Editor's Note: These are courtesy translations of local news provided by the U.S. Army Garrison Poland Public Affairs team for the benefit the military community stationed here. Views or opinions are not endorsed by USAG Poland or the U.S. Army.

Toruń Cross-Country Grand Prix

A series of running competitions is beginning, aimed at popularizing this form of recreation and promoting physical activity in the fresh air.

The Grand Prix of Toruń cross-country running competitions are starting. All races are held in the Bielański Forest in Toruń, and the start and finish are located near the University Sports Center of the Nicolaus Copernicus University at ul. Św. Józefa 17.

Schedule for 2025:

  • Round 1: March 1, 2025 (Saturday) at 10:30 a.m.
  • Round 2: April 16, 2025 (Wednesday) at 5:30 p.m.
  • Round 3: May 21, 2025 (Wednesday) at 5:30 p.m.
  • Round 4: June 4, 2025 (Wednesday) at 5:30 p.m.
  • 5th round: September 3, 2025 (Wednesday) at 5:30 p.m.
  • Round 6: September 24, 2025 (Wednesday) at 5:30 p.m.
  • Round 7: October 11, 2025 (Saturday) at 10:30

Age categories:

  • Children – distances: 300 m, 600 m, 1400 m, 3200 m
  • Adults: 6000 m

Entry fees:

  • Children and youth up to 15 years of age - main race: PLN 3.00
  • Adults - main race PLN 20.00 (when registering online) or PLN 25.00 (on the day of the race)

Registrations can be made online at gptorunia.pl/zapisy or at the race office 30 minutes before the race.

More information, including competition rules and a list of registered participants, is available on the official series website .

Don't ask about Poland exhibition in Torun

Nearly a thousand works at the exhibition "Don't ask about Poland. From the collection of Katarzyna Szafrańska and Wojciech Szafrański" can be viewed from February 21 to May 25, 2025 at the Centre for Contemporary Art 'Signs of the Times' in Toruń.

- Today, an exhibition with a strong Toruń accent, or perhaps today a strong exhibition with a Toruń accent - said the deputy mayor of Toruń, Adam Szponka, during the opening . - I would like to congratulate both the director and the curator for taking on such a difficult challenge, even a bit controversial, because when we touch on national and patriotic issues, these are topics that always arouse emotions, especially since these are very personal, very subjective emotions. What brought me here, apart from the function I hold, was a childlike curiosity in search of an answer to the question that this exhibition asks: "Don't ask about Poland". Actually, why shouldn't I ask? I hope that I will find the answer at this exhibition. I wish you to find answers to your questions, but also many unanswered questions.

- The exhibition presents one of the richest, most interesting and crazy private collections in Poland – says the curator of the exhibition, Marta Smolińska.

At the latest exhibition presented by the CSW "Don't ask about Poland. From the collection of Katarzyna Szafrańska and Wojciech Szafrański" we can see about a thousand works, half of which are works of modern and contemporary Polish art. We will find classics (including Henryk Stażewski, Andrzej Wróblewski, Tadeusz Kantor, Wojciech Fangor, Maria Jarema, Jadwiga Maziarska), expression of the 80s (Ryszard Grzyb, Jarosław Modzelewski, Edward Dwurnik), critical art from the 90s (Zbigniew Libera), as well as works of the youngest generation (Karolina Jabłońska, Martyna Czech). As the curator of the exhibition, Marta Smolińska, says, within each collection, figuration meets abstraction, and this diversity is additionally intensified by the presence of various media: painting, sculpture, objects, photography, installations, collages.

As the director of the CSW, Anna Kompanowska, said during the opening, the exhibition was created in a very short time, because the first talks were held in October. This problematic exhibition is to concern the search for national identity, in the context of what is happening in the world, what happened three years ago and current events, it can constantly take on new meanings.

A special evening in Bolesławiec! One event – ​​two concerts! On March 1, 2025.

Soon, jazz and blues lovers will have the opportunity to participate in an extraordinary concert in Bolesławiec .

The Cultural Integration Center "Orzeł" will host two exceptional bands: Marcin Pater Trio and Blues Monkey . This extraordinary event will take place on Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. at CIK (ul. Chopina 17).

A musical feast and additional attractions

During the concert, guests will be served refreshments during the break , allowing them to relax and talk about their musical impressions.

MARCIN PATER TRIO

The music of Marcin Pater Trio is primarily the leader's own work, drawing inspiration from jazz, jazz-rock and world music. The band's characteristic sound results from the combination of an acoustic vibraphone with an electric bass guitar and double bass, accompanied by a drum kit.

In November 2019, the band released their debut album Nothing But Trouble on the Italian label. Each composition on the album reflects the emotions and memories of the author, creating a musical journey through his experiences.

Festivals and awards

The band has performed at many prestigious festivals in Poland, Europe and Asia, such as: Jazz Nad Odrą (PL), Enter Enea Music Festival (PL), Jazz Jantar (PL), Jazzonalia (PL), Jazz Juniors (PL), Polish Jazz Festival (HUN), Fara Music Festival (ITA), Nisville Jazz Festival (SRB), Taichung Music Festival (TAI), Real-Live Jazz Festival (CHN) and many others.

In addition, the musicians won the Grand Prix at renowned jazz competitions, including: Jazz Juniors (PL), Jazz nad Odrą (PL), Sibiu Jazz Festival (ROM), RCK Pro Jazz Festival (PL), Jazz Fruit (CZE).

In 2019, the band toured China, performing at renowned concert stages and jazz festivals.

BLUES MONKEY

The Blues Monkey band was founded in 2017 in Kalisz as a family project by Wojtek, Jakub and Kacper Szkudlarek. The band was inspired by The Allman Brothers Band, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix .

For over 7 years, Blues Monkey has performed on many music stages, including supporting the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, participating in the Pleszew American Cars Festival, and in 2023 presenting themselves at the Jarocin Festival. Friendship and passion for blues resulted in the GRAND PRIX award of the Bluesowo Festival 2024.

Current members of the band: Wojtek Szkudlarek – bass, Sebastian Pawelec – keyboards, Mariusz Wiśniewski – vocals, harmonica , Wojtek “Wojczi” Kołakowski – guitar, Karol Możdżeń – drums.

This will be an unforgettable evening full of great music and a unique atmosphere! Don't miss this event! WELCOME!

Żagań, time and people. An extraordinary exhibition in the lobby of the library, in the palace!

In the lobby of the library in the Żagań Palace of Culture you can see an extraordinary exhibition about people who created the city in the difficult post-war times. Many of the photographs come from family archives, and were put together by Jan Mazur, the city chronicler.

Jan Mazur prepared the exhibition "People and Places - They Created Żagań" for a year. He talked to people and their families, who gave him mementos from their home archives. He pieced together individual stories. He was helped by librarians from the Papusza Municipal Public Library in Żagań. - This is the second exhibition in this series - reminded Magdalena Śliwak, the director of the facility, and Urszula Sitarz, a librarian. - It will be available for viewing until September 2025, because in September there will be another exhibition, recalling the Bank Miast Żagań - Goleniów from 1975.

The next exhibition will be about the Bank of the Cities of Żagań-Goleniów

- Many residents and institutions participated in the Bank of Cities - Jan Mazur recalled. It was a very important time for the city and its people.

Bank Miast was broadcast by Telewizja Polska from the 1960s to the 1980s. Its directors were Marian Marzyński and Mariusz Walter - later the founder of TVN. The hosts were such celebrities as Irena Dziedzic, Tadeusz Sznuk and Zygmunt Chajzer. Among the competition jurors were Jerzy Waldorf and Sobiesław Zasada - the legendary rally driver.

Music-making Castels

During the exhibition, Mirosław Kasztel spoke about the fate of his family. After World War II, until the 1960s, there were several orchestras in Żagań: military, railway and fire brigade! Four of the Kasztel brothers played in the orchestras! - We lived in Mały Bożnów, and our neighbors were the Jaszczuk family, also musicians.

During the exhibition, the Desperados band sang beautifully, consisting of Krzysztof Jaszczuk, from a family neighboring Kasztely, and Mariusz Sitarz. The recital began with a moving song, "Nim wstanie dzień", known from Edmund Fetting. The song was a perfect illustration of the exhibition.

Musicians and soldiers found shelter in Żagań

The first mayor of Żagań was remembered by Jan Mazur. Franciszek Walter was a soldier, a Greater Poland insurgent. He was born in 1901, in Greater Poland. He fought in Poznań, the Pniewy, Wolsztyn and Zbąszyń regions. During World War II, as a senior sergeant, he participated in the Battle of Bzura, where he was captured. On June 18, 1945, he was appointed the first Polish mayor of Żagań. He created a Polish administration, fire brigade, militia and cooperatives. He tried to restore peace to the city and its people and put an end to lawlessness.

Żagań watchmakers and bakers

The exhibition was attended by Żagań watchmakers, the Ruliński family. In total, 11 people in the family were involved in this profession, and four watchmakers settled in Żagań, opening workshops on Warszawska and 1 Maja (currently ul. Keplera).

The first bakers and confectioners were the Olenders, who came to Żagań in 1946. Their work was extremely important, because the railway workers emphasized that they would not serve if there was no bread in the city.

Mr. and Mrs. Kabała were remembered by Jolanta Dobrzańska, who explained that they were extremely nice and modest people. Mr. Edward Kabała founded a group of people from Siberia.

Maria Jastrzębska, the long-time leader of the Żagań Siberian Deportees, also went through Siberia. Her daughter Jadwiga Jastrzębska told about her life.

The exhibition includes photos of many people who created the City in difficult times. Among them were teachers Wiesław Jurga and Henryk Ślusarek, who educated about 250 doctors and pharmacists. It is worth visiting the palace and seeing the photos documenting those times.