Another Invitation to Warsaw
Revisiting Warsaw
On the invitation of the IOM, my wife and I were privileged to pay another visit to Warsaw. It took place owing to the IOM project in the Ukrainian Refugees Home in Siedlce in which I am taking part. We were invited to a meeting with other participants of the project, who are staying at the Ukrainian Refugees Home in Warsaw. The meeting took place at the House of Encounters with History in downtown Warsaw.
The project is called The Voices of the Nightingale’s Country.
The final product of their work is the website contains interviews of about twenty Ukrainian war refugees, among them my humble interview as well.
During the presentation: a photo exhibition at the House of Encounters with History
The presentation of the website included a meeting with its creators and consultants, as well the performance of Vyshyvanka amateur ensemble of the Ukrainian war refugees staying in Warsaw.
During the presentation, we talked about the importance of individual testimonies of life. The project creators spoke about working with memory and whether a personal story can support in restoring a sense of continuity after experiencing a loss. The practical psychologists, the IOM employees and the invited psychology scientist looked at what a story can become for people who have left their small homelands – and often have no chance to return to them. The full-scale war in Ukraine that started by Russian aggression on February 24, 2022, forced over seven million people to leave the country. It is one of the best documented armed conflicts in the world – through digital records, photography, film, social media publications, recordings, notes, diaries, poems, drawings, and art. The IOM employees from the psychosocial support team presented that dimension of experience and made sure it was visible and audible.
The interviews were conducted between January and October 2024. The war refugees go back in their memories to the time before their forced migration, recall their childhood, youth and adolescence. They shared their personal stories, thus helping the project readers understand where they came from, what shaped them, what they miss and what they fought for. The leitmotif of these diverse stories is everyday life, going through changes, adaptation, and hope. These small interviews constitute a priceless record of the not-so-distant but the past reality.
The Vyshyvanka Choir sang several popular folk songs, among them:
I Liked That Girl sung by Vushyvanka Ensemble in Warsaw
Ukrainian folk songs performed by Vyshyvanka amateur ensemble of Ukrainian war refugees
also included this song: Come to Me, My Dear
They sang another great song:
I Am a Nice Girl with Dark Curly Hair
The concert was completed by an outstanding patriotic song: The Red Gelder Rose in the Meadow
and all the audience were invited to sing along.
After the concert, we were invited to the buffet in the cafe, where the affable cook treated us to traditional Polish dishes. We especially enjoyed tasting the traditional Polish farmer’s bread.
Before the presentation, we had some time, and decided to find the Ukrainian Consulate in Warsaw in case we need it for future legal transactions. On our way, we discovered several new parks: Ujazdow Park and Józef Piłsudski Park, squares (Lublin Square, Constitution Square, Three Kings Square), excellent avenues, impressive monuments and exquisite architectural landmarks. You can see a lot of historical tenement houses next to ultramodern shopping malls and business centers.
Victor's Street in Warsaw
In addition, we discovered Victor’s Street during our walk.
Ujazdow Park, Warsaw
The House under the Giants, Warsaw
The Tenement House under the Giants (also known as the House under the Atlantes, the Strzałecki tenement house or the House under the Giants), located in the heart of Warsaw’s Aleje Ujazdowskie at number 24, is one of the most characteristic and symbolic buildings of the capital. It was built between 1904 and 1907 to a design by the eminent architect Władysław Marconi. The building stands out for both its monumental architecture and the rich history associated with the Strzałecki family. Its façade is decorated with imposing figures of giants, which gave the tenement its common name. The Tenement House under the Giants is not only a pearl of architecture, but also a place of great cultural and historical significance.
Little Palace in Szczuch Street / Stanislaw and Kazimiera Kacperski tenement house, Lublin Square
Zachęta and the Holy Trinity Church from the side of Piłsudski Square, Warsaw
Emil Wedel's tenement house in Warsaw
Lublin Square / St. Alexander's Church, Three Crosses Square
Constitution Square / MDM Hotel, Constitution Square, Warsaw
Zaułek Piękna, Warsaw Center
This building in Zaułek Piękna, Warsaw Center, is decorated with what you would call razor blades. They may seem to have an unnecessary decorative function, but cathes your eye.
The office and service complex in Market Square, Warsaw
In the place of the demolished building of the Moscow cinema, an office and service complex was built. The statues of lions in front of the entrance are the only remnant of the former cinema.
Skyscrapers around the Palace of Culture and Arts, Warsaw
The skyscraper is the famous 44 Golden Street in Warsaw
Zebra Tower, Waryńskiego Street, (Politechnika subway station)/Lublin Union Square, an office building and a shopping centre
The monument to the Millennium of the Polish Cavalry, Warsaw
The monument was unveiled on 3 May 1994. The sculpture shows two distinct riders galloping on horseback: a Piast (the ancient Polish royal dynasty) knight armed with a lance in his hand ready to strike, along with a sword and shield, and a Uhlan soldier armed with a saber in his outstretched hand, which symbolizes the beginning and the end of the Polish horse cavalry. The lower part of the column is surrounded by four cast brass plaques with a list of 43 of the most important battles in the history of the Polish cavalry, among them Grunwald (1410), Beresteczko (1651), Korosteń (1920) and others. The monument is very special because in November 2018 , it was rotated 135 degrees from the south to the north-east, towards the roundabout.
Saxon gardens
We saw a sample of works by the famous Polish architect Wacław Heppen, who collaborated with Józef Czerwiński (1909-1914) during his work at Józef Czerwiński's design and construction company.
Wilder's tenement house at 10 Bagatela Street, Warsaw
They collaborated on the project, which we saw: Wilder's tenement house at 10 Bagatela Street (1911–1912).
The monument to the female liaison officers and nurses of the Home Army, Warsaw
The monument at 46 Puławska Street is a tribute to the female liaison officers and nurses of the Home Army. The inscription reads,
In tribute to the female liaison officers and nurses of the Home Army who risked their lives to help the participants of the Warsaw Uprising, who fought for the independence of their Motherland.
To the heroic Ewa «Seagull” Matuszewska, who was posthumously awarded the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari military order, and to those who fell during the fighting or were murdered by the occupation forces in Mokotów District of Warsaw and in German concentration camps.
May their memory live forever.
From the soldiers of the Home Army Bashta Regiment and other regiments in Mokotów District insurgent units
Mokotów District authorities and society, October 2010
The monument to Roman Dmowski
The monument to Ronald Reagan, Warsaw
Józef Piłsudski Park
The monument to Ignacy Jan Paderewski in Ujazdowski Park in Warsaw
The monument to Pope John Paul II
The Mauretanean House at 55 Puławska Street, Warsaw
The fountain in the Saxon Garden, Warsaw
49/51 General Anthony Józef Madaliński Street, Warsaw
We saw a wonderful graffiti at 49/51 General Anthony Józef Madaliński Street. It is dedicated to Kazimierz Górski (1921-2006), a Polish soccer trainer.
Piłka jest okrągła, a bramki są dwie, albo my wygramy, albo oni. - The ball is round and there are two goals, either we win or they win.
The National Stadium as seen from the train, Warsaw
Crossing the Vistula, Warsaw
During our stay forced exile in Poland in 2022-2025, we were glad to pay a visit to the Polish capital several times and are eager to revisit Warsaw whenever we have an opportunity.
I have dedicated a couple of pages to our visits here.
2) Exploring the Polish Capital
3) Warsaw Residential Neighbourhoods
4) Never Tired of Visiting Warsaw
6) The Unique Chocolate Museum
7) Admiring the Night Views of Warsaw
8) Another Invitation to Warsaw
9) Warsaw National Arts Museum
10) Friendly Reunion in Warsaw
This featured blog entry was written by Vic_IV from the blog Our Stay in Poland.
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