Commander Pilsudski, reconstruction of a parade, an
old-fashioned tram, military bands and troops settlement, exhibitions, concerts
and fireworks, all that was presented to the inhabitants of Warsaw on the
occasion of the Independence Day celebrations.
An
exhibition “Twenty Years Past. Contemporary Appearances” opened in the King’s
Palace dedicated to the 90th Anniversary of the Polish Independence.
The exhibition represents a panoramic view of the inter-war state Poland,
which was never exhibited before. Historical data about political and economic
events taking place in Rzecz Pospolita II is represented in the multi-media
format. Authentic pre-war dolls, fashions, cars, new version of the
photoplasticon are only few wonders of the exhibition which will be open until 10 February 2009.
The exhibition provides with an opportunity to take a look at elegant streets
of Warsaw
and at poor villages that create an image of Poland
that is not contradictory but rather complementary with regard to the legends
of the 20th century. Golden, full of sentimentality towards already
non-existing époque and blackness of the authoritarian Poland
which was moving towards the catastrophe of the 1939.
Poles
were celebrating the 10th Anniversary of their independence with
careless joy.
On
11 November
1928 more than 100 thousand people came to the
capital city. A journalist of “Warszawa Kurier” wrote that such crowds were not
experienced before. All people could not fit in on the pavements, trams, cars
and carriages were blocked in traffic jams. Confetti and coloured streamers
were scattered over the crowd from lorries. Streets were beautifully
illuminated. The parade was headed by Marshal Jozef Pilsudski on that day.
In
1938, three years after the death of Marshal Pilsudski, the celebrations of the
20th Anniversary of the declaration of independence were used to
present Poland
as a great country. Military parade was aiming at showing the military power of
Poland.
The national pride was presented via coloured in battle paints airplanes and
tanks and motor’s noises, which were overridden by the people’s cheers,
reported the press. The President of Warsaw finished his opening speech in the
Grand Theatre with the words “For the Glory of the brightest Rzecz Pospolita”.
Back then noone realized that it was the last celebration for the Rzecz
Pospolita II.
In
2008 the official part of the celebration of the Independence day by the
Unknown Soldier Tomb was followed by a historical replication, defile and
presentation of the military materiel organized by the city authorities, the
Ministry of Defense, the Museum of the Polish Army and the Discovery Historia
Channel.
In
accordance with the scenario of the historical reconstruction “Warsaw
greets the Commander”, the Commander Pilsudski came from the Theatre
Square to the Pilsudski platz in a
carriage in order to read out loud his address to zauniery from a stage.
The
History Museum of Poland in Warsaw
organized the “Third Pole of Independence”, an impression performance dedicated
to the celebrations which made them cheerful and up to date.
Starting
from early morning old-fashioned trams were passing through the city and in
Krakow Srodmescie old-fashioned cars from the Rzecz Pospolita II times were
impressing pedestrians.
From noon to 4 pm children and adults were engaged into ‘search for a
diamond’ game. The game that involved participation of entire family was
organized by the Museum as well. It was a city game called “Mystery of a
Diamond. A Journey to the Pre-war Warsaw”, aiming at searching for a 20 karat
diamond stolen in 1931. A special issue of a daily newspaper was printed with
necessary guidelines through the game that helps to reveal the criminal puzzle
and at the same time being a tour-guide through the city.
In the
evening, songs of 20s and 30s could be heard in the Krakow Srodmescie at a
nostalgic concert “Whether something remained from those years?..”
Right after
the concert another interesting performance took place – a projection of an
installation video “NIE_ODLEGŁOŚĆ”. If not the omitted letter ‘P’, the word
would be ‘niepodleglosc’, i.e. ‘independence’ in Polish. The installation was
prepared by a young director Pavel Pasineg together with his colleagues from
the bank «neTTheatre”. In an avant-garde and unusual way they looked at the
issues of the Polish past and to the issues of self-identity of the Poles. “NIE_ODLEGŁOŚĆ”
is a password-puzzle and the omitted letter ‘p’ is a key, standing for ‘Poland’,
‘Poles’, ‘Pilsudski’, ‘Patriotism’.
Why was
there so much joy in Warsaw for the Independence
Day celebrations?
A politician
Pavel Usov says that it is due to the fact that the state is monopolizing the
right for the celebrations as it is done in Russia and Belarus. Therefore
the citizens of Poland are having
lots of happy celebrations both inside and outside the country, which becomes a
joyful family holiday.
