This day-long event was held in the Square of the 1  ^st Armoured Division of the Polish Army located next to the Multimedia Fountain Park. The event turned out to be very attractive for thousands of children with parents, teenagers, as well as older participants.

Starting from the morning, along Sanguszki and Rybaki streets, there was a show of equipment used by uniformed services (including but not limited to the military), for example tanks and motorbikes, as well as equipment used during World War II, the Warsaw Uprising, and military uniforms from that era.

During the Picnic the visitors had the opportunity to join an urban game, children and teenagers could test their knowledge of history, and there were also dedicated stands of the invited institutions and organisations, such as the Police, Border Guard, Polish Army, Military Police.

The attractions available at PWPW’s stand included personalisation of cards for children, presentation of manual paper making, as well as commemorative prints made on an historical Boston hand-operated printing press.

Concerts were planned for the afternoon and evening. The youngest guests were entertained by “Arka Noego”, and the older ones by the “Od Czapy” Musical Theatre from Garwolin, Contra Mundum, and the star of the show – the Luxtorpeda band. From 21:30 until midnight, the PWPW building at 35 Rybaki str. acted as the screen for a multimedia show utilising the 3D mapping technology.

President of Polska Wytwórnia Papierów Wartościowych S.A., Mr Piotr Woyciechowski, thanked the numerous guests and volunteers for coming to the Uprising Picnic. He stressed that it was the second event associated with celebrations of the Uprising anniversaries organised by PWPW. He also announced preparations for other events like this that will be related to the celebrations of 100 years of Poland’s independence.

“PWPW S.A. subscribes to the +Independent+ programme scheduled for the years 2017 – 2021, and it will be actively participating in the events held under this programme. In 2019 we will be celebrating the 100 ^th anniversary of PWPW’s incorporation,” said Mr Woyciechowski.

Robert Wardak, member of the board of PWPW S.A., observed that Energa S.A. was the main sponsor of this year’s Uprising Picnic, and thanks to its “significant involvement” it had been possible to “double the event’s size”, that is double the number of stands and attractions. “We want this Picnic to unite people around our common history, the Warsaw Uprising, irrespective of political judgements that everyone is entitled to,” said Robert Wardak.

Robert Malicki, member of the board of PWPW S.A., commented on the criticism that calling the event the “Uprising Picnic” belittles the tragedy of the insurgents and citizens of Warsaw in 1944. Robert Malicki admitted that “the matter is up for discussion”, but in his opinion the current name of the event is justified. “I think that all those who fought, they fought to make Poland a normal place, to ensure that Poles could celebrate great events and great anniversaries normally and happily,” Robert Malicki stressed.

Juliusz Kulesza, a soldier of Armia Krajowa and defender of the PWPW Redoubt in 1944 said that the event could have been called the “Commemorative Picnic” and have its description mention that it commemorates the Warsaw Uprising and its heroes, but there is nothing inappropriate about the current name. And since to him it’s alright, then, he said, “those who never fought in the Uprising should drop the holier-than-thou attitude”.

Anna Żochowska, president of the Sztafeta Foundation and manager of the “Od Czapy” Musical Theatre from Garwolin, does not see anything inappropriate in this name either. She said that first of all this is a meeting of families accompanied by concerts, among other things. “We sing uprising songs which are very varied: there are happy songs and theer are serious songs, but they bring with them a new inter-generational aspect,” she said.

Robert Malicki informed CP PAP that the building at 35 Rybaki str. will soon see the opening of the PWPW Museum. They are also commencing repair works on President Ignacy Mościcki’s vault located beneath the PWPW building, and he also announced that next year they would be opening a showroom displaying the latest technologies used by Polska Wytwórnia Papierów Wartościowych S.A.

The Reduta PWPW Foundation organised this year’s Uprising Picnic for the citizens of Warsaw and all other interested parties with the support from a greater than previously number of sponsors, with the event’s main partner being the Energa Group.

Material developed in cooperation with PWPW S.A.
Source of information: PAP Press Centre