Visiting the Palace of Culture and Science

The Palace of Culture and Science

Warsaw, Poland

59 years in 2014

The Palace of Culture and Science is the tallest building in Poland. It was conceived as a "gift from the Soviet people to the Polish nation"....and is also known as a gift from Stalin. 

It is a controversial structure...erected in three years from 1952 to 1955, built by over 3,000 Russians and ultimately mostly paid for by Poland....it was a gift the people were not too happy to receive. 

 While living in Warsaw we have seen the Palace of Culture and Science almost daily....it stands directly across from Mark's office in the heart of Warsaw.  We have also taken out-of-town guests to the observation deck on the 30th floor.

The "palace" has a great clock tower which can be seen from quite a distance away, and therefore provides a good frame of reference from many areas of Warsaw.

In the latter part of Spring 2014, the Polish Literature Group I participate in read and discussed a book about the Cultural Palace.

The  group had a very interesting visit from the author and later took a guided tour inside the palace.  As a foreigner, I didn't always understand the controversies, nor the problems with this huge building.  Now I have a greater appreciation for how others see it.

 The tallest building not only in Warsaw, but all of Poland is a structure of numerous hallways, assembly halls and corridors....3,288 rooms in all.

The architecture, decor, and furnishings are an eclectic mixture of Russian, Polish and American styles. 

Looking upwards towards many of the ceilings, one can see colorful prints depicting Polish folk art.

Interesting....

....and delicate light fixtures are a part of many rooms.

Long and simple corridors.  

With over 3,000 rooms of eclectic styles, it would take well over 9 years to spend just a few minutes inside each one!

The Sala Kongresowa was originally built as a meeting hall for the Polish Congress and/or communist party.  

It is now one of two beautiful concert halls in the palace, where Mark and I have seen two performances.

The rooms will soon be renovated and closed for a couple of years. 

The wall decor is quite interesting.

Warsaw's mermaid can even be found in many of the rooms.

The group tour we took included areas of the palace that are cannot be seen by the general public.

Since living in Warsaw this Polish icon has been the backdrop of many of our pictures.  

On Mark's first visit to Warsaw in November 2010 he had his picture taken in front of the palace....and had the view in the picture below from the 41st floor of the hotel he was staying in.

On my first visit to Poland in February 2011, I looked out the window of a nearby restaurant and had this view.  It is illuminated by multiple colored lights at night and is quite pretty. 

 Summer of 2011, we took our first trip up to the 30th level terrace and had great views of Warsaw. 

It is nearly impossible to stand in front of the palace and get a complete picture.

In May 2012 we took Jamie, Caroline and Melissa up to see Warsaw from the observation deck.  

A common joke is that the best view of Warsaw is from the observation deck of the palace....not because of the view itself but because while on the terrace the palace is not part of the view!

Later during their visit in May 2012, we took Melissa and Caroline back to the palace to take pictures of it lit up at night.


December 2012....Melissa came to Poland again and we attended a New Year's Eve party with the colorful Cultural Palace in the background.

Happy New Year from Warsaw.

Spring 2013....our friends Kelvyn and Laurie came to visit....and it warranted another trip up to the 30th floor.  Often it is quite windy and cold on the observation deck....so even though it was May we needed our jackets.

Summer 2013....my sister Rebecca and her granddaughter Becca came to visit....and another visit up to the tower.  I think we have been up to the 30th level in every season.

Melissa's future in-laws, Bev and Craig came to Warsaw in October 2013.  They enjoyed the great views of Warsaw.

This structure is in the heart of Warsaw and is a constant reminder of a difficult time in Warsaw's history.  

Though many debate its looks and appropriateness in post-communist Poland, the palace is is one of Warsaw's icons and a national historical landmark.

Before World War II there were businesses and apartment buildings on the site.  There is still controversy today about compensation claimed by the people who owned the buildings that were not rebuilt after the war, so that the palace could be built here.

Facing east...the National Stadium is in the center, with the Vistula River in front of it.

Facing north....

Facing north east...with Saski Park in the background and then Old Town.

Facing west....the silver rectangular building at the far left is Warsaw's Central Train Station.  Just to the right is the Skylight Office Tower where Mark's office is located, and the Zlote Tarasy Mall is behind the office tower.  The 40-story modernistic tower on the right side of the picture was constructed while we were here and contains very expensive residential housing.

Still looking west, and down on to Emilie Platter street...very familiar to us because it fronts the office Mark works in.

Warsaw's Palace of Culture and Science....though controversial, this structure will remind us of "home" for the past 3-1/2 years....

....a view that will bring good memories in so many ways. 

June Celebrations...and Special Days 2014

Celebrating our 34th Wedding Anniversary

June 14, 1980

 June 14, 2014....Warsaw, Poland

Anniversaries on Saturdays are great days!  Our wedding anniversary fell on Saturday this year, so we drove about an hour's drive (63.5 km) from our home  in Warsaw to the birthplace of Fryderyk Chopin....Żelazowa Wola.

The actual birthplace of Chopin is a small manor home, named after the nearby village.  The land around the home is expansive and beautiful!

Statues are erected on the property to honor the great musician.... Fryderyk Chopin.

Beautiful summer flowers are growing in abundance...and there is so much green space on this property!

It was a quiet Saturday at the birthplace of Chopin....we almost had the entire home and park to ourselves because of occasional rain.

When Chopin was born, this home belonged to the family of Count Skarbek, and it is here where Chopin's parents most likely met as they were both working for the family....Chopin's mother, a distant relative to the Count, was a housekeeper and Chopin's father tutored the children. 

After Chopin's parents were married, they moved to an annex of the manor home.  It was in this annex where Chopin was born.  He was the second child and only son.

The young family lived in the annex for just 7-8 months and then moved to Warsaw.

The manor home today is very simple...decorated in a style similar to the early 19th century.

Pictures of Chopin and his family are found on the walls.

The view outside from any window is lovely.

The Chopin family would often return to this area in the summer and during holidays. While spending summers here, Chopin performed concerts in the garden for many friends and family.

After walking through the manor home, we walked around the beautiful property.

Though a rainy morning, we enjoyed our anniversary date.

The Utrata river runs through the property...it was lovely!

Dodging raindrops...stopping to take a few pictures.

Enjoying small details...

The Polish people love green spaces....and they are abundant here at Żelazowa Wola!

We learned there is a Frederic Chopin Rose, and found a small rose garden where these beautiful flowers were growing.

The first attempts to turn the property into a Chopin monument and museum began near the end of the 19th century.  However, lack of funding and the outbreaks of WWI and WWII kept the project from progressing.  

After WWII, a national effort to finish the project finally resulted in the opening of the museum property in 1950, on the 100th anniversary of Chopin's death.

There have been monuments erected in honor of Poland's most famous musician.  The statue below looks like a tear is coming down Chopin's cheek.  It was only a raindrop....but I thought, "Maybe he is sad that he never returned to Poland after leaving at only age 20."

As we walked near the River Utrata, we could see the manor home in the distance.  It's easy to understand why the Chopin family would have returned often to visit.

The site is a lovely park....and the summer flowers were so pretty!

I had visited this museum and park with the International Women's Group during my first fall in Poland.  The fall season was lovely...but coming in the summer was beautiful also.

After a few hours we were quite ready for lunch....

....and across the street from the museum we found a great little restaurant.

The food was fresh and delicious, and we enjoyed our lunches immensely.

Leaving the restaurant, I saw the window boxes of beautiful pelargonia....Polish for geraniums.  They are displayed abundantly during the summertime, and I never tire of seeing them in Poland.

Our morning and early afternoon were lovely....

....at the beautiful birthplace of Fryderyk Chopin, Żelazowa Wola.

Leaving Żelazowa Wola, we drove toward Warsaw....

....and passed through the Kampinos National Park.

It was green and lovely....but we could not find a place to pull over, park and walk around.  According to our map this park is huge!

Seen when driving through the park....this very old trailer that looks like an antique railroad car.  But it's made for the road, as it has rubber tires.

We might just need to return again and see what else we can find at Kampinos National Park, as it is highly recommended by many Polish people.

President Uchtdorf comes to Poland

June 15, 2014

Dieter F. Uchtdorf is one of the three men that comprise the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He came to Warsaw to speak to all church members and missionaries in Poland, in a two-hour conference session.  To accommodate the congregation of 500, the meeting was held at the Marriot Hotel.

The visit was announced several months in advance.  We had thought that Mark might be transferred out of Poland before the conference, so were happy to still be in Poland when the day of the conference finally arrived.

I was part of the choir that was to sing in the meeting....

....and we were asked to arrive about an hour and a half early in order to practice the two songs we would sing.

The songs were familiar hymns but the challenge for me is that they were sung in Polish.

I was very grateful to be standing near Polish women and missionaries who knew how to pronounce and sing the Polish words well.

Mark and I did not sit together....I was in the front right section with the choir members, and Mark was sitting on the right side of the center section. Mark can be seen in the picture below, sitting one row in front and to the right of the lady with red hair on the far right side.

President Uchtdorf spoke for about 30 minutes, but with translation the address lasted an hour.  It was wonderful to be so close, to hear his counsel and feel his love for the Polish people and members of the church here in Warsaw.

After the meeting, many people lingered to talk and be near President and Sister Uchtdorf.

Many of the people in these pictures are in the branch we attend, and the woman in the yellow jacket is Sister Uchtdorf.

I watched as many people approached President Uchtdorf....

....then I was able to shake his hand, with the encouragement of my friend Magda and her husband Darek, shown on either side of me in the picture below.

One of my favorite pictures....President Uchtdorf with a little boy in the arms of his father...members of our branch in Warsaw.

Mark took a picture of our friend Aleksandra with President Uchtdorf....it made her day!

Our missionary friends the Jensens came from Krakow and stayed at our home during the weekend of the conference.

It was the last time we saw them before they completed their mission and returned to Orem, Utah three weeks later....but we hope to see them when we are visiting in Utah again.

My Birthday.....June 25th....in Warsaw, Poland

Today I celebrated my fourth birthday in Warsaw, and Mark took the entire day off in order for us to be together!  The best gift....time together!

An early morning walk in our neighborhood park....

Later we drove to the Wilanów Palace and walked through the gardens....

....and eventually came to the English Landscape Park and the small rowboats docked nearby.

Our plan was to rent one of the boats for an hour.

Mark rowed around the small Wilanów Lake.  It was quite relaxing....

....especially for me, as I did not pick up the oars. I told Mark that being on the water, in a boat, and him rowing, reminded me of the movies I'd seen from the Jane Austin books.  

Mark said that another movie with a memorable boat-in-the-middle-of-a-lake scene was The Godfather....talk about a different genre!

Not sure the depth of the water here, but there were lots of lily pads along the edges of the lake.

As we rowed closer to the end of the small lake there were more lily pads, and the water was shallower.

The oars were getting tangled in the vegetation and also hitting the bottom of the lake, just a few inches down....so we turned around.

The weather on this June day was almost perfect....blue sky, sunshine, a few clouds, and cool breezes!

Mark was a great sport to row for the entire hour....I didn't even think about asking to take over.

The first time I learned that there were boats at Wilanów was last summer when I brought my sister and niece here for a tour.  I made a mental note that it would be fun to return and try the boats.

I was happy to have remembered about the boats, that we went, and that it didn't rain, as so often has happened on my birthday.

So happy for simple activities in Warsaw....shared together!

Pretty skies....on a pretty day in the English Landscape Park...one that I will always remember.

Not far from the Wilanów Palace was another place I wanted to return to....

....Castello's Italian Restaurant, for my birthday lunch with Mark.

We ate in the garden behind the restaurant, enjoying the beautiful atmosphere....

....great food...and even a quick video birthday greeting from Melissa and Lance.

In the evening we went to a Grycan shop for lody (ice-cream)....

....a great way to end a birthday in Warsaw!

How lucky we were to share another birthday celebration in Warsaw, Poland.

 June 25, 2014...a day to remember!

And to end of June....
Mark had told co-workers about our birthday activity, so for the last weekend in June we returned to the Wilanów Palace with friends to go boating again.

First, we rode our bikes from our home to Wilanów...a distance of about 6 km (3-1/2 miles)....then we each rented boats for an hour.

Our friends were Berenika and Bartek....

....the same ones we have included in previous blogs about bike rides around Warsaw.

Once again, Mark rowed our boat....

....but this time I took a turn....

....not so easy.

In the middle of the lake we maneuvered around a family of ducks.

After boating we walked through the wall of trees in the English Landscape Park.

 So quiet and pretty.

On this Saturday there were many more visitors at Wilanów than on my mid-week birthday a few days earlier....and yet there were times that it seemed as if we were the only ones there.

June 2014 in Warsaw, Poland has been a good month for us in many ways....celebrations and special events shared together!