The Tall President of Toruń

In a few weeks time, local elections will be taking place here in Toruń. Here is the campaign for our current president (mayor) Michal Zaleski. The poster may not do him justice...but he is a towering giant of a man. He stands next to his campaign symbol...the oak tree...to show that he is strong and honest.

National Mourning: Divided in Politics, United in Grief

The week of national mourning is coming to a close. Today in Warsaw there will be a special memorial service at 12pm in which millions are expected to attend. Tomorrow in Krakow it will be the state funeral of the Presidential couple. Security is tight and in both cities there will be strict prohibition...so all pubs, clubs wiill be closed and the selling of alcohol forbidden.

The nation may be united in grief but the political strains are starting to show, with many people protesting the decision to bury Kaczynski and his wife in the Wawel - a Royal castle in Kraków that is the burial site for Polish kings and heroes. Many feel that this is not the place for presidents.

There are also concerns that the many expected dignatries (including Obama) will not be able to make it to Krakow due to the volcanic ash fiasco!! So pardon the pun...it's all literally up in the air!!

These images taken last night show the continuing outpouring of grief in Toruń. There was also a special Mozart memorial concert held in the University church. A large TV screen was erected outside for those unlucky ones unable to squeeze into the church.

National Mourning: Memorial March & Service

Last night, the citizens of Toruń came together to pay their respects to both the Katyn masacre and the Smolensk air crash disaster. Thousands of Torunians marched in a procession through the streets of the old town. This culminated in a moving ceremony in the old market square. TDP was there to capture the moment and bring our readers right here into the midst of it all.

Incidentally, it's been confirmed that the funeral of President Lech Kaczyński and his wife Maria Kaczyńska will take place on Sunday in Kraków, where their bodies will be buried at the Wawel. This is a very special honour as the Wawel is usually reserved as the burial site for Poland's Kings and Queens. Many world leaders, including Barack Obama will be attending the funeral.

National Mourning: Remembering Katyn

A sombre scene in the old market square of Toruń: pictures are on display of some of the 20,000 Polish soldiers murdered by the Russians during WWII at Katyn. The exhibition marks the 70th anniversary of the masacre and was originally situated in the court yard of the Town Hall. However, due to Saturday's devastating tragedy in Smolensk the exhibition was moved to a more central location in the square.

Ironically, the Presidential plane which crashed in Smolensk was on it's way to a memorial service to mark Katyn.

Katyn will now go down in Polish history as a terrible double tragedy for the nation.

National Mourning: Toruń at Night

(above photo courtesy of Mark Hoogslag who kindly sent it in)

These images were taken last night, as the sea of candles increases in the main square. The railway carriage is actually a temporary memorial for the Katyn WWII massacre, in which thousands of Polish soldiers were sent to the forests of Katyn and murdered by the Russians. Ironically, it was to the 70th anniversary of Katyn that the Polish Presidential delegation was flying to.

National Mourning: Scenes from Toruń

National Mourning

RIP...

Lech Kaczynski -- Polish president

Maria Kaczynska -- The president's wife

Ryszard Kaczorowski -- Poland's last president-in-exile

Aleksander Szczyglo -- head of the National Security Office

Pawel Wypych -- presidential aide

Mariusz Handzlik -- presidential aide

Jerzy Szmajdzinski -- deputy parliament speaker

Andrzej Kremer -- Deputy Foreign Minister

Gen. Franciszek Gagor -- head of the army chief of staff

Andrzej Przewoznik -- minister in charge of WWII memorials

Slawomir Skrzypek -- head of the National Bank of Poland

Janusz Kurtyka -- head of the National Remembrance Institute

Przemyslaw Gosiewski -- lawmaker

Zbigniew Wassermann -- lawmaker

Grzegorz Dolniak -- lawmaker

Janusz Kochanowski -- civil rights commissioner

Bishop Tadeusz Ploski -- army chaplain

BREAKING NEWS: Polish President killed in plane crash

BREAKING NEWS: The Tupolev-154 governmental plane carrying Polish President Kaczynski has crashed on approach at Somlensk airport in Russia. The President's wife, the Polish central bank governor and many Polish dignitries were on board. A total of 96 people. The latest news is that there were no survivors. A very sad day for Poland!!

You can view an earlier post from Toruń Daily Photo when President Kaczynski once visited Toruń:

http://torundailyphoto.blogspot.com/2007/10/day-presidents-came.html

The day the Presidents came

The media frenzy begins with the arrival of the two Presidents in Toruń

The President of Poland (red circle) and the President of Lithuania (blue circle)

The Town Hall of Toruń

The national flags of Lithuania and Poland

Children dressed in the national colours of Poland get ready to wave at the Presidents

Crowds surge to catch a glimpse of their President

Yesterday (Monday 1st October 2007) was a special day here in Toruń...as not one but two European Presidents visited the city. Lech Kaczyński, the President of Poland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lech_KaczyÅ„ski) and Valdas Adamkus, the President of Lithuania (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valdas_Adamkus) were both in the city as Adamkus was given special honours at Nicolaus Copernicus University. Later the two leaders and the entire consulate of Lithuania arrived at the Town Hall to both be granted the keys to the city.

There was some controversy prior to the event as Toruń City Council had allegedly denied awarding Kaczyński the keys to the city due his immense unpopularity...however this was later changed.

Yesterday's event at the Town Hall was the usual media circus. Crowds, TV crews and a huge convoy of police. All in a day's work...if you have two presidents in town!

May 3rd Constitution Day

Well at the moment I'm enjoying a week off work this week...due to the 2 big public holidays here in Poland. First up it was the State Holiday on the 1st May, which is a relic of the former communist era. However, today we have the most important day in the Polish calendar...Święto Konstytucji 3 Maja or the May 3rd Constitution Day. The day marks the event back in 1791 which is considered Europe's first constitution and the second oldest national constitution in the world.

Polish people are immensly proud of their country and today you will find red and white national flags everywhere, even on buses, trains, trams and homes.

This picture was taken yesterday in Toruń's Old Square as the citizens get ready to celebrate today's Constitution Day events. These empty seats will soon be occupied by local dignitaries as the events unfold. No doubt the local brass band of Toruń will be playing today and of course Michał Załewski the President of Toruń will be in attendance.

You can spot two national symbols of Poland in this one picture: the red and white flag and of course the national emblem of the eagle (orzeł)

I kind of like the serenity of this picture before the crowds pile in!