100/365: Candles

100/365: Candles, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 10th

This is the Lodz headquarters of the party from which our former President was elected. He died in a plane crash a year ago.

99/365: Asleep

99/365: Asleep, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 9th

A drunk sleeping on the doorstep- a common sight in Lodz. At least he's sitting up and not lying in the street. So much for not reinforcing stereotypes...

A note on the flag- in Poland we have no habit of displaying the national flag without special occasion. I mention this because I noticed in the US, where many of my friends come from, the flag is everywhere, all year round. Over here, if flags are out, you can be certain that an important national anniversary or event is coming up.

In this case, the flag is up to commemorate the plane crash which took the lives of 96 of our kinsmen last year, including the presidential pair. The anniversary is tomorrow, on April 10th.

More here:Wikipedia entry on Tu-154 crash

The crash is a very sensitive issue- I won't go into too much detail but it is worth knowing that the officials on board were on their way to honour the 70th anniversary of the Katyń massacre, a series of mass executions of Polish citizens (mainly officers), performed by the Soviets through April and May 1940. Russia has denied this crime for an extremely long time, it's one of the bigger thorns in the relationship between our countries. Around 22,000 people were killed, and their fate kept secret for many long years.

And it would take many long years to explain all the symbolism, conflict, paranoia and anger that has been dividing this country ever since the Tupolew crash, so I won't even try.

332/365: ŁKS footie club flag

332/365: ŁKS footie club flag, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

Novemnber 28th

On top of every building in my neighbourhood.

107/365: Non-stop Poland

107/365: Non-stop Poland, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 17th

As I waited for my train information to come up, the ad strip on the train station wall scrolled its messages like on any other day.

105/365:Candles in Lodz

105/365:Candles in Lodz, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 15th

A small tribute to our late President in the Schiller Passage. In Warsaw, people placed candles by the presidential palace, but in Lodz it's not so obvious.

I am not sure but it seems these kind of jar candles are not known in the West. I remember having to explain to friends from the UK that they were burning graveyard candles on their dinner table, and now I see a question in the comments that further shows they may be a mystery to the non-slavic countries. In essence they are candles made specifically for burning on graves, or, as in this case, in a public place as a symbol of rememberance. You would not, however, place such a candle in your window even if it symbolised the same tragic event. You don't take these home. They are for the dead.

We call them 'znicze'. The word dates back to pagan times, when some Slavic religions would keep an eternal fire burning on their altar. I'm afraid I don't know anything more on the subject.

As a point of interest, the panels you can see in the background are part of a very graphic and disturbing exhibit commemorating the Katyń Massacre of 1940. The President and the 95 other people who perished in the plane crash last Saturday were on their way to Russia to attend a service honouring the 70th anniversary of these deaths.

100/365: Mourning

100/365: Mourning, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 10th

Our president and close to a hundred other people were killed today when their plane crashed in Smolensk,Russia.

They were on their way to honour the 70th anniversary of the Katyń Massacre. Among them were members of Parliament, heads of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Special Ops , elite historians, leaders of organisations for the victims of Soviet repression, our last president in exile, the head of the Polish Olympic Committee, the head of the Rememberance Institute, the head of the National Bank...some of them were friends of my family- one, an actor, was our neighbour.

An unbelievable loss for our country. So many fine men and women lost all in one blink of an eye.

The flags are out with black ribbons to honour them. We're all in shock- this seems like the plot of a sci-fi movie, and not reality. Things like this just do not happen.

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8612825.stm