Get documents about "Dear.Readers_
Document Sample
INDEX
Ludwinów (Liudvinavas) in honour of Hetman Pociej
– by Irena Lunskienė. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Dear.Readers,
Evidence of a stormy history
–.by.Prof ..Józef.Maroszek.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Here is another edition of our guide for
the borderlands of Lithuania, Poland and
What speech to open the world with? the Kaliningrad District of the Russian
Federation. Being half way through the
.–.by.Dr ..Dorota.Misiejuk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 project Transborder Centre for Educa-
tion and Civil Information in Białystok, we
The second chance of the Augustow Canal experience for ourselves how difficult the
transborder cooperation is. The articles
one may read in “My Little Europe” dem-
onstrate various aspects of our common
history and present day.
The magazine, however, is just one of the
project elements. I encourage you to visit
our website www.informacjaeuropejska.
pl, where we place both current events and
opinions and analyses resulting from our
–.by.Krzysztof.Wolfram.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38. activity. Implementing the project we see
how huge a historical and cultural havoc
How the wig saved the king’s life!. in the borderland people’s awareness re-
–.by.Wojciech.Koronkiewicz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42. sulted from artificial divisions determined
by state frontiers.
At the beginning it was szpichaw (a shed with buckets). We hope that what we are doing is one of
the elements contributing to mutual meet-
–.by.Tomasz.Naruszewicz.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44. ings of the inhabitants of these lands.
Lithuanian meads, liqueurs and sekaczes Chairman of Amicus Society
Piotr Sobolewski
Editorial:
Paulina Wolfram
Jarosław Marek Chodynicki
Adam Kozłowski
Piotr Sobolewski
Publisher:
Association „Towarzystwo Amicus”
15-427 Białystok
Lipowa 14 phone/fax: 0048 85 653 77 53
www.towarzystwoamicus.pl
–.by.Andrzej.Fiedoruk.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 e-mail: eurobialystok@bia.pl
Agencja „Benkowski”
Legionowa 28, 15-281 Białystok
Phone: 0048/85 745 52 45
Fax: 0048/85 674 30 22
29
PARTNERS
South-east of Marijampolė…
Ludwinów (Liudvinavas) in honour of Hetman Pociej
South-east of Marijampole, at
the confluence of the rivers Szes-
zupa and Sudonia, a historic town
of Ludwinów is located, being the
centre of the Ludwinów District.
Until the 18th century the set-
tlement on the River Szeszupa was
called Trobos (Chaty, lit. Cabins).
It belonged to the Punia District.
The village came to existence in
a place where hunters used to stop
and spend a night. The district was
governed by Ludwik Konstanty
Pociej: the Vilnius castellan and
Great Hetman of Lithuania. Due to
his efforts, King August II granted
the settlement Trobos a town char- For a long time there have been a Lithuania. A declaration of local
ter. The new town was called Lud- number of well-doing farms which authorities was signed. According
winów in honour of Ludwik Kon- belonged to great managers who thereto, the Ludwinów District of
stanty Pociej. made the district famous. the Marijampole Region (on the
The district occupies an are of There is a secondary school, 3 Lithuanian part) and the authori-
about 17,440 hectares. It is the primary schools and a community ties of the Commune Bakałażewo
second largest district within the centre. Amateur artistic group are (on the Polish part) develop coop-
Marijampole Region. It embraces active. 8 village communes came eration, together look for funds to
56 villages and settlements where to being. A number of traditional implement common projects main-
live c. 6,000 people altogether. festivals are celebrated there. The taining the economic, cultural and
greatest festival held annually in educational development, as well
Ludwinów is St.Louis and the as environment protection.
Town of Ludwinów Day, celebrated In autumn 2005 an agreement
in the last week of August. Guest on cooperation with the Commune
come there on that day, including Drohiczyn was signed.
all those who have their families In the year 2007 the commune
and relatives in Ludwinów. entered into cooperation with the
The Ludwinów District main- Association Amicus at the impe-
tains very good cultural relations lementation of the project Trans-
with Poland. It has been cooper- border Centre for Civil Education
ating with the Commune of Puńsk and Information in Białystok.
since 2000. On 11 June 2003 rep- Feel invited to Ludwinów, to the
resentatives of local authorities town, its history, culture and folk
in borderlands of Poland and artists.
Lithuania met in Augustów at the Irena Lunskienie
Third Economic Forum Poland- Head of the Ludwinów District
30
LuDWINóW (LIuDvINAvAS) IN HoNouR oF...
31
HISToRIC RESEARCH
Monuments of military construction on the territory of the Euroregion Neman
Evidence of a stormy history
They are evidence of old po-
litical divisions: wooden burghs,
both tribal and early medieval.
Lowland castles prove the Teuton-
ic expansion and the Lithuanians
and the Mazovians’ resistance.
Modern castles and fortresses
testify the shotgun stage whereas
strongholds make a “documenta-
tion” of absolutism and the times
of the partitions of Poland.
Ruthenian wooden forts
on the Mazovian Land
Miedniki. the Lithuanian castle of the 14th century. Drawing by N.Orda
On the territory of the historic
Mazovia, early medieval castel- Neman (later known as Raudań, type, built of brick on a regular
lan keeps picturesquely situated which means ‘red’ for its brick un- plan, quadrilateral with the central
in Święck, Tykocin and Grodz- plastered walls, picturesquely dom- yard. Each of them were signifi-
kie Stare. In the period 1041-1047 inating on the high bank of the Ne- cantly rebuilt.
Yaroslav the Wise, the Grand Duke man. The walls of the construction In 1389 Duke Vytautas of
of Kiev led an expedition against made a square strengthened with Lithuania fled with his family to
Maslav, a rebel. In turn for the help towers on the corners. the Teutonic Knights. A year later
provided for Prince Kazimir the In 1339 the castle was captured he signed commitments in their fa-
Renovator of Poland Yaroslav the by the Lithuanians. In 1343 it vour. The Order extended its rule
Wise took over the Land of Drohic- was demolished by the Teutonic over the lands left by Vytautas.
zyn. On the territory taken over he Knights and its ruins became a The Teutonic Knights construct-
built a system of fortified Ruthenian residence of the families of Kirszn- ed then wooden castles: Neugar-
burghs: Drohiczyn, Mielnik, Suraż sztein and Olędzki. den on the Neman, opposite the
and Bielsk Podlaski. The residues Horodniczanka’s mouth and old
of the burghs are still very impres- Castles in the east Grodno, as well as Metenburg on
sive with their size. the Biebrza and in Dolistowo, op-
They were erected among the of the Monastic State posite the Netta’s mouth. They
Mazovian ethnos, then living there. of the Teutonic Knights were soon destroyed and no trace
They were expected to secure obe- of them is left.
dience and protect from the neigh- The 1370s were the time of build- In 1392 King Vladislav Jag-
bours. In spite of that they changed ing a system of defensive castles in iello and Duke Vytautas signed
the owners, once being property of the east of the historical area of an agreement, by force of which
once the Ruthenian dukes or the the State of the Teutonic Knights Jagiello returned the latter his fa-
Polish princes. (1226-1525). They survived in Ełk ther’s possessions: the Duchy of
As early as the big Teutonic (14th c.), Pisz (1376), Giżycko Troki and the Grodno Land. In
Knights’ expedition to Lithuania (1377), Węgorzewo (14th c.), Ryn autumn 1392 troops of the Teuton-
Duke Heinrich of Bavaria erect- (1377) and Ragneta (Niemensk). ic Knights reached Suraż on the
ed the castle Bayern on the River They were castles of the lowland Narew, destroying there Vytatuas’s
32
EvIDENCE oF A SToRMy HISToRy
castle. Since then Suraż has never The King located the fortress nia, incorporated to the Crown in
restored its military importance. nearly in the very middle of the 1569, as well as near the border
It was the year 1393. Near Suraż countries ruled by him. Hence one of the dependent Duchy of Prus-
Prince Janusz I of Mazovia built the could send artillery to protect all sia, which were to be, after Duke
castle Złotoria on the Narew, op- the borders of the Commonwealth. Albrecht Hohenzollern’s death,
posite the River Supraśl’s mouth. For with Cracow Tykocin commu- incorporated to the Polish Crown.
However, the Teutonic Knights nicated through the Narew and This border location made great
destroyed this fortress too so as it the Vistula, with Lvov through the possibilities to mask the building
did not hinder their conquests and Narew and the Bug or the Narew, of the monarch’s domain there,
consolidation of their rule between the Vistula and the San; with Vil- which would have made the ruler
the Neman and the Narew. nius through the Biebrza and fur- financially independent and would
A new castle, called Tykocin, was ther through the dry crossing into provide him with at least limited
erected by Vytautas in Kaczorowo, the Neman and then through the independence.
upon the Narew, opposite the Riv- Vilia. With Prussia, on the other The Tykocin Castle gave later
er Nereśl’s mouth. hand, it was connected through on shelter to other rulers: in 1576
The Lithuanians, during Vy- the Biebrza, the Pisa and the Elk. to Stefan Batory, in 1630 to Si-
tautas’s rule, built lowland castles The designer and builder of the gismund III Vasa. On October
modeled on Teutonic ones: on rec- Tykocin and Vilnius castles, as well 1, 1705, during the congress with
tangular projections with cuboid as the Knyszyn residence, was Job Tsar Peter I, King August II stayed
towers on the corners. Such castles Preytfus. in the castle. The Swedish and the
were built in the 15th c., among Along with the neighbouring supporters of Leszczyński (on Oc-
other places in, Troki, Vilnius, Med- Knyszyn residence, Tykocin was tober 4, he was crowned in Warsaw
niki, Lida and Grodno. These were supposed to be “a buckle” cement- by archbishop Konstanty Zieliński)
castles built of brick with the use of ing the two unifying state areas: pushed him away on the territory
field stones. Nevertheless, most of the Polish Crown and the Grand of almost whole Poland, and Au-
the fortification of that period – as Duchy of Lithuania. The property gust II was seeking a Russian help
well as manor houses and residenc- of Sigismund August was located against Stanislaw. He wanted to
es were still wooden in this area, be- partly within the former Duchy award some magnates for their fa-
cause, above all, this material was of Mazovia incorporated to the vour. Thus he distributed the lords
available. Therefore, Gothic and Polish Crown after the death of the assembled then in Tykocin red-
early modern castles of 14-16 centu- last dukes of Mazovia in 1529, and enameled medals with the image of
ries are so hard to be found on this partly in Podlasie - within the bor- the White Eagle and an inscription
territory. Instead, they dominate on ders of the Grand Duchy of Lithua- Pro Fide, Rege et Lege (for Faith,
the territory of the former Monastic
Sate of the Teutonic Knights.
Tykocin – “a buckle”
linking the Grand Duchy
of Lithuania and the Crown
In 1542 a project of building a
fortress in Tykocin was developed.
In an emergency it was to become
a refuge for King Sigismund Au-
gust of Poland (1520-1572), as well
as the object where the last Jagiel-
lonian monarch’s movables were
to be stored. The Castle of Ragneta
33
EvIDENCE oF A SToRMy HISToRy
whose goal was to guard them-
selves from Moscow.
Osowiec – the fortress
on the Biebrza Wetlands
In the period 1844-56, a fortress
was built west of Giżycko, which
is a perfectly preserved example
of the Prussian fortification school
It was a main link in the chain of
fortifications closing an access to
the territory of the Prussian state
from the east. It was built on an
area of c.100 hectares and made a
very important strategic object of
The Castle of Troki East Prussia.
From 1882 to 1892 the Russians
King and Law) on its one side and in Ciechanowiec, the Radziwills’ conducted a construction of the
the letters A.R (Augustus Rex) on castles in Goniądz and Waniewo, Fortress Osowiec, situated on the
the other one. the Gasztolds’ Castle Tykocin only crossing through the Biebrza
A very important element of the and, finally, the fortification of the Wetlands. The 195 thousand hect-
Tykocin Castle was an alumnat for Wiesiołowski family in Białystok. ares of the River Biebrza valley,
the 1633 war veterans. The Seym of The solutions applied in the mostly covered with swamps and
the Commonwealth sent there of- magnate fortification systems peatbogs, were an effective pro-
ficers of merit in combat in order of the 16th-18th centuries were tection of the fortress. A system of
to spend there the rest of their life. imitated in the residences of the watergates and passages was built
The castle was damaged by a middle-class nobles. Nearly all on them, which enabled to flood
flood in the 18th century and its such residences were separated the area in case of enemy attack.
walls were demolished. from peasants’ settlements with a Osowiec was one of the four-
After the Lithuanians took over stream, on which two ponds were teen military enterprises imple-
the territory of Podlasie (14th c.), arranged. Between the latter, a mented in the second half of the
there appeared some castles, ter- causeway led to the manor house. 19th century on the line of the riv-
ritorial authority centres of the The stream made a sort of moat. ers Neman-Vistula.
Lithuanian rulers, in Drohiczyn, Even today some traces of the From 1889 on, also Piątnica near
Mielnik, Bielsk Podlaski, Suraż ponds may be found in these stra- Łomża was fortified in order to
and Brańsk. tegic trouble spots. protect the Narew crossings. Three
At the beginning of the 16th cen- forts were built there connected
Fortified residences and… tury, the Grand Duchy of Lithua- with underground corridors.
nia was in the centre of war against The World War I and II left the
Orthodox churches the Grand Duchy of Moscow. The woods and forests crippled with
About 1500 on the territory of cause was a fact that Alexander Jag- the lines of trenches and systems
Podlasie some fortified manors sur- iellonian and the Ruthenian Met- of concrete shelters. The ran along
rounded by systems of ramparts ropolitan Joseph Bułharynowicz the River Bug on the Soviet-Ger-
were built, making magnate resi- were implementing the church un- man borderline of 1939-41, on the
dences: the Castle Supraśl of the ion program. That was why some Neman near Grodno and on the
Chodkiewicz family in Gródek, the fortified Orthodox churches were Augustow Canal.
Castel Dubno of the Sapieha family constructed in Vilnius, Supraśl, prof. Józef Maroszek
near Boćki, the castle of the Kiszkas Mały Możejków and Synkowicze, University of Białystok
34
RESEARCH
Bilingual education in northeastern Poland
What speech to open the world with?
One of the characteristics of the Other theories imply that com- Generally speaking, “bilingual
borderland is multilingualism. The petences recognized on any level education is permissibility of the
communication structure in such constitute bilingualism. second language (in addition to
an area is a very complicated net- There are two types of bilingual- the common (official) language) as
work of rules concerning the use of ism: added bilingualism and a re- a language of communication and
the languages thereof. The network pressed form of bilingualism. The instruction in lessons. The point
is constituted by the long tradition repressed form of bilingualism was, above all, the use of the second
of cohabitation on the same terri- occurs when the second language language as a code communicating
tory and the specificity of contacts replaces the first one. The added the reality, explaining problems
between different ethnic groups. form is characterized by the fact and difficulties, describing abstract
Not without importance are that the both languages are equally terms. Whereas in the cases of the
globalization processes. And what valued by the individual. majority group bilingual education
seems decisive is the ideology of It is also proven that the latter is considered as an effective way of
the state implemented through the supports academic development the second (foreign) language ac-
education system. of the pupils. By the same means, quisition, the mutual influences of
through using “the natural wealth” bilingualism and bilingual educa-
Two languages, two words? of the borderland – bilingualism tion have an additional aspect for
incorporated in the education sys- the minority children. It is an issue
The borderland is rich in bilin- tem – we can support these chil- of academic development of a per-
gual people. Bilingualism in de- dren’s development, develop their son, creating his/her cultural and
fined in literature as a fact of using abilities and build various compe- personal identity.
two languages by a given person. tences more effectively. In this case bilingual education
At the same time the level of com- is crucial in the process of leveling
mand of these languages is not de- A language as a key educational chances, shaping the
termined. “Having command of self-esteem and attitudes towards
two languages” means that both to building identities oneself, one’s own cultural and so-
the language systems are to the in- of individuals cial heritage, as well as towards the
dividual socially alive and unique. others. It also seems, in the light
In a way they call the same reality
and cultural groups of recent research, that it is crucial
in a different way, they describe dif- Is the skill of speaking two lan- for the development of the minor-
ferent contexts, draw situations dif- guages above all a need of the ity group’s identity, i.e. its present
ferently, etc. Thus, a person who, members of minority cultures in identity.
even incredibly fast and skillfully, the borderland then? It is they who
translates from one language to the need two languages: one “home The art of translation of one
other will not be called bilingual. language,” their own, of the minor-
What constitutes bilingualism ity, and the second language, that language code to the other
then? of the majority, in order to fully Most of children acquire compe-
In the western literature, where participate in the community life? tence in mother tongue naturally,
interest in bilingualism and bilin- Or else, is it a universal value of through interactions in the family:
gual education is considered far the borderland, and then one should with the parents and the significant
more profoundly that in the Polish consider a bilingual education pro- others. Communicative competenc-
literature, one may find opinions gram for all its inhabitants? es in the first language are of basic
that a bilingual person should use So, what does “bilingual” mean importance in the process of the
two languages as mother tongues. in the education process? second language acquisition. The
35
WHAT SPEECH To oPEN THE WoRLD WITH?
photos: W. Wołkow
main idea of bilingual education If the conditions of bilingual ed- encoded with a different code and
is a principle that new notions are ucation are not met, then, for the structuralized into different inter-
learnt through cognitive structures bilingual children, possibilities of pretative patterns.
“encoded” in the first language. “taking” the knowledge “out” of In effect he must face a process
They can be conveyed into the new the first language are closed, if they of stigmatization (because of his
language only when suitable inter- were recorded there. The child is dissimilarity which he does not
pretative structures are developed seen by the school as possessing understand). Then he very often
in this language. Only then such no knowledge. The pupil himself blames the group of origin for his
a state enables a situation of un- experiences tortures of being in- own failures, rebels against the
constrained use of the knowledge competent. These are frustrations identity taken over from the previ-
regardless the language. A state of connected with the impossibil- ous generation.
restriction of the knowledge presen- ity of the rendition into the new In this situation the pupils ap-
tation ability by the language does language something which he ac- ply also several strategies of “the
not occur. tually knows well. However, it is language survival”:
36
WHAT SPEECH To oPEN THE WoRLD WITH?
• abandon the first language as into the bilingual education area. or foreign to the child, regardless
soon as they can; they build In the area in question we also communicative skills thereof) are
communicative competences in deal with an additional complica- not applied in practice.
the second language; tion connected with the fact that In our educational reality in the
• mix and – in the way ununder- the occurring dialectic forms of Białystok region we deal at most
standable for the recipient – jux- the language are values for the de- with a propaganda of bilingual-
tapose the first and the second scending generation. They cannot ism. Various actions are arranged
language which results in a char- be passed down since they are not which demonstrate and making
acteristic of the individual idio- codified. And the structures of a the public aware of the wealth
syncratic system of communica- traditional community are falling which appears when we open our-
tion with the environment. apart. Moreover, there is no social selves to another language. Pre-
system which would support the school and school curricula adopt
This brings about limited pos- dialect transmission to the next elements of bilingualism: teach-
sibilities within both the first and generation. ing the mother tongue as the sec-
the second language or a blockade Younger generations begin in- ond language. It is the language
of the second language develop- creasingly identify themselves with of the majority that is a known
ment during school education. being Byelorussian or Ukrain- code communicating reality. And
ian. They became aware that they the education concerns generally
A dialect – a self-sufficient are part of the Byelorussian or the involvement of the mother
Ukrainian (ethnic) nation, which tongue, usually known on the lev-
code or a variant stayed in Poland as the result of el of awareness, in the system of
of the standard? state border changes and not mi- codified standard.
gration processes. They usually The example of a very effective
Another issue connected with opt for the introduction of the lit- program, and, most importantly,
the problems of bilingualism in erary languages, either Byelorus- continued in the subsequent years
the borderlands embraces dialects. sian or Ukrainian into the educa- of education, is the program of a
How should dialects be treated in tion system. They are convinced kindergarten in Bielsk Podlaski
relation to the standard language? about the need for their own ac- and a kindergarten in Białystok. In
Is it a variant of the standard or tions for the development and both of these institutions the cur-
a self-sufficient language code de- popularization of a particular eth- riculum assumes translation of the
scribing the world? nic culture. Thus they propagate cultural heritage of the Byelorus-
Including the dialect which oc- including the standard language, sian minority (Białystok) and
curs commonly on a given territory not its dialectic form, in the edu- the Ukrainian minority (Bielsk
in the form of the repressed bilin- cation. However, from the point Podlaski) into the contemporary
gualism in the bilingual education of view of the theory of communi- language. The way towards this
constitutes a dramatic problem. cation, here we deal with teaching is work with a natural language
What is characteristic of dia- de facto another language. – the dialect which the children
lects is that the area of their use know (on different levels).
concern a defined territory, and There is no education, The objective is, however, not
(which is of basic importance for shaping communicative compe-
schools and education in general) there is propaganda only tences in the dialect but the inclu-
do not function in the form of a It is difficult to talk about any sion thereof in the range of the
compact record. bilingual education in this situa- codified language, respectively:
These are usually oral represen- tion. The known models of edu- Byelorussian and Ukrainian.
tations of the world passed from cation are: the so-called “pure” What we deal with then is three
generation to generation. The bilingualism (50% of time for communicative systems in the ed-
school, on the other hand, works each language in the educational ucational process.
more uniformly and is not able process) or immersion (in one lan- Dorota Misiejuk
to introduce all the local dialects guage, usually that of the minority University of Białystok
37
NATuRE oF THE BoRDERLAND
From the Vistula to the Neman – a tourist hit of Europe is waiting for its Renaissance
The second chance of the Augustow Canal
A conception of builing a water
way from the Vistula to the Ne-
man outside Prussia and leading
to the Russian Baltic ports first
appeared as early as 1821. This
idea was close to Prince Fran-
ciszek Ksawery Drucki-Lubecki,
the Minister of Treasury in the
government of the Kingdom of
Poland (the so-called Congress
Kingdom).
The decision to begin the con-
struction of the Augustow Canal
was made in 1823. Then first provi-
sions were established which con-
cerned measurement and design
of the water way connecting the
Vistula basin with the Neman ba-
sin. A few variants of its route were
prepared.
The only institution which had
educated engineer staff at dispos-
al, experienced in measurement,
design, cartographic and executive
works was the army.
Now, it should be reminded
that a lot of former Napoleonic
officers served in the Polish army.
They had been educated at mili-
tary colleges of France, mainly in
Metz. Among its graduates were,
among others, Józef Bem and Ig- A sluice in Augustów in winter. Photo by P. Malczewski
nacy Prądzyński.
It was General Maurycy Hauke, Tariff War and a desire repressive tariff, almost tripling
the chief of the General Logistics it. The hit was strong because at
of Artillery and Engineering of the
for big commerce that time about 90 per cent of our
Kingdom of Poland. As soon as The main reason for the concep- export and import of goods float-
1823 Ignacy Prądzyński reported tion of a new water way was the ed along the Vistula to Gdansk.
his superior about the beginning tariff war between Russian and the These were mainly agricultural
of recognition works. Kingdom of Poland on the one products and semiproducts such
Let us return for a minute to the side and the Kingdom of Prussia as flour, salt, grain, potatoes and
basic causes of the Canal building on the other. Prussia controlled others.
and the reasons why the decisions practically the whole foreign trade Another important reason for
connected with its implementation of the Kingdom of Poland and on the building of the Augustow
were made so slowly. April 10, 1823, she introduced a Canal was the idea of economic
38
THE SECoND CHANCE oF THE AuguSToW CANAL
enlivening of the Vistula and the
Neman basins, creating an access
to the Baltic Sea for Lithuania
and building a big sea port for
the Kingdom and Lithuania in
Windawa. The idea of economic
development of these areas, con-
stituting the western borderland
of Russia’s economic and politi-
cal activity, was not noticed until
many years later.
We know from Ignacy
Prądzyński himself that both the
Augustow region, being within
the territory of the Kingdom of
Poland, and the Grodno region,
on the territory of Russia, were
lands forgotten by God and peo-
ple. A rare settlement network,
lack of roads as well as enormous
forests and wetlands made diffi-
cult conditions for economic de- The harbour in Augustów. Photo by P. Malczewski
velopment.
anticipated for 3 thousand barges a vive and was rebuilt after WWII in
14 years or from year (both ways). The overall cost another place.
of the project was estimated as 10
design to navigation million zlotys (of that time). The failure of the idea
The design of the Canal was com- Eight army regiments were de-
pleted in spring 1824. Its length tached for the construction works, or the doom of history?
was planned for 181.2 kilometers. of which 900 soldiers were em- The decision on building the
I was to run along the rivers Bie- ployed daily. They were used main- Augustow Canal and its fast pace
brza and Netta to Augustow, hence ly for earthwork. Moreover, about must have strongly impressed the
to Czarna Hańcza through lakes 1600 contracted workers were em- Prussians, since they lifted the re-
Necko, Białe, Studzieniczne, Orle, ployed, mainly stonemasons, but pressive tariffs on Polish goods as
Paniewo, Krzywe, Mikaszewo and also builders, carpenters, black- soon as March 1825. The first of
Mikaszówka. The lakes were to be smith and locksmiths. the reasons for the beginning of
connected with canals. The water- The construction works were this project ceased then to exist.
shed of the Neman and the Narew stopped by the November Uprising However, the process of construc-
was to be done with a dyke. Ignacy in 1831. The silence lasted until Au- tion was not abandoned, for the
Prądzyński designed the end of the gust 1833. After General Prądzyński Canal was expected to be a way
Canal near the village of Warwiszki was arrested for his participation in to implement the other goal: eco-
near Grodno. the uprising, the management was nomic enlivenment of this part of
The Canal, on all its length, taken over General Jan Mallet. The Europe. This was a fulfillment of
was to be served by 12 sluices and construction was completed in 1838, Prince Drucki-Lubecki and the
regulating constructions. Barges and the following year the Canal other 19th-century visionaries’
called ‘berlinkas’, 40 meters long, navigation was opened. Eventually, dream. Did it work out?
5.5 meters wide, with load capacity at the expense of 12 million zlotys, Traffic on the Canal commenced
of 7-10 metric tons of cargo were to 18 sluices were built, out of which while it was being built – as early
float there. The target traffic was only the sluice Agustów did not sur- as 1828 the first vessels reached the
39
THE SECoND CHANCE oF THE AuguSToW CANAL
The River Netta-Augustów Canal. Photo P. Malczewski
Czarna Hańcza from the Vistula wood by the Germans, usually by From the war to the mid 1980s,
side. Unfortunately, the end of the water or the Augustow Canal. the Canal was utilized exclusively
tariff war, the defeat of Poland after for water transport of timber and
the November Uprising and lack of Great tourist attraction as an, increasingly popular, tour-
an efficient promotion of the new ist route of canoeing trips. In the
water way resulted in the statement During the inter-war period the 1970s even 80-100 thousand cubic
of its limited usefulness in 1862. first tourist trips appeared: canoe- meters of wood was transported
What did prove was wood ing rallies organized mainly by the there. The last rafts were seen on
transport from the Augustow For- Scouts. In the late 1930s first pleas- the Canal about 1986. Then it was
est and salt from the heart of the ure-boats floated there. used exclusively as a water reser-
country. After WWII, on the establish- voir for timber conservation and
In the second half of the 19th ment of new state borders between storing. Tourist traffic on the Canal
century until the end of WWI Poland and the USSR, the east- is increasingly growing. It seems
nothing was happening to the Ca- ern part of the Augustow Canal that after 184 years Prince Drucki-
nal. It was simply unnecessary. with three sluices (Niemanowo, Lubecki’s vision, supported with
The period of WWI is marked Dąbrówka and Wołkusz) became the hard work of General Ignacy
by the devastation of the Au- part of the Soviet territory. At the Prądzyński, stands a chance of be-
gustow Forest, mass logging and sluice Kurzyniec near Rudawka coming true. However, the period
transportation of huge loads of the state border appeared. of this place’s prosperity is con-
40
THE SECoND CHANCE oF THE AuguSToW CANAL
nected with the “recanalization” In March 1992 on Lake Wigry, the sluice Kurzyniec and the sluice
of the route along its whole length the declaration on the Conception Sosnówka.
according to the version origi- of Green Lungs of Europe was Here one should pose a ques-
nally planned by General Ignacy signed. One of the proposals for tion: “What now?” It is 184 years
Prądzyński, i.e. from the Biebrza prompt implementation was the that the Augustow and Grodno
to the Neman. revitalizing the water way the Vis- Lands have been waiting for their
tula-the Neman. Since one of the “five minutes.” Can we at last use
In the 1950s and 60s, Father Karol Wojtyła, signatories, beside Poland, Rus- this big international chance,
later Pope John Paul II, often used to visit the sia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and which is the water way from the
Route of Czarna Hańcza and the Augustow the Ukraine, was Belarus, the way Vistula to the Neman and further
Canal. In 1990 he took a sentimental trip to some reactivation of the water to the Baltic Sea? A kind of motor-
within the framework of the 7th Pilgrimage route was open. way although designed for the us-
to Poland. And from 8th to 10th June 1999 As the result of agreements be- ers other than car drivers.
he stayed in the Wigry Monastery and sailed tween Poland and Belarus, some Will the authorities and the soci-
across the Augustow Canal to the St.Mary’s project works commenced, fol- eties of Poland, Belarus and Lithua-
Sanctuary on Lake Studzieniczne. Today, af-
lowed by modernization works and nia read properly the chance for de-
ter the pope’s death, the places of his stay are
rebuilding of the Canal. It was Be- velopment due to opening this way,
treated as pilgrimage destinations for thou-
sands of the faithful from Poland and all over
larus that first manage to cope with mainly for tourist purposes? Can
the world. This constitutes, apart from a form her problems, on whose territory they make a European tourist hit
of religious experiences – a peculiar promo- three missing sluices were renovat- thereof? Will they free themselves
tion of the region and especially the tourist ed and the whole section between from prejudices, political divisions
route on the Augustow Canal. the Neman and the Polish border and historical burdens, implement-
became navigable. The works end- ing the vision of Green Lungs of
ed practically in the year 2006. Europe within which the main role
Green Lungs of Poland At the moment adaptation will be played by the Augustow Ca-
works are conducted on the Polish nal – the Object of the World Herit-
Green Lungs of Europe side. According to some progno- age and a masterpiece of the engi-
In the year 1974, at the national sis, they will have been completed neering thought, which has not lost
conference dedicated to the envi- by the end of 2007, including a anything of its beauty and utilitar-
ronment protection program of the complete renovation of the border ian value for 184 years.
then Białystok Province, it was first sluice Kurzyniec and a deepening Krzysztof Wolfram,
recognized that the Augustow Ca- of the Canal at the section between Foundation Green Lungs of Poland
nal was to be a first-rate object gen-
erating tourist traffic in this part
of the country. However, nobody
could even dream about using the
part belonging to the USSR. On
the contrary. The border guard,
armed to the teeth, a wide zone of
border control, functioning of the
so-called “systema” and no will of
cooperation on the part of the So-
viets, deterred the visionaries.
It was the collapse of the Soviet
Union that brought about the res-
urrection of the unimplemented
plans at the end of 1991 after the
rise of the independent Republic
of Belarus. A sluice in Augustów. Photo by P.Malczewski
41
ESSAy
On August III the Saxon’s hunting entertainments at Hetman Branicki’s
How the wig saved the king’s life!
It happened on 30 September
1752. The royal court arrived at
Hetman Jan Klemens Branicki’s to
pay a visit.
The Polish throne was occupied
at that time by Augutst III the
Saxon, called the Fat. That king,
as commonly known, was a great
amateur of luxurious life. And, as
it became a king, he relished in
feasts and hunts.
Hunting for… cats
Malicious gossips on the royal
fat had it that, not being able to
leave Warsaw to hunt, he longed
for this type of entertainment that
he ordered to lay around horse car-
casses in front of the palace. When
hungry dogs and cats ran up to the
flash, the monarch would shoot
them from the palace windows.
Of course, Podlasie had never
been short of game. Royal edicts, Shooting competition in Chmielówka Stara, 2003
as early as those issued by the first
Jagiellonians, forbade hunting in Palace, called the Versaille of the deer, roe-deer, elk, wolves, wild
the Białowieża Forest. For killing North, and a bit more modest lit- boar, foxes and hares are waiting
an auroch, a bison or another royal tle palace in Choroszcz. It is built in a great number. There are also
animal one could be executed. It in baroque style in the middle of a some bears in cages. One of them
was only the last of the Jagiellons, small islet surrounded by the pal- is really big.
Sigismund August, who, as the ace moat. And it is not a defence
first monarch in Europe, abolished requisite but the rich magnate’s Wolves are falling
tortures and capital punishment luxury.
for hunting in royal properties. The whole 40-hectare palace off the trees
park is cut with water canals. Over Over the main canal in the park
A beast lurking the water hang decorative little an enormous wooden bridge has
bridges with fanciful balustrades. been built. It leads high over the
behind the bars Shapely boats with richly clad la- water level. Opposite the bridge,
However, let us return to King dies float on the moats and canals. on the palace view terrace a huge
August III the Saxon: here he is, Everything is ready for the recep- decorative throne has been placed.
entering Hetman Jan Klemens tion of the king. A few smaller armchairs are for
Branicki’s lands. Long before the hunt wild game the host, his wife and some more
This hetman possesses two lux- was chased there from the sur- important guests of the court.
urious residences. The Białystok rounding forests. Closed in corrals On the both banks of the canals
42
HoW THE WIg SAvED THE KINg’S LIFE!
gazebos, tables and places for the But what is it? All of a sudden, bear to discover what had enraged
guests have been situated. There the clapping ceases. Out of the wa- the beast so much. It was … a huge
is a stage nearby, on which some ter emerges … the enraged huge wig of the royal minister. Appar-
musicians are already tuning their bear! Roaring terribly and having ently, the man, falling into the wa-
instruments. Everything is ready. stretched his powerful claws out, ter, lost it. He managed to crawl up
They all can begin. the beast flails everything around the bank but his wig attracted the
Let us give the floor to the eye- with the paws! beast’s attention.
witness. Stanislaw August Poni- The dogs have been released! Teasing the minister was endless.
atowski, the subsequent king of No use! Bang crack! They all howl He, on the other hand, pretended
Poland and at the moment the miserably and their necks are bro- to be angry and sulky but actually
hetman’s wife Izabela’s brother ken! What is going on? The bear is he was really happy. He not only
invited to the hetman’s palace, de- jumping onto the boat, where, the saved his own life but could count
scribes this event in his memoirs in terrified king’s minister Saul sits. on the king’s grace as well. Did he
details: “For a few days, the Grand The minister falls into the water! have a spare wig? Unfortunately, I
Hetman was receiving and organ- Bing crack! The bears paws don’t know!
izing trips for the king and his are hitting around. Everybody is Wojciech Koronkiewicz
court. He, among other things, ar- screaming with horror. Even the
ranged a great fun in Choroszcz, king has become pale. For the The little palace in Choroszcz still exits. It
exactly to the king’s taste. A beast, already very enraged, glanc- houses the museum of interiors where one
plenty of game were brought in es at his direction. The bear brush- may admire furniture and paintings of Bran-
cages to little woods of this de- es the water in the canal aside in or- icki’s era, including both the hetman’s and
lightful place. They were being der to chop the king and his court his wife’s portraits.
unfortunately, the palace park has dramati-
chased along a narrow path made on the bank and to take revenge
cally overgrown. green duckweed covers the
of boards between two walls up to for his harm and captivity.
moats and the canals. Rust damages the little
the tops of trees growing by the The hetman turned pale be- bridges over the water.
canal. There were devices there: cause he did not imagine this hunt However, it is worth visiting this place, tak-
traps through which the beasts like that. He calls the shooters as ing a stroll around the palace and explore the
fell down into the water from the quickly as possible so that they kill depth of the park. Maybe somewhere among
height of 30 feet, which gave the the horrible beast and to protect the grass and bushes we’ll feel the spirit of
king opportunities of shooting, as the king from death. But will the those old sumptuous hunts?
he liked, the wolves, the boar and shooters come in time, before the Walking along the main canal we’ll reach Love
the bears on the move. Hunting bear riches the king? Ay, they are Hill. It is here that Mrs Branicka’s gazebo
dogs were waiting for those beasts standing too far away. stood. Izabela Poniatowska-Czartoryska mar-
at the feet of the trees in order, in ried Jan Klemens Branicki where she was 18
case they survived, to chase them years old. He had just turned sixty. It was a
The minister’s hair political marriage in order to secure influence
on earth and in water until the
king chose to shoot them.” comes to the rescue on the country’s politics to the most power-
ful magnate families in Poland. Among other
Suddenly, our of the water a things it was influence on the future royal elec-
A bear attacks the monarch hairy creature emerged, big, stinky tion. Nevertheless, the marriage did not meet
and like… nothing known. The the expectations. The hetman let neither his
At that moment an enormous bear roared and dashed on this wife nor her family affect his decisions. They
bear is being chased into the flyo- creature. He started to tug it furi- say he would go to girls in neighbouring no-
ver running high over the canal. ously. By that time the shooters ble settlements. Mrs Branicka, as a story has
The trap-flap has opened and the had run up and killed the bear with it, was by no means miserable and received
bear has fallen down. The king a few salvos. various elegant young men in her temple of
shoots. On the bank applause can The court sighed with relief. So musing. Hence the name “Love Hill.”
be heard to express the court’s ad- did the king, the hetman and the A local legend has it, that he who comes there
miration of the king’s marksman- hunt was over. Before the feast be- for a date, may count on “a lot.” Is it true? It is
worth checking it for yourself.
ship. gan the enormous carcass of the
43
RESEARCH
Functioning of Voluntary Fire Brigades based on the units from
the Bakłarzewo Community
At the beginning it was szpichaw (a shed with buckets)
Voluntary Fire Brigades played
the crucial role of keeping the se-
curity in the small- town or the
village environment. Not only the
fire security.
They have made the only, half-
professional formation guarding
the population from all sorts of
cataclysms since the beginning of
the town. Only several years ago
, when the mechanical vehicles
were not very popular means of
transport, and the condition of the
roads left a lot to be desired, exist-
ing of the Voluntary Fire Brigades
stood for to be or not to be for many
buildings threatened by fire or the
lives of inhabitants. Functioning
of Voluntary Fire Brigades had ties. They disciplined residents to fire. If he does not do that he will vouch for
also vital importance for building clean chimneys, secure stoves, etc. it with his head. On the sound of the bell
the social bonds, both between As early as in 1551 Andrzej Frycz everybody must rush to extinguish the fire.
firemen themselves and the other Modrzewski in his work “On the Im- Each farmer should have near his house
inhabitants of the settlement as provement of the Commonwealth” in the a movable ladder, a fire hook on the long
well. The experience gained dur- chapter “How to avoid and put pole to pull down the collapsing buildings,
ing the fight with the disaster was out fires” presented the code of a piece of cloth attached to the bar, which
later often used in the military serv- fire-fighting procedure: Each towns- wet can be used to put out the fire, addi-
ice for the benefit of the country . man – the owner of the house- should try tionally an axe, a bucket, in front of the
It was also used in underground that all stoves, chimneys, hearths and house a vat full of water. In the next part
resistance of all kinds of patriotic other places, in which the fire burns, were of his work Modrzewski included a threat
organizations such as Polish Mili- moulded from clay and protected against of paying the penalty for people not re-
tary Organization (Polska Organ- spreading of fire. Chimneys should jut over specting the above warrants. : If one of this
izacja Wojskowa) or Home Army the tops of the buildings so the out coming warrants was not fulfilled by somebody
(Armia Krajowa). sparks do not cause the danger of the roof [...] he should pay one grzywna (former
fire. From May to September you should monetary unit), and if somebody was not
As Frycz Modrzewski not light the fire after the sunset. Near the presented at the fire three grzywnas.
place where you light the fire you should
wrote... not store straw, hay and woody core. The fire went with wars
In the period of nobility in Po- Modrzewski described also
land, Bakałarzewo (founded in measures in case of an accident Such rigorous patterns of be-
1514) formally did not have Fire of the fire itself: If the fire starts some- haviour were forced by the con-
Brigades- a coordination of the where in the house the host or one of the temporary reality. In the period
fire-fighting activities was in the household members should immediate- of the former Commonwealth
responsibility of the local authori- ly run out of the house and announce the all buildings situated in this part
44
AT THE BEgINNINg IT WAS SzPICHAW
of the Grand Duchy of Lithua- to maintain a chimney-sweeper,
nia were made of wood. In claiming that they would sweep
Bakałarzewo another problem was their chimneys by themselves. One
a high-density housing, especially of the problems was also the lack
near the market square. Moreover of the fire tower from which you
transporting water to the square could catch the sight of fire. There
was arduous, due to the height of were not suitable houses for the
the hill where it was located. The watchtower as well. In this local town
water was drawn off the Rospuda – we can read – there is only “szpichaw”
River and Sumowo Lake and few that is a shed for storage fire tools.
wells.
There are not any remaining Moaning , crying
references showing the existence A Print of Bakałarzewo Fire Brigade Stamp from
of fires here, which of course does 1934. Source: State Archive Suwałki, set 32, shelf and grinding teeth
mark 211, k. 13.
not mean they were not there. Pre- On 30-th April 1852 Bakałarzewo
sumably especially the periods of that in Bakałarzewo there were 76 experienced one of the most tragic
wars and the marches of foreign fire-fighting sets consisting of fire events in its history. At 10 o’clock
armies were rich in these kinds of hooks, wooden syringes, ladders the fire, which consumed a big part
events. and leather buckets. Water was of the city, broke out. From the re-
Because the Bakałarzewo Par- drawn off from four wells and six port of the contemporary mayor of
ish was located close to the border vats with water. Bakałarzewo Tadeusz Gałdziewicz
there were often fights in these Around the year 1834 the au- we learn that the cause of the trag-
parts, causing in the consequence thorities of the town bought a edy was arson. The culprit was
conflagrations. Especially Swedish hand pomp for 600 zloty. Six years never found. It is also known that
Deluge caused huge destructions later the existing of the shed for the unknown person set fire from
and fires. The army of the intrud- fire-fighting tools was mentioned the outside to the thatched roof of
ers plundered and burnt every- in Bakałarzewo. This building was the stable belonging to Szmajło
thing what was on their way. This called “szpichaw”. It was a kind of Mintz and Eliasz Bardyni (rabbi).
type of behaviour was also not the former fire station of the Vol- From here the fire quickly moved
unfamiliar to Tatars formations untary Fire Brigade. Of course to the neighboring properties.
which after the victorious Battle there was not a place for a fire en- The wind was so strong that dur-
of Prostki in 1656 plundered Prus- gine or other specialist equipment ing two hours 22 dwelling houses
sian lands and Polish-Lithuanian there, inside there were only buck- and adjacent outbuildings were
lands as well. ets, fire hooks, shovels etc. This burnt. As a result of the fire the
shed was probably situated at the following people lost their lives:
New Prussia – new order market square, near the mayor’s Rozalia Korczakowa, the farmer’s
office. wife who at that time was 57 and
Groundbreaking changes in ap- There is an interesting, pre- a young Jew Lejbowicz, a son of
proach to fire protection came in served document from 16/29 the local blacksmith. What is more
the period of incorporating the March 1843 in which the mayor several people were injured and
land of the today’s Suwalszczyzna of Bakałarzewo responses to the two got burnt. According to the
to Białystok department of the letter of the Governor of the Au- data including in the report the
New East Prussia, after the fall gustów County about organis- disaster hit 81 families, altogether
of the I Commonwealth in 1795. ing fire brigades in towns. Mayor 325 people.
Prussians introduced new rules, Krajewski claimed at that time Out of this number 186 could
which were more restrictive in fire- that Bakałarzewo had not enough not feed themselves, 85 were able
fighting issues. From the descrip- inhabitants and that there were to work and the remaining 101
tion of the towns made at the turn shorts of funds for this aim. More- residents (people under age or ad-
of the 1799 and 1800 we know over townsmen did not agree vanced age) were unable to work.
45
AT THE BEgINNINg IT WAS SzPICHAW
formal formation, not registered
officially.
The fire station was located at
the market square, more or less
opposite the present-day house
of the Drobiszewski family. As
early as at the beginning of the
twentieth century there was an
old building so we can conclude it
was built earlier, in the nineteenth
century. It was pulled down just
before the outbreak of World War
I or when it was in progress. The
way the fires were put out at that
time was presented in an inter-
esting story by Stanisław Sówka
which was written in seventies of
the twentieth century based on
Bakałażewo Voluntary Fire Brigade in 1927. From the left stand: 1. Piotr Gajewski, 2. Piotr Jasiński, the tales of the oldest inhabitants
3. Stanisław Jasiński. The second row from the left: 1. Józef Jasiński (maybe Józef Szpakowski), 2.
of Bakałarzewo. The author de-
maybe Józef Cimochowski (from the USA, the later member of the resistance movement )?, 3. Fran-
ciszek Naruszewicz, 4. ?, 5. ? Sitting on the bench from the left: 1. Stanisław Przyborowski, 2. Piotr scribed in it the fire of the house
Przyborowski, 3. Jan Brogowski, 4. Kazimierz Gierałtowski (an organist), 5. Rev. Julian Łosiewski of Jewish Rublin, a sausage maker
(a parish priest), 6. Jan Naumowicz (a chief), 7. Piotr Kamiński, 8. Franciszek Sejnowski. Sitting on from Bakałarzewo who stayed in
the groud from the left: 1. Piotr Przyborowski, 2. Jan Wasilewski, 3. Mieczysław Nowicki. front of the church:
It is burning- Wincenty and Jakub
The fire did not spare the house cal parish priest the reverend Jerzy Brzozowski are shouting from the direction
of Eliasz Bardynia, a contempo- Kasperowicz was ordered to crate of the church carrying together a big circu-
rary rabbi of the Jewish commu- the Committee to Help the Needy lar saw to saw timber, two smaller saws,
nity from Bakałarzewo, in which a People. All new constructed hous- a file, a hammer , they have dropped eve-
municipal office, Inland Revenue, es were however wooden. In spite rything and have run towards the fire[...]
city treasury, bills, acts and offi- of the act from 1820 ordering The tongues of flames were visible. People
cial items were located. The mayor building on market squares brick are running in unison towards the fire with
Gałdziewicz, who was living close houses what was supposed to limit fire hooks, shovels and flappers. The siren
to the office, lost his fortune, too. fires in the future. of the fire brigade could be heard. [...].
He describes these moments: I The fire brigade wheeled out a hayrack
could save accidentally my life and what It started from the wagon from the fire station, the fire station
I was wearing before the fire together with stood at the market square. It was not far
my family, the writer and servants. In a fire station away. The fire so quickly ate from all sides
word I could save nothing valuable or from It is difficult to determine pre- resinous beams of Rublins’s house that it
my property. I am staying now in the poor- cisely the date of establishing was not much to extinguish. Firefighters
est state wearing a part of Jewish clothes. the Voluntary Fire Brigade in would be more helpful to shield Górwicz’s
Eighty families had to wander through pig- Bakałarzewo. So far nobody has buildings and the church. [...].
sties and stables, one day, they cannot hold not come across a document con- After the winter the barrel stood on the
their lives, only moaning, crying and grind- cluding that unambiguously. We sledges which had runners made of thick
ing people’s teeth can be heard, people to a can however assume that existing beams. It was attached to the sledges by
large extent afflicted by God’s punishment. of the fire station is the beginning iron bars not to fall down. Firefighters
The authorities did not leave of the formation. quickly moved the barrel from the sledges
fire victims alone and organised Firefighters were probably cer- to the wagon and quickly went to the river
fund-rising for rebuilding. The lo- tain residents who formed an in- for water. The hand pomp was already set,
46
AT THE BEgINNINg IT WAS SzPICHAW
the hoses attached. To pump water four wanted to build there a small box take into consideration the means
men stood on each side. They delivered and a public convenience. We do of transport - a horse carriage - we
water quickly; the foam from horses could not know if their demands were have a clear image of the contem-
be collected by the handful. The pump has kept. porary fires (especially in the re-
started. The ashes were only extinguished. In March Jan Naumowicz be- mote areas , far from Bakałarzewo
Thanks to firemen the Jewish Górwicz’s came an alderman and he put for- and other units). The fire risk
bakery was saved and the wooden church. ward a proposal that the local fire was high. The report of the alder-
Rublin seeing the fire burst into tears. The brigade should have taken over man Wólka Community Jan Dzi-
Sun was heading towards sunset. the whole income from the annual urdzikowski confirmed that 14
The oldest officially preserved docu- fairs. This case was also supported people, owners of the houses in
ment confirming existence a fire brigade by the County Starost. Bakałarzewo had defective chim-
here comes from 1921. 50000 marks were In 1936 a decision was made to neys. These people were Mowsza
passed in aid of the unit from the budget build at the Bakałarzewo market Jankowski, Bronisław Domel,
of the Community. A year later six mem- square a new well and a tank for Józef Krankowski, Stanisław
bers of the Fire-fighting Committee were fire-fighting water. In the same Filipowicz, Henryk Gryglas, An-
chosen (Paweł Pietkiewicz, Kazimierz year the fire brigade from Rospuda toni Wojciechowski, Ksawery
Kurzynowski, Konstanty Ferenc, Jan had 33 members (Polish). Accord- Gajewski, Bolesław Kaszuba, Jan
Drobiszewski, Aleksander Chmielewski ing to the report of the chief of Mieruniski, Franciszek Sejnowski,
and Konstanty Sypra). the Bakałarzewo Police it worked Stanisław Sejnowski, Zygmunt
well. They still had provisional Tylenda, Józef Szpakowski and
Big range, small income fire station. They received a sub- Stanisław Złotnik.
vention from a community budget
On 22 February 1934 the amounting to 350 zł. The urgent The people
board of the Fire Brigade from problem was lack of the proper
Bakałarzewo: the chairman Jan fire station. of the post – war period
Naumowicz and the secretary There is lack of archival data
Józef Wnukowski sent to the As the evidence about a prestige who was a chief of the Bakałażewo
County Board of the Fire Brigade of the Bakałarzewo Fire Brigade Fire Brigade before the outbreak
Association RP in Suwałki a peti- testimonies a fact that one of its of the war . According to Anna
tion concerning income from the members was a local teacher Leon Wróblewski from Bakałarzewo it
Bakałarzewo market. They wrote Kaminski. This man was involved was Czesław Chrzanowski ).
that before 1933 the fire brigade in the public life of the town. He The operations of the Sec-
got 25% of all income from the was a well-known and respected ond World War caused destruc-
trade. Other money was given to person in the local society. tion of almost all buildings in
the Community. Since 1933 the The Voluntary Fire Brigades in Bakałarzewo , including a fire
firefighters lost control over the Bakałarzewo was the only forma- station. It was the reason why the
market and the lost the source tion of this kind in Wólka com- unit was moved for several years
of the income. That is why fire- munity. It had to watch over the to Borawskie.
fighters from Rospuda asked the safety of the big area ( 89,6 sq km) Once again the fire brigade was
County Board to put a pressure . Except Bakałarzewo at the be- re-established some time after es-
on the community authorities in ginning of thirties in the Suwałki tablishing on 25 September Vil-
this issue. They thought that if County there were the fire bri- lage People’s Council – as later
the market had been sectioned off gades units in Suwałki, Berżniki, documents reveal – on inhabit-
the Bakałarzewo community land Filipów, Jeleniewo, Krasnop- ants’ initiative. . We do not know
the funds should have been trans- ol, Płociczno (a state sawmill), the exact day of its new activating.
ferred there. At the same time the Przerośli, Sejny, Wiżajny and in The oldest known infomation con-
fire brigade committed itself to Wychodne . So the closest unit cerning Bakałarzewo Voluntary
keeping the order during markets was in Filipów and Wychodne Fire Brigade comes from the year
and fairs. Additionally firefighters (more than 10 kilometers). If we 1961. At that time there were 27
47
AT THE BEgINNINg IT WAS SzPICHAW
members which had at their dis- Kaszuba, Kazimierz Wróblewski, Bełbot, Zdzisław Brankiewicz,
posal a motor pump “Leopolia” Józef Jankowski, Jan Gawrych, Marian Penczyło . Four years later
M 800, 9 combat uniforms and Franciszek Szruba, Tadeusz Szc- the members of the Bakałarzewo
11 walking-out uniforms . In this zurek, Tadeusz Mieruniski, Ale- Voluntary Fire Brigade Board
year a new fire station , which now ksander Szpakowski, Marianna were: the chairman – Wacław Tom-
is the building of a post office, Tomkiewicz, Ryszard Grzybowski, kiewicz, the chief ( chairman’s
was planned to be used. Totally Kazimierz Wróblewski . In 1971 r deputy) – Tadeusz Wróblewski,
in 1961 members conducted five the chairman was Wacław Tomk- the second vice-chairman– Ale-
firefighting actions and made one iewicz, the chief – Tadeusz Wró- ksander Jeleniewicz, the treasurer
alarm drill. blewski, the chief’s deputy – Ale- – Franciszek Tomkiewicz, the sec-
On 12 December 1966 r. the ksander Jeleniewicz, the secretary retary – Tadeusz Gajewski and the
members of the Bakałarzewo Vol- – Tadeusz Gajewski, the treasurer host – Stanisław Kaszuba. A year
untary Fire Brigade Board be- – Franciszek Tomkiewicz, the host later a post of the chairman took
came: Wacław Kozłowski – the – Stanisław Kaszuba. Other mem- up Stanisław Kaszuba, the secre-
chairman, Tadeusz Wróblewski bers were: Aleksander Szpakowski, tary – Walenty Masalski and the
– the chief, Marian Penczyło – the Kazimierz Wróblewski, Edmund host – Jan Kozłowski. There were
chief’s deputy, Józef Szpakowski Wasilewski, Edward Brankiewicz, no changes on other posts. In
– the secretary, Franciszek Tom- Stanisław Jasiński, Marianna Tom- 1978 a new secretary was chosen-
kiewicz – the treasurer and Józef kiewicz, Jan Gawrych, Piotr Skiba, Jan Szastaj. During the meeting
Mieruński – the host. Other fire- Stanisław Kamiński, Kozłowski, on 15 November 1980 members
men at this time were: Stanisław Krzysztof Łasewicz, Kazimierz of the Board were: the chairman
48
AT THE BEgINNINg IT WAS SzPICHAW
– Piotr Gągła, the chief – Edward Józef Jankowski – the chairman, year 2005 which serves for accidents
Skiba, the secretary – Marian Jan Kozłowski – the chief, Stefan trips and for transporting people
Smakulski, , the treasurer – Fran- Naruszewicz – the secretary, Fran- and the firefighting equipment .
ciszek Tomkiewicz and the host ciszek Tomkiewicz – the treasurer, In the region of Bakałarzewo
– Jan Kozłowski. The post of the Eugeniusz Okrzesik – the host . Community there are four Vol-
chairman of the Community Vol- The key issue was to incorpo- untary Fire Brigade units:
untary Fire Brigade performed rate this unit on 7 April 1995 to Bakałarzewo, Karasiewo, Stara
Adam Szymański, and his secre- the national rescue-firefighting Chmielówka and Stary Skazdub.
tary – Walenty Masalski. On 25 system. It happened in accord- In the Bakałarzewo Land Develop-
November 1981 r. Edward Skiba ance with an earlier agreement ment Plan from 1984 it was stated
resigned from the post of the chief from 28 December 1994 r. . From that in villages Karasiewo, Nowa
of the Bakałarzewo Voluntary Fire 2001 the post of the chairman Kamionka, Aleksandrowi some
Brigade and two days later Józef had Józef Jankowski, the chief lands are reserved for the potential
Jankowski was chosen as his suc- – Jan Kozłowski, the treasurer building fire stations. . However
cessor. At the end of the same – Franciszek Tomkiewicz and the investments in Aleksandrów and
year the new chief of Bakałarzewo host – Edward Nowakowski. The Nowa Kamionka did not come off
firefighters became Stefan Na- new member of the board (the probably because of the diminish-
ruszewicz (officialy he stated the secretary) became Janusz Na- ing number of residents.
post on 24 January 1982). These ruszewicz. In an Audit Commit-
authorities remained until 1986 tee were Henryk Wojciechowski, Voluntary Fire Brigade
when the chairman Piotr Gągła Krzysztof Łasewicz and Grzegorz
and the chief – Stefan Narusze- Kozłowski. in Karasiewo
wicz resigned. As a result of general gather- The Voluntary Fire Brigade
In 1986 Bakałarzewo Voluntary ing (reporting and electing) from in Karasiewo came to existence
Fire Brigade had 28 fellows, 3 con- 21 February 2006, on which 27 by force of the General Assembly
tributors and 16 members of the members came, the Board is as held on December 16, 1966. The
youth team. On 25 November of following: Józef Jankowski – the first president of this unit became
the same year there was a general chairman, Jan Kozłowski – the Henryk Smokowski and the first
gathering where were discussed is- chief, Tomasz Naruszewicz – the chief was Piotr Gągła.
sues connected with improving of secretary, Franciszek Tomkiewicz Zygmunt Bokuniewicz became
audibility of the fire siren, buying – the treasurer and Edward Nowa- a vice-chief. Furthermore the fol-
walking-out uniforms and repair- kowski – the host. lowing people were elected to
ing a fire hydrant in front of the To an Audit Committee were the management: Stanisław Je-
fire station. The new Board was chosen: Henryk Wojciechowski leniewicz – secretary, Stanisław
chosen . The post of the chairman (the chairperson), Krzysztof Jegliński – treasurer and Stanisław
was entrasted to Józef Jankowski, Łasewicz (the secretary), Stefan Plaga – host. The representa-
and the treasurer to – Franciszek Stelmak (the member). The del- tive of the Communal National
Tomkiewicz.. The new chief be- egates for a convention of a com- Council was Józef Woronko. The
came Jan Kozłowski. Additionaly munity unit of Voluntary Fire Bri- remaining firefighters-found-
the Board consisted of Edward gade were chosen: Stefan Biłda, ers were: Stanisław Cichowski,
Wasilewski (the host), Marian Jan Kozłowski, Jan Gorlo, Adam Henryk Bokuniewicz, Stanisław
Smakulski (the chronicler) and Szymański, Tomasz Naruszewicz, Kowalski, Stanisław Jeleniewicz,
Stanisław Kaszuba (a member). In Edward Nowakowski and Szymon Stanisław Czarniecki, Aleksander
an Audit Commitee were : Henryk Krzesicki . Because of the death of Bobrowski, Stanisław Okunie-
Wojciechowski (the chairperson), the old hand member Franciszek wicz, Jan Gągła, Aleksander Omil-
Eugeniusz Okrzesik (a member) i Tomkiewicz, a new treasurer be- ian, Władysław Pojawa i Stanisław
Jarosław Dąbrowski (a member) . came Henryk Kamiński. Jegliński (Igliński). An annual
After the election in 1991 the Firefighters from Bakałarzewo membership fee was established
Board looked as the following : have at their disposal Ford Transit, at 24 zlotys.
49
AT THE BEgINNINg IT WAS SzPICHAW
On December 1966, the District retary, Jerzy Chlebus - treasurer, Konstanty Rozmierski, host. The
Management of VFB in Suwałki and Piotr Dąbrowski – host. The representative of the Commu-
announced that: The Voluntary Board of Audit comprised: Marcin nal National Council was Józef
Fire Brigade in the village of Ka- Sobolewski, Piotr Cichocki i Paweł Klukowski. The remaining mem-
rasiewo, CNC (Comunal National Jeleniewicz. On February 2006, bers were: Edward Dzikielewski,
Council) Bakałarzewo, came to report-election General Assembly Piotr Walendzewicz, Stanisław
existence in 1966 by initiative of was held attended by 15 members. Stanulewicz, Henryk Rozmier-
the inhabitants thereof. The exist- The management of the VFB Ka- ski, Józef Nalewajko, Józef Wal-
ence of this VFB in the village is rasiewo includes the following endzewicz, Stanisław Rozmierski,
in accordance with the guidelines people: Władysław Pojawa from Czesław Brodowski, Mieczysław
of the layout of fire brigades in the Nowy Dwór – president, Jerzy Perkowski, Tadeusz Wasilewski,
Suwałki District. From the mo- Grajewski-Gągła from Karasiewo Stanisław Miler syn Władysława,
ment of origin on, the organization – chief, Krzysztof Sak from Ka- Piotr Skonieczny, Józef Dycze-
meets its statutory responsibilities, rasiewo – secretary, Jerzy Chlebus wski, Franciszek Kaczanowski,
both organizationally and training- from Nowy Dwór – treasurer and Władysław Ferenc, Serafin Moc-
operationally. The number of the Józef Smokowski from Karasiewo zulski, Mieczysław Danowski and
members is sufficient to perform – host. The Board of Audit includ- Henryk Aleksandrowicz.
tasks designed for the brigade in ed: Marcin Sobolewski from Ka- The annual fee was established at
question, i.e. “Km”. rasiewo – president and Piotr Ci- 24 zlotys. In 1967 another firefight-
In 1971 the following people chocki from Karasiewo and Paweł er joined the unit, which resulted
were members of the VFP Ka- Jeleniewicz from Gębalówka in the number of 26 members (in-
rasiewo: Piotr Jeleniewicz – presi- – members. Furthermore, rep- cluding 9 exemplary firefighters,
dent, Piotr Gągła – chief, Zyg- resentatives for the Commune three firefighters with the Medals of
munt Bokuniewicz – vice-chief, Branch Conference were elected: Decenary and one with the Bronze
Stanisław Jeleniewicz – sekretary, Władysław Pojawa, Jerzy Grajew- Medal). In order to raise the mem-
Stanisław Czarniecki – treas- ski-Gągła, Marcin Sobolewski, bers’ qualifications firefighting
urer, Aleksander Dąbrowski – Krzysztof Sak and Jerzy Chlebus. exercises were organized (there
host, Aleksander Omilian, Józef were 8 in 1961). The firefighters of
Smokowski, Jan Gągła, Czesław Voluntary Fire Brigade Chmielówka also arranged talks
Bokuniewicz, Piotr Dąbrowski, making the community aware of
Aleksander Sobolewski, Stanisław in Stara Chmielówka fire dangers and yearly inspections
Jegliński, Józef Woronko, Tadeusz The Voluntary Fire Brigade in of all the houses. Among other
Banaszewski, Henryk Smokowski, Stara Chmielówka has been ex- things, these actions resulted in no
Teodor Czarniecki, Stanisław isting in Stara Chmielówka since fires noted in the period 1965-67 on
Kowalski, Stanisław Bokuniewicz, 1956. The Management of the the territory of their community,
Władysław Pojawa. District Department of VFB in because the farmers treated these
As the result of the 1991 elec- Suwałki gave the year 1954 as the things quite seriously, observe the
tions, Stanisław Jeleniewicz be- date of its origin in 1966, but it fire protection regulations, par-
came president of the VFB Ka- probably concerns the beginning ticipate actively in the meetings
rasiewo. Jerzy Grajwski-Gągła of the Comunal National Council. arranged by the firefighters. The
performed the duty of chief. Apart In the year of foundation the unit members left Chmielówska only
from them the management con- counted 13 members. In 1966 this to the fires which occurred in the
sisted of: Wiesław Wądołowski number grew up to 25. surroundings of their village. They
(sekretary), Stanisław Czarniecki From January 27 of that Lear did not set off twice because there
(treasurer) and Władysław Po- Jan Sofinowski held the office of were not horses.
jawa (host). After the 2002 elec- president, Stanisław Miler was The members of the VFB Stara
tions Władysław Pojawa was still the chief, Antoni Danowski, vice- Chmielówka also took part, within
president, Jerzy Grajewski-Gągła chief; Ryszard Szostak, secretary; the framework of community work,
- chief, Wiesław Wądołowski - sec- Tadeusz Brodowski, treasurer; in the construction of their fire sta-
50
AT THE BEgINNINg IT WAS SzPICHAW
tion. It is estimated that they gen-
erated 110 thousand zlotys (50%
of investments). They built an en-
try mound and graveled 1.5 km of
the road in their village. They also
had their own building, rubbered
wagon, firefighting hoses, 14 uni-
forms, 10 pairs of trousers, 4 sets
of overalls (protective) whereas
the further 5 had been ordered.
What was missing was: a canister,
a drying-room for the hoses, and a
person to run the common room.
The chief of the VFB Chmielówka
was Stanisław Miler.
As far the year 1971 is con-
cerned, we know the fighting
stuff of this unit: Stanisław Miler,
Antoni Danowski, Jan Sofiński,
Tadeusz Brodowski, Piotr Wal- Władysław Walendzewicz, host. in 1972. 21 people joined it then.
endzewicz, Józef Nalewajko, The Board of Audit comprised The first president of this unit was
Józef Walendzewicz, Mieczysław Antoni Domin, Stanisław Balczun elected Benedykt Tomkiewicz. The
Perkowski, Tadeusz Wasilewski, and Wiesław Paciorkowski. first chief became Tadeusz Urba-
Ryszard Szostak, Stanisław Miler On February 23, 2006 the re- nowicz. Edward Kaszuba was ap-
syn Władysława, Piotr Skoniec- port-election General Assembly pointed his vice-chief. Stanisław
zny, Józef Dyczewski, Franciszek was held in Chmielówka. The Gorlo (secretary) was to deal with
Kaczanowski, Władysław Ferenc, Management have consisted of paper work. A person responsible
Serafin Moczulski, Józef Ku- Czesław Staniszewski, president; for finances was made Ryszard
kowski, Mieczysław Danowski Leszek Kaszuba, chief; Jan Sofi- Żukowski (treasurer). Another
and Henryk Aleksandrowicz. At nowski, secretary; Tadeusz Bro- member of the management was
the beginning of the 1980s, Stara dowski, treasurer and Władysław also Wacław Kłos performing the
Chmielówka had its own common Walendzewicz, host. The Board duty of host.
room in the local fire station. of Audit is constituted by the fol- The other first Skazdubian fire-
From 1991 on, new manage- lowing: Antoni Domin, chairmen; fighters in history were: Władysław
ment embraced: Jan Sofinowski, Stanisław Balczun, secretary and Grochowski, Franciszek Kłos, Wi-
president; Leszek Kaszuba, chief; Wiesław Paciorkowski, member. told Złotorzyński, Antoni Radzaj,
Piotr Walendzewicz, secretary; Like in other units, delegates were Romuald Dwojakowski, Józef Fer-
Tadeusz Brodowski, treasurer; Ta- elected for Assembly of the Com- enc, Józef Naumowicz, Józef Tom-
deusz Paciorkowski, host and An- mune Branch of the VFB: Czesław kiewicz, Ryszard Górny, Wacław
toni Domin, chronicler. Staniszewski, Leszek Kaszuba, Urbanowicz, Józef Grzędziński,
By force of the record in the Na- Tadeusz Brodowski, Wiesław Czesław Milewski, Piotr Naumo-
tional Court Register of Feburary Pacirokowski oraz Tadeusz Pa- wicz, Józef Dobko and Franciszek
6, 2002, the content of a new man- ciorkowski. Reczkowski. All the above-men-
agement and audit committee was tioned signed an application, on
confirmed. The president of man- Voluntary Fire Brigade December 15, 1972, to the Provin-
agement was Czesław Staniszewski cial Headquarters of Fire Brigades
whereas Leszek Kaszuba became in Stary Skazdub in Białystok, for legal registration
a chief, Jan Sfinowski, secretary; The Voluntary Fire Brigade in of the VFB Skazdub Stary. The
Tadeusz Brodowski, treasurer; Stary Skazdub was established Provincial Headquarters did it
51
AT THE BEgINNINg IT WAS SzPICHAW
on December 29 the same year,
giving it number 1049. In the
following years some new mem-
bers were admitted: Stanisław
Wasilewski, Antoni Kibitlewski,
Bolesław Grygo, Jan Urbanow-
icz, Jan Czesław Grygo, Fran-
ciszek Grygo, Czesław Bobowicz,
Mieczysław Kozłowski, Eugen-
iusz Brzęk and Józef Ferenc.
In the first years of its existence
the unit had just basic fire equip-
ment. The unit did not possess its
own car, and the firefighters were
transported to the fires on horse-
drawn carts and tractors being
private property of kind farmers.
An important date in the his-
tory of this Fire Brigade was the
year 1975 when a new fire-station
was built. It was constructed by
the villagers themselves, doing
the so-called “community work.” work of the Management. As the 40 firefighters today. However,
In addition, a common room and result of the report-election Gener- only 8 of them can see action.
some local roads came to existence al Assembly of February 22, 2006, They are the members possessing
in a similar way, As late as 1982 the which was attended by 20 mem- insurance.
VFB in Skazdub received a light bers, the present management of The existence of Voluntary Fire
fire engine with the motor pump the Voluntary Fire Brigade in Brigades in small towns and vil-
Żuk GLM 015 E of 1974. The ma- Stary Skazdub embraces: Tadeusz lages have been of invaluable im-
chine has been in use up till now. Milewski, president; Ryszard portance for many generations.
From 1991 on, the new manage- Górny, chief; Edward Dobko, sec- The units have often been the only
ment stuff was as follows: Benedykt retary; Jan Milewski, treasurer and non-government associations in
Tomkiewicz, president; Ryszard Kazimierz Urbanowicz, host. The local communities. Common par-
Górny, chief; Edward Kaszuba, Board of Audit is constituted by ticipation in firefighting created
vide-chief; Stanisław Gorlo, secre- Jan Jasiński, chairman, Mirosław sense of bonds and service for the
tary; Czesław Milewski, treasurer; Darda and Jan Kosiński, members. little homeland.
Franciszek Kłos, host and Tadeusz Also delegates for the Meeting of In addition to their purely fire-
Tomkiewicz, chronicler. In 2002 the Commune Division of VFB fighting responsibilities, the mem-
next elections for the Management were elected: Tadeusz Naumowicz, bers also participate in preventive,
and the Board of Audit were held. Ryszard Górny, Jan Jasiński, Jan rescue and educational actions.
The following people were elected Kosiński and Mirosław Darda. The climax of the service is an
for the former: Tadeusz Naumo- The equipment, apart from the inauguration at the beginning of
wicz, president; Ryszard Górny, fire engine, comprises two motor May, on St. Florian’s Day, saint
chief; Edward Dobko, secretary; pumps 800, protective overalls, patron of firefighters. During the
Jan Milewski, treasurer and Kaz- helmets, belts with axes, a hydrant skill competition held then, in one
imierz Urbanowicz, host. On the stand with a key, gate Ys and fire- of the villages the local commu-
other hand Eugeniusz Brzęk, Jan hose nozzles, lift-and-force hoses, nity gathers to participate in the
Kosiński and Jacek Kibitlewski ladders and a water pool. The contest.
were appointed to control the VFB Stary Skazdub counts about Tomasz Naruszewicz
52
CuISINE
Lithuanian meads, liqueurs and sekaczes
The previous parts of our short history of the Lithuanian cuisine treated on already classic dishes. At the
end of my story I want to offer you something for the soul.
In the past, the geographic lo- eas, mostly forested, of the North- As Mieczysław Jałowiecki de-
cation, natural and environmental East. Abysmal forests not only scribes it: “(…) With forest in back-
conditions affected dramatically protected but also clothed and fed. ground the history of this country has de-
the peculiarity of regional cuisines. This is hence the Lithuanian meads veloped, its beliefs, its songs and traditions.
Especially it may be seen in the ar- and cold meats originate. There isn’t probably a nook, as Lithuania
53
LITHuANIAN MEADS, LIquEuRS AND SEKACzES
and Belarus long and wide, where, where Sweetish and refreshing, it was Actually, it has nothing to do with
a dark stripe of forest wouldn’t blacken on drunk fresh. And if there was a sur- trees, except the wooden roller for
the horizon. plus of the juice, it was poured into baking. Simply, as usual in the case
To the borderland man the forest was barrels and soured into acid. Fer- of many popular regional special-
what sea is to the sailor, dessert to the Be- mented juice was used as beer. ties, countless legends are made
duin, something which has permeated As recently as the period be- up around it. As one of them has
deeply his body, his soul and mentality tween the World Wars this bever- it, sękacz was introduced to the
and melted into a unity. Isolated from the age was very popular in our lands. courts of the whole Europe in
rest of the world with overflowing waters, It was children who were busy the 16th century by Bona Sforza
sawn with hundreds of rivers, brooks and with the birch juice extraction, d’Aragona, the Mother-Queen
streams, swamps and marshes, covered since it was their great delicacy. of Italian origin. Fascinated with
with eternal forest, this country a sort of this amber-gold cake with which
petrified in its primeval existence, jeal- Alus with garlic she was treated during her trop
ously protecting its customs, beliefs and through the forest spaces of the me-
idiom.” bread and rue dieval Eastern Europe, she decided
The taste of the Lithuanian beer to add splendour to her son, King
Trejos devynerios and gira alus was already emphasized by Sigismund August II’s wedding
Very important distinguishing Oskar Kolberg: “Every Lithianian table serving sękacz. The crowned
marks of the Lithuanian cuisine woman, with no great effort, just could heads from all over Europe arrived
were beverages. Although in truth, brew it in a pot.” in Cracow, as it became the royal
old fine saturated meads has be- On special occasions a profes- wedding, and … developed taste in
come history now, what remained sional brewer was invited. The this specialty.
is perfect liqueurs, with the lead- Lithuanian beer was much lighter The tradition and craft of bak-
ing best known trejos devynerios than that brewed in the Crown, ing sękacz originates for the former
(three nines – “999”) – liqueur and a favourite addition to this eastern borderlands of the Com-
based on 27 medicine herbs. dark beer were (and still are) piec- monwealth and is still cultivated in
One may find it in two versions: es of toast made from dark bread the Suwalki region. The legend was
• medical – as herbal liqueur rec- rubbed with garlic. invented by the biggest company in
ommended for strengthening The Lithuanian cuisine brought Poland producing the export ver-
and purifying the body in a lot of herbs to the borderland sion of sękacz. What is definitely
• consumption – bitterish-tart culture, including its, almost na- not a legend is the fact that this roy-
herb vodka. tional, rue. The Lithuanians knew al amber-gold cake “finds its way to
its beneficial effect resulting from the tables of Vienna, St.Petersburg,
Whereas the Lithuanians belong the glycoside threrein, which Berlin and New York. It is served in
to hospitable peoples, though strengthened blood vessels, pre- Swiss resorts, Washington confec-
practical and thrifty, there is noth- vented from scurvy and lowered tioneries and Warsaw coffee-shops.”
ing strange that they developed a blood pressure. At quite a fatty It has become a flagship product of
recipe for the perfect bread acid diet, ample of drinks, it was of im- the region.
(Russian: kvass, Lithuanian: gira), portance.
made from bread biscuits. Sekacz
Birch juice used to be drunk in Tree cake or gnarled
Lithuania with equal pleasure, also This recipe comes from the bro-
by the nobles. The Crown made delicacy poured off a roller chure “Przysmaki Kuchni Region-
fun of the Lithuanians, “fed on the And, finally, it is time for some- alnej – Suwałki i okolice” (Delica-
birch blood.” The juice was ex- thing sweet or sękacz, traditionally cies of Regiona Cuisine – Suwałki
tracted in spring. Usually, a wood- baked in north-eastern Poland. and Surroundings), published
en pipe of white lilac or a reed was This sweet delicacy probably comes by the Suwałki Town Office and
stuck into cut or countersunk bark from the German cuisine, where it the Suwałki Agricultural-Tourist
and the juice dripped into jugs. is called Baumkuchen – a tree cake. Chamber.
54
LITHuANIAN MEADS, LIquEuRS AND SEKACzES
To bake a sękacz you need a fire was used, there was a grate in- ily removed; hence the two ends
wooden roller – thicker at the butt stead of the electric machine. The of the roller: the thicker one and
stuck therin, thinner at the other fuel was dry alder or birch. the thinner one. This also affects
end where a rod is fixed. The roller Those who prefer baking on real the shape of the cake resembling
lies horizontally on special support fire say that this is a real sękacz! a miniature spruce. How to get to
forks and is rotatable. Electric spi- That is why not everybody turned work?
rals are heating on the sides. Un- to electricity. You should prepare 40 fresh
derneath is a bowl for the super- The roller must be rubbed with eggs, 1 liter of sour cream, 1 kilo
fluous mass dripping during the butter and wrapped in special pa- of flour, 1 kilo of sugar, half a kilo
baking. In the past, when natural per so that the sękacz could be eas- of butter, the same amount of mar-
55
LITHuANIAN MEADS, LIquEuRS AND SEKACzES
garine (some apply 1 kilo of but-
ter with no margarine), 2 lemons,
2 double packets of vanilla sugar, 4
flavour oils (whatever).
Rub the fats and the sugar until
thoroughly mixed, add the yolks
(without the whites!). Then add
the flour and the cream and rub
until air bubbles appear. Add the
vanilla sugars, the lemon juice and
the flavours. Mix the ingrediences.
Beat the whites until foamy by por-
tions (8 portions), but not at once,
because the sękacz is baked for 3
hours.
The dough so prepared is divid-
ed into 8 portions and to each the
fresh foam of 5 whites is added.
Whereas to rub, beat and mix
the dough you need a wooden
spin, to sprinkle this dough you
need a spoon, an almost flat ladle,
so that the rare dough flowed eas-
ily therefrom. One person is spin-
ning slowly the roller, fatted and
specially wrapped, another pours
the dough. And so for three hours.
A lot depends on the dough
preparation, a lot depends on the
spinning and the pouring. Experi-
ence and a “good hand” are indis-
pensable.
The knots beautifully baked on of the Polish noble cuisine, which “Its plebeian origins with dishes
the move from the dripping dough dominated in Lithuania at that and flavours characteristic of this
are the sękacz’s decoration. It takes time. Both the composition and area, matched more not only the
it half a day to stiffen and only then the layout is extremely similar to new social, ideological and politi-
can it be taken off the roller. The the book “365 Dinners” by Lucy- cal conditions, but, because of the
tasties sękaczes are baked by the na Ćwierciakiewiczowa. peculiar, partly archaic, techniques
owners of agrotourist farm baking In reality, the Lithuanian cuisine of dish preparation, this cuisine
them by fires. is neither noble nor magnate. It is could survive and be a living con-
rather a cuisine of lower layers of veyor of memory between the old
Currently, the Lithuanian cui- society of peasant villages, poor times and the new times as well.
sine is associated with Wincenta nobles’ settlements or towns. As Simultaneously, it contributed to
Zawadzka’s book “A Lithuanian we would say it in the past: it was the change in the historical myth
Woman-Cook” written at the be- the cuisine of the second or even of the Borderlands, from a land
ginning of the 19th century. How- third table. of a homogeneous political nation
ever, after a thorough reading one Zbigniew Opacki, in his book to the country integrating various
conclusion comes to mind: it is, “The Legend of the Borderland cultures and peoples.”
unfortunately, more a description Cuisine” sums this up as follows: Andrzej Fiedoruk
56
Related docs
Other docs by sdfgsg234
