25 years of „Kwiaty Polskie” [‘Polish Flowers’]

It has been 25 years since 13th May 1989, when this festiwal took place for the first time. It immediately got the name „Kwiaty Polskie” [‘Polish flowers’]. It took place even before the proclamation of Lithuanian independence, but it was the time of ‘political warming-up’. At that time, many school and adult dance groups was created in order to take part in the festival. Those groups are also celebrating their 25th anniversaries. 

‘Wileńszczyzna’, ‘Jutrzenka’, ‘Niemieżanka’ under the direction of Janina Łabul, ‘Przepióreczka’ with Władysław Korkuć and Wioletta Pietrulewicz, ‘Rudomianka’ with Irena Alaszewicz and Jan Drutel, vocal group from Kiena uder the leadership of Janina Wojciechowska (later called ‘Anciuty’), two groups from Rukojnie under the leadership of Irena Pietrulewicz and Alfreda Ciechanowicz, song and dance ensembles from Ławaryszki (Walentyna Grablewska and Leonas Pomarnackas), from Mejszagoły (Teresa Isielonis), form Wojdat (Teresa Kołtan, Roman Rotkiewicz), the band from Mickuny with Józef Bożerodski as well as Piotr Kaczanowski from Rudomin, who was playing on dulcimer. All of those groups took part in this festival. ‘Ziemia Elbląska’ band under the direction of Czesław Kujawski was a special guest during the first Festival. Leokadia Dorzd, Krystyna Narkiewicz and many more activists of the local section of ZLP took part in the preparation of this event in the past. Now, this is a beautiful, enthusiastic history of the revival of our culture as well as our identity.

 Over the years, the festival grew in breadth and upwards. Not only the artistic level and the number of participants, but also the organizational costs  increased.  It was quite impossible to  quite impossible to conduct festivals each year, because of lack of funds.. Therefore, with  a particular gratitude, we remind Alicja Grześkowiak- the Speaker of the Senate, Senator Witold Gladkowski and others. Their understanding of needs as well as importance of such festivals helped in gaining money. In recent times, the situation has worsened which caused that the event did not take place between 2008 – 2011. People did not hope for the annual festivals no more. Many artistic groups ceased to exist, artistic managers stopped working and the forgoing tradition was mishandled. It is much more easier to break and destroy something than to build and erect.

That is why ‘Kwiaty Polskie’ Festival, which took place in 2012 after five years break, was a sensation and it activated the artistic life. The cooperation of bands during the preparations to this 25^th anniversary was also active. Those preparations started about one year ago. A rekord number of choirs (about 40) will take part in this event. Those choirs are mainly from schools, culture centres and also from church, which are on the propriate artistic level, like for ex ample ‘Moderato” choir from Mejszagoły under the direction of Wioletta Leonowicz. It is extremely pleasing that many choirs has been created becuse of this festival.

These choirs are also from Polish-Lithuanian schoools from Awiżenie (Elżbieta Karpowicz) and Pogirach (Olga Selezniowa). After many years of absence, a choirs in High School in Mickuny (Bożena Czerniewska), in S. Moniuszko’s Gimnazjum in Kowalczuki (Stanisław Zajankowski) hasbeen created.  Despite the fact that managers of ‘Niemieżanka’ choir are changing every year, they were very well prepared. Anna Jusewicz, their current teacher, is a great Professional and she spend a lot of time and effort to be at the same level as choirs from previous years. There are also many choirs that are always well-prepared: ‘Ballada’ from Vilnius School of Technology and Business under the leadership of Teresa Kołtan, ‘Legenda’ in Mejszagole (Jasia Mackiewicz), ‘Iskierki’ in Podbrzezie (Irena Iljina), ‘Nuta’ in Bezdany (Olga Krasodomska) and many many more. A choir from Niemenczyńska Music School under the leadership of Natalia Afanasjewa takes part in ‘Kwiaty Polskie’ for the second time. To sum up, about 1,000 of singers, musicians and dancers will take part in the festival this year.

We are extremely pleased that some small primary schools also decided to prepare. Head teachers and especially music teachers of this schools deserve to be praised for doing such great job. A school in Pakienie is very similar, in which there is only 46 pupils, besides very young learners from initial classes. A school in Duksztach has got even less students, which is about 35. This school was also well prepared for the festival. Few expect more schools in Kiwiszkach (Tatiana Kukis), Szumsku (Witold Wejknis), Zujunach (Rita Rutuliene), which also (as well as all previously mentioned) for the first time take part in the festival. Schools in Kiwiszki under the leadership of Tatiana Kukis, school in Szumsku (Witold Wejknis), Zujuny (Rita Rutuliene), will also take part in this festival for the first time.
A new feature of the festival will be mixed choirs, for which the parties of male voices (tenors and basses) are as difficult as female roles. Saying that teachers who have developed a men’s voices (boys older classes) had twice more work than those who opted out of the boys is unnecessary. Most boys from older classes were prepared by the ‘Jutrzenka’ choir from Niemenczyn (A. Rusiecka), which was best prepared this year. They also made the steering boys choirs “jaskoleczka” with Rudomina (A. Balkuviene), “Anima” from the Black Boru (I. Liszylenko), “Niemieżanka” (A. Jusewicz). Managers of the choirs from Rudomin (A. Balkuviene), ‘Anima’ from Czarny Bór (I. Liszylenko) and ‘Niemieżanka’ (A. Jusewicz) were also preparing young boys.

Thanks to the efforts of our choreographers, a whole array of individual or mixed dance performances have been prepared. They are connected in massive suits. The participating groups are: ‘Sto Uśmiechów’ (Marzena Grydź), ‘Zgoda’ (Henryk Kasperowicz), ‘Jawor’ (Renata Lisowskar) and others. Undoubtedly, the most inventive choreography was prepared by main choreographers of the Festival- German Komarowski and Leonarda Klukowska together with dancers from ‘Jutrzenka’, ‘Perła’ and ‘Wileńszczyzna’ groups.

I would like to thank all the participants and their Managers for huge effort made in preparations, and for overcoming all the difficulties and obstacles. I am also grateful to everyone who helped in organization of this event in active as well as financial way. I hope that the upcoming jubilee festival will be a joint celebration of participants, spectators and all those who contributed to its realization. So welcome. The festival will be held in the forest amphitheater in Niemenczyn, on Sunday 18 May. 12.30. We also remind you that the whole event will be broadcast on the Internet at www.wilnoteka.lt.

Dr. John Mincewicz,

artistic director

and director of the festival

Source: http://l24.lt/pl/kultura-pl/item/32939-25-lat-kwiatow-polskich

Tłumaczenie by Irmina Myśliwiec w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Irmina Myśliwiec within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.