People in Lublin
An informal photographic of people, 1997 - Present
Introduction
This page is devoted to my pictures of people living and working in the city of Lublin. There is no grand plan, but I do want to record life before the economic changes of recent years allows certian aspects to disappear forever. Other pictures are of life now and are a sample of the pictures that friends and I have taken over the last couple of years. Some of these pictures are not going to win awards, but they are representative of life here. Taking pictures of people is rarely easy, the moment someone realises what they are doing, their actions invariably change. I want to capture people as they naturally are, when there minds are on the everyday activities of living and working.The People
A worker
and a Nun. The Catholic University in Lublin is financially much better
off than its State equivalent. On the left is a new building, named in
honour of the Polish Pope, Jana Pawla II (John Paul 2). The nun probably
is doing a degree course at the university.
Council
sweepers in Biala Podlaska, a sizeable town in the north of the wojewodzstwo
The woman
in the centre sells a variety of things: vegetables, flowers and other
related items. She gained my admiration one Easter when I saw her cutting
sprigs from a nearby hedge, tieing them in small bundles, and then selling
them to passers by for their Easter baskets.
Poland
is a land of kiosks, generally selling newpapers, books, make-up and a
whole host of other household items. Some specialise in particular areas,
as does the one here. This is a gardening supplies kiosk and at the time
of the picture there were dried-grass-palms on sale for Palm Sunday.
This is
the flower market near the Lutheran church. For many years flowers had
been sold from make-shift stalls along the wall of this small public gardens,
and arguments raged in the council as many councillors fought to have them
removed. Sense reigned in the end, and this very popular flower market
was given official permission. The gardens wall was rebuilt and permanent
stands created.
This is
a temporary 'stall' selling dried grass 'palms' for people to take to church
on Palm Sunday. Many of these palms are made by people living in the countryside.
This everyday
market has existed for as long as the buildings - since the late 1950's.
Whatever your politics, it must be said the communist system in Poland
failed to deliver. This impromptu, sitting on the wall market is run mainly
by people with dzialki (rented plots of land) or farmers wives. Most farms
in Poland are tiny and a significant chunk of the yearly income comes through
the farmers wife selling the farms produce direct to the customer. What
is funny here is that in these blocks lived many 'party' officials - with
their mouths they were both selling the comunist system and eating the
products of, essentialy, a capitalist system.
A larger
market, this time in the carpark of a supermarket. This time we have the
farmers themselves selling their own goods.
This is
a purpose built market and shops in the Zana district. During communist
times there were few stalls as regulations forbade it. Now it is flooded
with stalls small and large as farmers bring in the produce from their
own land. Prices for fruit and vegetables vary enormously throughout the
year, you might see 3 zloties for a pound (half a kilo) for something in
season, down from 15 zloties when the season began.
Horses
and carts are still a common sight, even if they have been banned from
the centre of cities.
Street
Repairs. Lublin is built on sand and the system of roads and pavements
are not built to the quality they should be. Up until now, many of the
people working in the road repair system seem to have little will for quality
and fail time and time again to create adequate foundations and proper
drainage. Often a new piece of work does not meet an old piece of work,
and the 6 inch gap between them collapses. One has to walk the strrets
in Poland with one eye on the ground, but it is improving and it keeps
them in work.
Rebuilding
a bus stop. I have been watching them and they are getting better, what
used to take them a month is now down to about 10 days.
MPWiK,
the Lublin wayer company, workers. These are some of the fastest workers
on the streets, but they have to be as water can do an awful lot of damage
in a short time.
A man working
at home on his own drive.
During
the communist time it was illegal to beg in the streets. This, of course
does not mean that there weren't people in severe want. However, the vistor
ought to be quite wary as many of the beggars are professionals and just
doing a job of work. The quality of shaking and moaning of some is quite
impressive, especially when you see them strolling home in a normal manner
later. One of the saddest aspects is the number of Rumanians etc who come
here to beg. The wives and children are sent out to sit on the street all
day while the husband remains with his friends, often drinking. One way
to tell a professional from a person really in need is to offer them some
food, professionals are not interested (unless it is lunchtime, I suppose).
This is
a retired coal miner and he is dressed in the official uniform of a miner.
The red feather indicates he is high in the organisation. He was waiting
for a coach to take him to Bogdanka, or Leczna, where the only coal mine
in the Lublin area is located. e obligingly put on his hat so that I could
take the picture.
A folk
group from the Krasnik region.
This old
gent is 80, and that is his wooden house behind him, built up close to
an old wall and limestone watchtower. He has excellent views over towards
the old town of Lublin as there is a steep scarp face just to the right
of the road.
This is
the church in Felin, a new suburb of Lublin. There is a mass in progress,
and as it was a nice day and rather crowded in the church, many people
stood outside and listened to the mass on the outside speakers.
This is
the church in Niedrzwica Duza, a village close to Lublin. These people
had come to the village to see and listen to a local folk group.
This is
Bishop Ryszard Karpinski, here at a Christmas function of one of the University
of Marie Curie Sklodowska.
International
students - from Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan etc. Quite a few students
come to study at the universities from countries of the former Soviet Union,
particularly, as here, children of Poles deported from Poland by the communist
authorities.
University
lecturers, ready to party.
Elica
Jac, Art student in Lublin, next to a barely visible piece of her art.
Advertising
on Lublin's only department store, here trying to attract the attention
of Lublin's large student population.
A travelling
fair
An army
display team at Swidnik airfield during an Air Fair.
I think
this is a private security company, called 'Komandos'. I am not sure if
the shaved heads is obligatory, but it seems to go with the job.
McDonald's
Drive-in.
I love
taking pictures of the police. For so long you were not allowed to do it
and many of the old school are very uncomfortable with it but they can't
take your camera or film away now or drag you down to the station. Hopefully
they are employing better people now, before they were almost the dregs
of society, especially the dreadful ZOMO. Stupid poleman jokes abounded:
A policeman walks into a public library. "Is it raining?" asked the librarian.
If you are ever stopped by the police for speeding you have to pay an instant
fine, but make sure you get a receipt otherwise the money goes straight
into their pockets.
Here is
a series of canopies for different political parties in the weeks before
an election. Most of it is quite sensible, but sometimes they shout abuse
at one another.
Tea in
Kazimierz Dolny. ahh...
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Website written & maintained by: Trevor & Ania Butcher