The thing you simply cannot help not to notice when arriving in Warsaw is the Palace of Culture and Science. Despite the new development and skyscrapers built in the last two decades, the 46-floor Gotham-like colossus still remains the city’s icon. Let us tell you the story behind it: the story of Warsaw between 1945 and 1989. Rebuilt from a sea of ruins and transformed into the grey capital of the communist paradise: the People’s Republic of Poland.
Communism left its marks all over the city; it was meant to overshadow everything that was before and that was to come in the future. Let us show you some of the iconic post-war architectural landmarks and learn about their role in shaping a new kind of person – Homo Sovieticus. Hear a story of control, terror, and propaganda, but also of the absurdities of daily life under communism. Understand the everyday struggle to have a normal life in a situation that, from today’s point of view, was very abnormal.
We will talk about:
· everyday life in the People’s Republic of Poland
· the inner workings of communist propaganda
· examples of monumental architecture
· anti-communist movement