesty”, as well as songs from “Diamonds are Eternal” with a solo performance of the winner of the third edition of the program “The Voice Kids” Marcin Maciejczak and “Live only twice” with our representative Sara James at Eurovision Junior 2021. The online premiere of this part of the festival will appear on Play Kraków on Monday, December 27.
There is great news for all fans of the Netflix series “The Witcher”. The composers of the soundtrack for the series, being very impressed with the premiere performance of the suite from The Witcher during the FMF, have just published a song recorded in cooperation with the Pro Musica Mundi choir from Krakow. Music is available on all streaming channels on the Internet.
200 works, mostly art, but also projects and products of artistic craftsmanship, personal mementos, manuscripts and photographs – Wyspiański’s legacy can finally be seen in the museum dedicated to the artist. The new branch of the National Museum in Krakow was established in the building of the former granary at Plac Sikorskiego 6. – This is a unique moment to see Wyspiański in an intimate, personal, and intimate way, says Andrzej Szczerski – “We can see up close how the most famous projects were created, how the artist created graphic and design works. We will also see Wyspiański here – the artist of the interior”.
A museum dedicated to Wyspiański
For years, the museum announced in Krakow, which is to be created with Wyspiański in mind, is still a foggy future, the priority of the NMK in the coming years is the renovation of the Main Building. For now, the works of the author of “Wesele” will be presented at 6 Sikorskiego Square. On 3 levels of the Wyspiański Museum, which was established there, there are 200 works by the artist.
We put Wyspiański in a building whose rooms are smaller than large museum rooms, thanks to which we bring out other values of his work, which can be seen especially in the spaces devoted to his graphic works or portraits, images of Krakow, where we can see that Wyspiański looks great in intimate interiors. It is a model of a museum-artist’s house, where we are closer to the artist than in large gallery spaces.
Prof. Andrzej Szczerski, director of the National Museum in Krakow
Wyspiański‘s collection open to the wide public to enjoy!
Wyspiański’s library and his graphic works are displayed in the basement. There is also a multimedia stand where you will be able to see the cataloged entire Wyspiański collection owned by the National Museum in Krakow. In the next room, you will find the theatrical costumes of Wyspiański’s project from the NMK collection, you can also see fragments of famous theater and film productions of his plays – this part of the underground focuses on Wyspiański’s theatrical work.
Self-portraits, images of the closest family and friends, views of the studio, landscapes spreading from the studio’s windows are presented on the ground floor of the building.
Religion and nature-focused works take the main stage!
The main part of the exhibition is the first floor, where the 3 most important themes in Wyspiański’s work are presented: religion and nature-focused on works from the Franciscan church, antiquities related to the works for the Medical Society, and Wawel and history organized around Wawel projects and national symbolism.
An important element of the whole is the courtyard, where theatrical performances or recitations of Wyspiański’s works will be presented in the future, as well as works of contemporary art inspired by Wyspiański.
You will have to come back to this place, because the exhibition will change every year – for conservation reasons, we cannot show all of Wyspiański’s works all the time. Each year we will present around two hundred works. The first change will take place in 2023.
Prof. Andrzej Szczerski, director of the National Museum in Krakow
The largest paintings made in the oil technique, which are more resistant to light, or those that will be partially covered during the exhibition, in accordance with the conservation requirements, will be permanently exhibited.
I don’t know about you, but I love Wyspiański’s work and definitely, this museum is on my list 😉
Until the end of the year, the Road Authority of the City of Krakow will conduct a test increase in the speed of trams in the tunnel under the Main Railway Station. They will check how increasing the speed on straight lines (up to 50 km / h) will affect comfort, track safety and wear. In curves, the speed remained unchanged (30 and 40 km / h).
What will it do for passengers in the future? Will we get faster, for example, from the Mogilskie roundabout to Krowodrza Górki and further to Górka Narodowa?
Officials from ZDMK ensure that they will investigate how it will realistically affect the travel time. – We meet the conclusions of public transport enthusiasts, taking advantage of the fact that in the pandemic we have renovated the tunnel – says Michał Pyclik, spokesman for ZDMK.
There are some things, throughout time, living as an expat in Poland. I have many friends in the Romanian community here in Krakow, but also in Poland in general. Meeting other people, of other nationalities, living in Poland also broadened up my experience. I always wondered what are the things that do point out that we are Romanian, without even saying that out. Thus, this list was compiled. Do check it out! And I would love to know if you agree on all the points – or if you have an item of your own that you would add out!
I am Romanian because…
I know what “mici” are and I love them. Add some beer and life is perfect!
Coming back from grandma/home/The Motherland with a full bag of goodies.
Bread. Everyday! Every single meal, if possible! (Polish people have potatoes, we have bread!)
“Mamaliga” – kinda similar to the Italian “polenta”. It can subsitute the bread… or you can have both! 😉
Dairy products… Cheese! – this one of the very first things I have missed, since moving to Poland. Poland does not have a culture of Cheese… of dairy products… we have so many types and so many flavours… heavenly! Poland has nothing that would even slightly resemble to “cas”, “cascaval”, “urda” or “telemea”.
Pork is the best vegetable 😉 – kidding aside, we do take our pork seriously. Romanian people have developed hundreds and hundreds of dishes made from pork meat. If Polish people have as main dish at Christmas fish, we have pork products.
We speak (AT LEAST!) 2 languages – Romanian, English is a must but because Romanian is a latin language we are very good with understanding (and even speaking) similar languages: Italian, Spanish, French and even Portuguese.
We do love to talk loud – Italian style loud ;)))) – and we enjoy being right! Scratch that: we are always right!
Summer spritz done with wine and sparkiling water (Soda) – early memories of my childhood…
Calling a Romanian person a Gypsy: WE WILL KILL YOU!
Do YOU agree with all the above? I would love to hear your take on this 🙂
The 65th anniversary of the Piwnica pod Baranami Cabaret is celebrated on the birthday of Piotr Skrzynecki, on September 12, 2021. On that day, from the tower of St. Mary’s Church, after the bugle call at noon, the cellar hymn “Our youth” will sound, and in the evening the artists will perform on the stage of the Teatr im. Juliusz Słowacki in Krakow.
A symbol of Krakow
“We do not set up any a priori programs. Freeing ourselves from old patterns, not accepting new ones, is probably our greatest dream. But first of all, to understand and get to know ourselves” – said Piotr Skrzynecki in an interview in 1956. Over the next six decades, cabaret became a cult artistic center and an informal symbol of Krakow, and the songs sung there permanently entered the history of Polish literary song.
Some of them will resound on September 12. “Blue Frying Pan”, “We come, go,” Baczyński’s “Poems of war”, “Ballad about the miraculous birth of Bolesław Krzywousty” or “Moja Litania”, as well as other unforgettable songs from the repertoire of Piwniczne performers will be heard by the guests of the Piwnica pod Baranami concert, which on Sunday at. 18 will start at the Słowacki Theater. There will also be “Desiderata”, but there will also be premiere songs, specially prepared for this evening. In this way, the band will celebrate its 65th anniversary.
The concert will be a sentimental journey after the 65th anniversary of Cabaret. We will refer to songs that were written from the 1950s to the present day. So we cannot forget about such people as Ewa Demarczyk, Leszek Długosz, Krzysztof Litwin and Mietek Święcicki.
says Bogdan Micek, director of Piwnica pod Baranami
Everyone – 4 generations! – will be there 🙂
During the concert, the whole, almost 30-person band of Piwnica pod Baranami will perform. It is a total of four generations of Piwniczna, including Ewa Wnukowa, Kamila Klimczak, Dorota Ślęzak, Ola Maurer, Tamara Kalinowska, Agata Ślazyk, Beata Czernecka, Tadeusz Kwinta, Miki Obłoński, Maciej Półtorak, Leszek Wójtowicz, Rafał Jędrzejczyk, Krzysztof Janicki, Czesław Wojtała, Jakub Zuckerman and Alosza Awdiejew. They will be accompanied by such musicians as Agata Półtorak, Michał Półtorak, Michał Chytrzyński, Paweł Kuźmicz, Paweł Pierzchała, Tomasz Kmiecik, Adrian Konarski and Jerzy Wysocki. Guests will also appear on the stage – Joanna Słowińska and Sergiusz Orłowski. The concert will be not only a musical feast, but also an opportunity to trace the artistic phenomenon of Piwnica pod Baranami.
Outstanding texts, a developed repertoire, musical pieces, fascinating stage personalities, humility for art and, at the same time, great respect for the audience – all this allowed Piwnica to act artistically for these 65 years. Thanks to this, it is still a magical, cult place, frequented and known almost all over the world. With this jubilee, we want to show what was and is the most beautiful in Piwnica – emphasizes the director of the Kabaret.
Piwnica Pod Baranami – History
The artistic cabaret Piwnica Pod Baranami was founded in 1956 by Piotr Skrzynecki with the participation of students from Krakow’s universities, including Bronisław Chromy and Krzysztof Penderecki. The Cellar quickly became an important artistic center of the city’s cultural life. Zbigniew Preisner, Grzegorz Turnau and Jacek Wójcicki made their debuts at Piwnica. There were also jazz legends, such as: Krzysztof Komeda, Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, Jerzy Matuszkiewicz, Andrzej Kurylewicz, Wojciech Karolak, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Tomasz Stańko, Wanda Warska and Jarosław Śmietana. Skrzynecki said about the unique cabaret and the people who create it: “We are an island in a sea of bestiality, dullness, stupidity, villainy, cynicism, intolerance and violence.”
There are so many unsung heroes in the battles that took place all over Mother Earth, yet it seems to me that the Polish People do tend to keep the memory of their heroes longer alive. There are a myriad of books about them, songs that are sung, events that are hosted (especially with the remembrance days related to World War II) and I thought I might share with you some stories about some really remarkable characters. Today I wish to share with you the story of an amazing Polish Woman: Jadwiga Piłsudska.
The Daughter of a HERO
Jadwiga Piłsudska-Jaraczewska (born 28 February 1920) is a pilot, who served in the Air Transport Auxiliary during the Second World War. She is the one of two daughters of Marshal and Naczelnik Józef Piłsudski. And if you have no clue who Piłsudski is… well… I have no clue under what rock you have been under!
He was the person responsible for the creation of the Second Republic of Poland in 1918, 123 years after it had been taken over by Russia, Austria, and Prussia. He was a man that made miracles happen! He devoted his entire life to the service of his country, Poland, and he always wanted to make sure the Red Army would not come back. Józef Piłsudski was buried in a crypt of the Wawel Cathedral in Kraków, among Polish kings. His daughter surely had one hell of a fatherly figure to look up to!
Jadwiga, learning to fly (age 17)
Born and raised for Greatness
Born on the 20th of February 1920 – in Warsaw, Poland – she was the youngest daughter of the Marshal Józef Piłsudski. She must have heard and seen so many stories from her father and the people visiting, that her true spirit awoken and she decided she will carve her own path in history. Thus, in 1937, Jadwiga started flying gliders and obtained her pilot license. Her interest in aviation began at the age of 12 when she began building model airplanes, so the career path she chose was not a surprise. 2 years later, she graduated from secondary school and decided to study aircraft engineering at Warsaw Polytechnic – that was the year 1939!
September 1939 – Poland gets invaded by the German Nazis and we see the beginning of World War II. Jadwiga and her family realize that under such circumstances the best decision is to leave the country as soon as possible, in order to live and fight another day. Jadwiga, her sister (Wanda), and her mother get to Lithuania first and then to the United Kingdom; where Jadwiga resumes her studies. In 1940 she enrolls at Newnham College, Cambridge University.
The trip is not without its ups and downs… They managed to get to Riga, from where one of the last scheduled airplanes released from Lithuania flew to Stockholm. From the capital of Sweden, organized by the Polish Embassy, they set off to Great Britain, where they were looked after by Ambassador Edward Raczyński.
Up in the clouds
Jadwiga Piłsudska receives her aircraft pilot license and in July 1942 she joins the Air Transport Auxiliary. During wartime in Britain, she flew unarmed military aircraft in the dangerous skies of that time – she had the rank of Second Officer (Flying Officer). She was one of the several Polish women who served as wartime ferry pilots in Britain during the Second World War – alongside Anna Leska and the Lithuanian-Pole Barbara Wojtulanis. In an opinion issued by British superiors in November 1943, she was rated as “an extremely promising pilot with above-average skill.”
Due to the Communist takeover in Poland, she remained in England after the War, as a political émigré. Jadwiga has never accepted British citizenship. She used a Nansen passport, valid for all countries in the world, except Poland.
In 1990, with the collapse of the Communist government, she returned to Poland and lived in Warsaw. She died on 16 November 2014, in Warsaw at the age of 94. May God rest her in peace!
NOTE: The Cross of Merit with Swords is awarded for deeds of bravery and valor during times of war not connected with direct combat, and for merit demonstrated in perilous circumstances. The Order of Polonia Restituta (Polish: Order Odrodzenia Polski, English: Order of the Rebirth of Poland) is a Polish state order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on foreigners for outstanding achievements in the fields of education, science, sport, culture, art, economics, national defense, social work, civil service, or for furthering good relations between countries.
Hope you enjoyed Jadwiga’s story and I hope you will start looking into her story more yourself 🙂
After a one-year break, Cracovians will again be able to admire the great dragon show in the bend of the Vistula River. The jubilee Great Parade of Dragons will take place on September 11 in a new, environmentally friendly formula. “Radically reduced noise, biodegradable, low and medium pyrotechnics that will not affect the environment” – says Adolf Weltschek, director of the Groteska Theater.
The traditions are coming back, even in COVID times
The colorful march of dragons and the evening pyrotechnic, light, and laser dragon spectacle is a tradition that has been attracting not only the youngest to Wawel for two decades. For 20 years, the Groteska Theater project has been enriched with new attractions and effects, picnics and competitions have joined the Great Dragon Parade.
During this period, the show was watched by over a million people, states Adolf Weltschek, the originator and director of the Great Dragon Parade.
The pandemic postponed the Jubilee by 1 year
Last year, the 20th-anniversary “Dragons” was to be the largest parade that took place so far – “the best of Parada”, where the most spectacular creatures were to appear with an extraordinary pyrotechnic, light and laser spectacle. These plans were thwarted by a pandemic, but after a year-long break, the dragons will not return to the Vistula until September, but, as the director of the show announces, it should be spectacular.
“Usually, the Great Parade of Dragons was held in 2 parts, this year there will be no day part, i.e. the great march of dragons through the streets of Krakow. We regret it very much, but the pandemic has prevented schools and kindergartens from being able to take part in the parade, explains Adolf Weltschek. On another hand, we managed to organize a great show on the Vistula. In a traditional shape, providing great effects and a spectacular experience as usual, albeit with some changes”.
Adolf Weltschek
The Jubilee will be celebrated on 11th September
The jubilee screening will take place on September 11 at 22.00. The most important attraction of the evening will be, as every year, huge flying dragons, animated on barges and ships by actors of the Groteska Theater. In addition to the flying and floating creatures known from previous editions, new ones, specially prepared for this occasion, will appear on the Vistula during the show.
This year’s dragon show will be environmentally friendly, thanks to a new type of pyrotechnics used in the show, which is completely biodegradable.
“At least 75 percent pyrotechnics, which we will use during the show on the Vistula, is the so-called “Silence pyrotechnics”, which does not emit as many decibels as traditional explosive pyrotechnics – so the nuisance when it comes to noise will be radically reduced. It will be low and medium pyrotechnics, not significantly influencing the space where the show will take place”
explains the director of Groteska
Vaccinated people only?
The dragon show will take place in a sanitary regime, in line with the current restrictions.
“People who want to watch the show in the space designated for the public will be asked to voluntarily declare to the security staff that they have been vaccinated – explains the director of Groteska. “It doesn’t mean, of course, that other people won’t be able to see the Dragons.” Unvaccinated viewers or those who do not want to declare will be able to take their seats in the part that is not the area of the mass spectacle.
explains the director of Groteska
Originally the Great Dragon Parade was announced for September 4, the date change, Weltschek explains, was dictated by technical conditions.
Read here the article in Gazeta Krakowska, in the Polish language.
“An enchanted carriage, an enchanted carriage driver, a tormented horse” – this is one of the slogans with which a group of pro-animal activists, residents of Krakow, go to the Main Square. They are against the use of horses by horse-drawn carriages, the more so as – as they emphasize – tourists can travel through the historic center in electric cars. A group of people who appeared on social media (on Facebook) as a grassroots initiative “Wio z Krakowa“, have had two protests for stopping the carriages located in the heart of the city already and are planning further protests.
Many horses suffer from heat strokes
During their protests, the activists present on the boards original photos of horses from Krakow that fell on the streets of the city. There are also slogans on the boards that are to be sent to passers-by and people who intend to take the course in a horse-drawn carriage. “By boarding the carriages, you pay for the suffering of the horses. You rest and they work. Aren’t you ashamed?” – this is one of the slogans that appeared on the protest last Friday.
“We want to change the regulation that allows the functioning of carriages in Krakow, but we also noticed that there is a great need to educate people who are potential users of carriages” – explains Monika Kohut, one of the activists. “Admittedly, people themselves react to the fact that the carriage horses get tired of working in hot weather. But we also say how they are used, what their exploitation looks like, that this is a 12-hour job every other day – because it is allowed by the regulations”.
Will fights break loose?
During protests, sometimes the carriage drivers react nervously, they also move with their carriages to another part of the Market Square. Activists report this behavior as a misdemeanor because it causes the carriages to move illegally.
The initiative “Wio z Krakowa” intends to periodically repeat its protests. This is another initiative of this kind by animal protectors concerning Krakow. We would like to remind you that the Krakow Animal Defense Association has been demanding a total ban on the use of carriage horses to work in Krakow for 4 years.
The topic of horse-drawn carriages was also taken up by the councilors of District I in their resolution of the end of June. They demand that the president of Krakow conduct public consultations and prepare an analysis of the functioning of carriages in the Old Town.
Until August 15, the Small Market will be filled with the smell and taste of various dumplings. And all this as part of the 19th Pierogi Festival.
You will never know what Krakow tastes like, until you will take part of the Pierogi Festival!
If you never tasted a pirogi before, you are in for a treat! Pierogi are made from dough and they come in various shapes and sizes and with different fillings: from meat to vegetables to seasonal fruits (those are always served with sour cream, and sometimes with sugar on top).
During the festival, it is great to join in as the restaurants compete for the best pierogi and they experiment with the tastes. They don’t just do the regular ones (like pierogi ruskie) but come up with combinations that blow your mind away! One of the most successful editions was the 2007 Pierogi Festival when around 30,000 pierogies were consumed daily.
Pierogi Festival in Krakow was first organized in August 2003 and lasted 2 days!
During this year’s edition of the festival, there will be many competitions. For the best Russian dumplings (pierogi ruskie), the winners will receive a statuette of St. Jack. The second statuette – King Casimir the Great – will go to the hands of those who will make the one and only – the best dumplings! This time, the winners in both categories will be selected by the jury, and not by the audience.
Gourmets will be awaited by 12 exhibitors – dumplings and restaurants, which will serve their signature dishes in various forms.
When is the Festival running?
It started yesterday, 11th August, and will run until the 15th of August 2021. The stands will be open from 10.00-24.00. The organizer of the festival is the Krakow Merchant Congregation.
I do hope you will get to check it out and eat some fine pierogi!
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