Trace of Communist Dream
Warsaw, Praga, Poland
Warsaw, a city witnessing the great dramas of history, was communist for 70 years. Today, we have to make our way between two images, that of the old city with colored facades, replastered, rebuilt after the war. And that of Praga, the atypical district inherited from Soviet Poland. In Praga one can wander through the sad courtyards of the decrepit buildings, that grew up in the Stalin era on the ruins of the war. I was surprised to see people coming in and out of these buildings that you might think they were unhealthy. Ghosts from another world. The dirty brick buildings, organized around inner courtyards, the collapsed balconies, the gates that protect the passers-by from the falls of stones, give a singular atmosphere. In the middle there is sometimes a splendid tree which spreads its branches as a challenge to the ugliness of men. Or a chapel, as a challenge to the Soviet yoke. The tradition of the statues of the Virgin in the courts of buildings is an authentic popular culture. Real places of living cults, and it is not uncommon to see a grandmother mumbling her prayers with her rosary in her hand. The signs of abandonment and the stigmata of war are always visible in this long neglected quarter. Some buildings still have bullet holes. Here Beer and vodka are flowing freely. It is a difficult neighborhood: unemployment, alcoholism have caused social problems and trafficking of drugs. And yet, in search of authenticity, the inhabitants of Warsaw rediscover this district undergoing renovation. It is here, on the right bank of the Vistula, that now beats the festive, artistic and bohemia heart of Warsaw.
