cross the vistula. come to the right side! 2praga-pn.waw.pl/data/other/en.pdf · cross the vistula....

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Cross the Vistula. Come to the right side!

With the help of this mini guidebook, comprising five themed

walks, we would like to invite you to take a sentimental stroll

around Praga. The guidebook presents trails prepared by

Michał Pilich, the author of „Warsaw Praga Guidebook” for

the purpose of Summer Praga Walks (Letnie Spacery Praskie).

Summer Praga Walks are guided tours organised by the

Department of Culture of Praga Północ District Council during

the summer holidays (July - August). The walks are aimed at

both the inhabitants of Warsaw and visitors to the capital of

Poland. The purpose of our mini guidebook is to present these

trails in a concise, yet comprehensive manner, in order to attract

attention and inspire the interest of visitors from outside Warsaw

and those who prefer sightseeing on their own. Praga Walks are

also available on line at www.warszawskapraga.pl. Taking into

account that the internet has become the first source of

information for many travellers, we hope that through this

medium we will be able to reach out to an ever-growing number

of prospective visitors to Praga.

Our aim is to encourage you to explore our beautiful and

extraordinary district, to get accustomed to its special character,

to discover the treasures and mysteries of Praga’s history, and

to admire the beauty of the district’s architecture with its unique

town houses and churches. The latter are renowned as magnifi-

cent venues for concerts. The Basilica on Kawęczyńska Street

has hosted many eminent musicians, i.e. the orchestra’s of

La Scala of Milan or the Philharmonic of Vienna.

We would like to encourage and incite you to look for your own

favourite Praga trails and to discover the magical atmosphere of

the bygone days still preserved in Praga’s courtyards, of which

Cross the Vistula. Come to the right side!

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many hide real gems of sacred architecture. There are over

eighty shrines in Praga, and new ones are still being construct-

ed! Some are a result of the artistic activities of children, for

instance the shrine in the gateway of 18, Brzeska Street, which

was made by the young artists from the Kubicki atelier.

Praga – authentic and welcoming

Praga reflects the everyday life of its inhabitants. It is a con-

stantly changing, living creature. The district is very welcoming

to newcomers. It has become extremely popular with artists,

who have flocked in Praga in order to set up their studios, art

galleries, theatres and art centres like “Koneser” on Ząbkowska

Street and “Fabryka Trzciny” on Otwocka Street. These places

are known by artists worldwide. According to the New York

Times, Praga is home to the trendiest cafes in Warsaw. Indeed,

one must admit that apart from its cutting-edge art, the biggest

pride of the district are its cafes: unique “Łysy Pingwin” and

“W oparach Absurdu” on Ząbkowska Street, sophisticated

“Porto Praga” on Okrzei Street and everyone’s favourite

“Babalu” on Kłopotowskiego Street. It would be impossible to

mention all of these places, since new cafes continue to

mushroom throughout the city.

The Old and the New Praga are at the heart of the right-bank

of Warsaw. The tenement houses on Brzeska, Ząbkowska,

Targowa, Szwedzka, Inżynierska, Wileńska and Mała Street

have managed to preserve the atmosphere of Warsaw from

the times before WWII. Of all of Warsaw districts, Praga is the

one that most resembles the original pre-war architecture of

Poland’s capital. “This is the Warsaw I remember”, sigh the

Poles who, having lived abroad, come from throughout the world

to visit Praga. Do not let appearances mislead you – it is not

the dilapidated tenement houses and Praga’s demi-monde that

create the atmosphere of the place, but the authentic character

of a pre-war city, with its original street layout, robust buildings

and Różyckiego Market, whose legend will not be eclipsed even

by Jarmark Europa, and which will survive all the other markets

in Warsaw as it is the only one with a soul…

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District of contrasts and extremes

Praga is the first of Warsaw’s districts to have its own museum:

the Museum of Praga is currently under construction at 50/52,

Targowa Street and its future exhibits are currently being

collected. The opening is scheduled for 2010.

Praga is the only place in Poland where bears run wild on the

streets. You can arrange to meet “by the bears” and people will

find their way there without fail. Everyone in Warsaw knows the

way to Praga’s ZOO – they have been here either as children or

as parents themselves.

The uniqueness of the district also lies in the fact that it is the

only place in Warsaw where one can find the remnants of the

past multicultural character of the city. Praga is home to

monuments , located in close proximity, belonging to three

different cultures and religions: St. Mary Madeleine’s an

Orthodox Church, a neo-gothic St. Florian’s cathedral,

a 17th-century chapel of Virgin Mary of Loreto and a Jewish

house of prayer.

Praga has deep historical roots. The names of some streets

(Floriańska, Jagiellońska, Ratuszowa) sound familiar even to

visitors from Cracow. To those who are familiar with the district,

they are synonymous with a real cultural feast: the magnificent

school building of Liceum im. Władysława IV, Teatr Lalek „Baj”

(a puppet theatre) located in the former Michał Bergson’s

Jewish Educational Centre, and the most modern digital cinema

in Warsaw, constructed on the site of the cult “Praha” cinema

and bearing the same name. All of these cultural treats can be

found on just one street – Jagiellońska.

For a long time, Praga had the unwelcome reputation of being

the most dangerous district in Warsaw, but no police reports

sustain these urban legends. Brzeska, for a long time the most

infamous of all the places in Praga, is the only street

in Warsaw where the neighbours know and greet each other

daily! Today, Brzeska Street is home to six galleries and

supports a thriving artistic scene. Non-governmental

organisations continually promote new ideas within youth

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programmes aimed at children from disadvantaged neighbour-

hoods. Brzeska has become the street of both artists and

children. Together, they recently decorated a new playground

and sports field. In August 2007, the artist Iwona Zając and her

“Young Team” from Gdańsk decorated the dilapidated tenement

house at 6, Brzeska Street with a mural depicting the “Sea on

Brzeska”. The curators of this open-air exhibition are, indeed,

the children from Brzeska themselves. Thus, art makes its way

into the everyday life of Praga, changing the surroundings and

the people who experience and live it.

Praga’s revival

Since the 1980s, the houses on Ząbkowska Street have under-

gone a process of restoration carried out on the basis of data

provided by historical documents. The first to have undergone

renovation works was the house at 4, Białostocka Street. Since

1995, some of the most valuable Praga edifices have benefited

from a programme of renovation and the adaptation of buildings

for social purposes, largely subsidised with funds allocated by

the European Union. Thus, the so-called revival of Praga is

a multi-level process comprising spatial, economical and social

changes. It can be achieved by adapting the existing buildings

for new purposes. Revival, however, does not end with the

completion of works – it only starts there. Praga Północ district

authorities cooperate with non-governmental organisations

that specialise in dealing with social problems that result from

poverty, unemployment and social pathologies. One of the joint

undertakings within the programme is the promotion of cultural

and artistic activities. Only in combination do these elements

form the full process of Praga’s revival.

Thus far, the implementation of the programme has resulted in

the renovation of buildings at numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, 11, 12, 13 and

36, Ząbkowska Street and at 2, Radzymińska Street.

Plans include the renovation works of the houses located at 12,

14 and 16, Markowska Street together with restoration of the

surrounding green areas, together with the modernisation of

Białostocka and Radzymińska Streets and the establishment of

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To say that Praga has no problems would be denying the

obvious. It may have successfully embraced its new image as

Warsaw’s cutting-edge cultural centre, but the district also has

to face the serious challenge that poses the technical condition

of Praga’s pre-war buildings. Paradoxically, the district’s most

important asset is also its biggest weakness. Renovation works

require exorbitant financial resources and the settling of owner-

ship issues. Praga also needs to attract enthusiastic, bold and

creative investors willing to contribute to the cultural, academic

and social revival of the district.

One thing is certain: Praga is vibrant and constantly changing:

in its own way and at its own pace, but without losing its authen-

ticity and always for the better. Its specific character will not be

threatened by the construction of an underground line nor the

invasion of football fans during Euro 2012. Praga is young and

creative and knows how to put such opportunities to good use.

You can find out for yourself: Praga is only two thousand metres

from Warsaw town hall.

Warsaw’s cutting-edge cultural centre

Beata Bielińska - Jacewicz

a Local Integration Centre at 2/6, Korsaka Street. The inhabit-

ants of the district have also come up with a number of ideas

and have suggested extending the park on Namysłowska Street,

reconstructing Weteranów 1963r. Square, renovating Praski

Park and establishing the Museum of Praga.

Cross the Vistula. Come to the right side!6

1Three Religions RouteThis walk takes us through the oldest part of the district, allowing the visitor to see Praga’s most interesting monuments (St Florian’s Cathedral, St Mary Madeleine’s Orthodox Church, Matki Boskiej Loretańskiej Church and places connected with the history of Praga’s Jews), which are proof of the historical coexistence of the three religious communities in Praga.

St Florian’s and St Michael’s Cathedral 1

Ignacy Skorupka’s monument2

Praski Hospital3

Statue of the priest Ignacy Skorupka - made by sculptor Andrzej

Renes, was unveiled outside St Florian’s and St Michael’s Cathedral.

Ignacy Skorupka perished in the famous battle between Poles and

Soviets on 14th August 1920.

The hospital was first established in 1868. The main building on

Weteranów Square was constructed between 1934 and 1936.

Its shape is arched as a result of it being constructed on the edge of

a round square dating back to 1860s, and its high window alcoves

with soaring neo-gothic arches in the middle of the facade are

a reference to the architecture of St Florian’s cathedral. The year of

the construction of the hospital “1935” is carved on the cobbled

pavement opposite the main entrance.

Neo-gothic church dated 1888-1901. Its design was based on a project

by Józef Pius Dziekoński. The church is one of the most distinctive

features of Praga and its towers can be seen even on the other side

of the Vistula River. At the turn of the 19th and 20th c., the Gothic

style aspired to become the Polish national style, and a church would

counterbalance the nearby Orthodox church, a symbol of Russian

occupation. The cathedral was destroyed within one day, 14th Sep-

tember 1944, when the World War II front line reached Warsaw.

When the Germans were forced to retreat from Praga by the advan-

cing Soviet troops, they blew up the church. The only elements of the

construction that withstood the explosion were fragments of transept

with, surprisingly, the statues of the two patron saints of the temple.

The sculptures can be still seen in the same place: St Michael’s statue

from Floriańska Street and St Florian’s from Sierakowskiego Street.

The cathedral’s post-war reconstruction was completed in 1970.

7Three Religions Walk

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1Three Religions Route

A cosy street that connects Weteranów Square and Kłopotowskiego

Street. The Street, set in 1864 as Konstantynowska Street, has partly

preserved its original architecture, a cobbled pavement and old lamp

posts. The building at no 8 dates back to 1911-1912 and is known

as Brzozowski’s tenement house. 3, Floriańska Street is the former

church parish. On 6, Floriańska Street stands a modern house

(“Vis-a-vis”), the construction of which was completed in 2004,

and which occupies the area between Floriańska and Jagiellońska

Street.

Floriańska Street4

The monument of Praga’s folk music band5The monument was inaugurated in September 2006 as a tribute to

the residents of Praga, and comprises sculptures of a violinist,

an accordion player, guitarist, drummer and a mandolin player who,

in combination, will play a traditional Warsaw song. Visitors to the

monument willing to listen to this particular kind of music can send

a text message and get a sample of Warsaw’s folklore. At night the

monument is beautifully illuminated. Visitors can also select one of

hundred Polish songs to be played by sending a text message.

The building was constructed between 1896 and 1900.

The construction of the Veterans’ House was initiated by the

Russian Red Cross, and the building was meant to an establishment

for the widows of Russian soldiers. The corner of the building used

to be crowned with a dome underneath which, on the first floor, there

used to be an Orthodox chapel. From 1924, the building was used as

a home for January Uprising veterans (the Polish Uprising of 1863

against the Russian occupation). In the house on Floriańska Street

the veterans were granted their board and keep. As well respected

members of the community, they used to be invited to many patriotic

celebrations. They were given officer ranks, and in 1935 the square

in front of St Florian’s Church was named Plac Weteranów 1863.

Today, the building serves for the purposes of Warsaw-Praga

diocesan curia.

Veterans’ House6


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The corner tenement on 26, Okrzei Street, It’s called The Owls’

House because of sculptures of owls decorating the top of the facade.

Below, there are a number of low reliefs representing bats and

dragons. The tenement, designed by Henryk Stifelman and

Stanisława Weiss, dates back to 1906 and was constructed for

prince Bronisław Massalski. On the corner of the building, there is

a tower once crowned with a helmet.

Owls’ House7

Praha cinema8The modern cinema was constructed to replace the former premises

of „Praha” cinema. The original building was erected between 1948

and 1949 according to project of Jan Bogusławski and Józef Łowiński.

The building was an interesting architectural example of socialist

realism. It has been pulled down, but its characteristic low reliefs have

remained inside the new building.

Inside the Jewish bath house, there used to be a sort of pool filled

with water flowing at a very slow pace. The amount of water was just

enough to submerge the body. The bath was used by pious Jews

before the Sabbath and other religious festivals. It was also the place

where all containers bought from non-Jews were washed before they

could be used. There used to be a bath house on Kłopotowskiego

Street since mid-19th century, however the sophisticated building

that has survived till our times was designed by Naum Hornstein and

was constructed between 1910 and 1913. The bath house was very

popular among the Jewish community and had a significant number of

regulars. Today, the former bath house is home to a multicultural high

school, Liceum im. Jacka Kuronia.

On the corner of Jagiellońska and Kłopotowskiego, there is a small

park in the place where the building of a synagogue used to be.

This small round building designed by Józef Grzegorz Lessel served

as a place of worship for generations of Praga’s Jews, until World

War II. The devastated, though not completely destroyed building

survived the Nazi occupation. Not recognized as valuable, the build-

ing was pulled down in 1961.

Former Jewish bath house9


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The house at 26, Jagiellońska Street was home to one of Praga’s

greatest monuments, Jewish Educational Centre. It served as

a boarding school, a nursery and a refuge for Jewish children.

The construction was completed in 1914. The modernist architecture

of the building was designed by Henryk Stifelman and Stanisław

Weiss inspired by Polish Renaissance art. On the facade there is

a plaque with an eagle and the symbol of Warsaw, a mermaid. Since

1953 the building has been home to Teatr Lalek “Baj” (a puppet

theatre). The room that now houses the theatre stage used to serve

as a house of prayer.

Former Jewish Educational Centre building10

It is the most renowned of all Praga schools. This impressive high

school building is situated at 38, Jagiellońska Street. The building,

designed by Adolf Kozłowski and constructed in 1905, was at first

a boys’ school. After the Russian occupiers left Warsaw, a high

school was established on the premises. King Władysław IV Waza

was chosen as the patron of the school. The famous alumni of the

school are: Janusz Korczak (orphanage director in Warsaw ghetto,

died in Auschwitz), August Zaleski (foreign affairs minister in 1926-32,

the president of the Republic of Poland in exile in 1947-72), Dobiesław

Damięcki (actor and film director) and Władysław Ochman (famous

opera singer).

The monument is located in the middle of Wileński Square.

It commemorates the cooperation between the Polish and the Soviet

army in World War II. The monument is surrounded by the sculptures

of four soldiers, hence its name: it is commonly called the “sleeping

soldiers” or the “sleeping brothers” by Warsaw’s inhabitants.

It was erected soon after the end of the war, in 1945. The author of

the sculpture was Stefan Momot, while the platform was designed by

Bohdan Lachert. The sculptures of the soldiers were made in Berlin

and were reportedly modelled on some of the conquerors of the Nazi

capital themselves.

Liceum im. Króla Władysława IV11

Four Sleeping Brothers12


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The church was designed by Mikołaj Syczew and constructed

between 1867 and 1869 as a symbol of the Russian rule. Today, it is

one of the major monuments of Praga. It has preserved its original

interior décor with gilded altars. The three-level main altar, the

so-called iconostasis is richly ornamented with the Emperor’s Gate

positioned centrally. Four circular representations of Moses, David,

Isaac, Elia adorn the inside walls of the dome and, underneath, the

Evangelists, whose paintings are located between the side walls and

the domes. Between them, is the inscription of the Lord’s Prayer.

Inside, there is also a copy of the icon of the Virgin Mary which was

donated to the church by archimandrite Makary, a hermit from the

Athos Mountain. On the left-hand wall, is an iconostasis representing

Hiob Poczajowski, which is much older and was brought to the church

in 1892. To reach the lower part of the church one must go down the

stairs situated in the South-West corner of the building. This small

place is decorated with a polychromy made between 1995 and 1998

by the Pantopulos, a couple of artists from Cracow.

The right wing is decorated with fragments of the mosaic from the

apse of St. Alexander Newski’s Cathedral, which used to stand in

the middle of what is now Piłsudskiego Square (1894-1912), and was

finally pulled down between 1924 and 1926.

Mary Madeleine’s Orthodox Church13

Building designed in a style of small palace dates from 1871 and is

the seat of the Metropolitan, the superior of the Polish Autocephalous

Orthodox Church.

This decorative metal cross commemorates the victims of the slaughter

of Praga. On 4th November 1794 Russian troops, led by General

Suworow, stormed the city and killed a great number of Praga’s

inhabitants. The failure of the Insurrection resulted in the third and

the last Partition of Poland between the three neighbouring empires

(Russia, Austria, Prussia). The cross was probably erected after the

Russians fled Warsaw in 1915 and the traces of bullets fired during

World War II can still be seen today. The cross has allegedly replaced

a number of wooden crosses that used to commemorate the tragedy.

House of the Metropolitan14

The Cross of Praga’s Slaughter15


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It was established by virtue of an ukase issued by Tsar Alexander III

in 1865 on the site of the buildings that had been pulled down.

Alexander Park, as it was known under Russian rule, was opened to

public in 1871. Today, the park occupies 18.5 hectares. The forest

consists of buttonwood trees (one of these trees situated by the main

path is 352 cm in circumference), chestnut trees, ginkgo, poplar,

linden and maple trees. Examples of some of the park’s curiosities

are the public water tap atop a stone bowl, dating back to 1936,

a bust of the writer Eliza Orzeszkowa from 1938, a sculpture of

a giraffe (1981) and a concert bowl.

Praski Park16

As Praga’s oldest building, the chapel is all that remains of the old

building that used to be adjacent to a baroque church and Observants

monastery. It was designed by Konstanty Tencalla and constructed

between 1640 and 1644, with the enormous financial support of King

Władysław IV, Queen Cecylia Renata.

Inside the chapel can be found the so-called Loreto house. It is a copy

of Mary’s house, which, according to legend, was transported by

angels from the Holy Land in 1291 to what is now Croatia, and three

years later to the Italian town of Loreto. Inside stands a sculpture of

Mary of Loreto. The image of Mary and the Loreto chapel is even

represented on Praga’s coat of arms from 1648. The Loreto house

has survived till today. The statue was transported to St. Anna’s

Church on Krakowskie Przedmieście, where it is located in a chapel

that was especially built for this purpose. The statue that replaced

the original one in Loreto House is a Gothic 15th-century sculpture of

Matka Boska Kamionkowska.

It was created in 1928 and is part of Praski Park. Today, 5000

animals, representing 500 species reside in the zoo. During the late

1990s a number of new buildings were built to accommodate a wide

variety of animals including elephants, birds and reptiles. Many of the

existing buildings were renovated and the former elephant pen is now

home to the rhinoceros.

Matki Boskiej Loterańskiej Church17

The ZOO18


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2A walk alongZąbkowska StreetA walk along Ząbkowska Street, with its oldest buildings dating back to the 1860 and the more recent ones erected at the end of the 20th century, will allow us to track the dynamics of Praga’s architectural revolution: from the recently renovated old tene-ments on Ząbkowska Street, to the buildings of Warsaw Vodka Factory.

Szejn and Tychoński’s tenement1

Sikorski’s tenement 2

Szmul Kalina’s tenement3

The house dates back to 1890 (the construction date is on its side

wall) and was constructed for the Sikorski family. The only original

element of the facade is the balcony. All window frames have been

reconstructed on the basis of a photograph from 1919 of a similar

house that stands in Kielce.

One of the most beautiful edifices on Ząbkowska. It was constructed

between 1879 and 1880 as a two-storey house for Szmul Kalina. By

1889 the third storey had been added, and around 1910, the fourth

one. It is a typical example of the development of tenement housing

in Praga. For many years the building was in a state of disrepair, with

the plaster and all balconies torn off. The renovation was based on

a project by Dariusz Hyc and Henryk Laguna. The source of inspira-

tion for the construction of the new balconies was the building at 3,

Brzeska Street. The new advertising signs of the shops located in the

building are made in retro style.

Building at no 2 with a small tower at the top was constructed in 1914

and was a property of Szein and Tycholski. It is one of Praga’s most

characteristic edifices. During renovation works carried out in 2005

the original spire that used to crown the house was transferred to the

Museum of Warsaw and replaced with a new one on the top of the

building.

19A walk along Ząbkowska Street

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2A walk alongZąbkowska Street

The front house at no 11 was constructed after the fire in 1868 for

Icchak Hersz Jahrman, after a fire that consumed most of the buildings

on Ząbkowska Street. The ground floor of the building used to serve

as a Jewish place of worship. It was constructed as a one-storey

building, and its second floor was added after the World War II.

Now the only original features of the house no 11 are its balconies.

The building’s courtyard, with a shrine of the Virgin Mary, is worth

a visit. Behind there is a shrine with the statue of the Virgin Mary.

Icchak Hersz Jahrman’s house4

Tenement at 12, Ząbkowska Street 5The building at no 12 dates back to the beginning of the 20th century.

It was renovated, but due to the lack of historical sources, the original

decorations of the facade could not be restored. The building has new

balconies and there is a statue of the Virgin Mary inside a niche in the

facade, similar to the one that used to stand there when the building

had Jewish owners. Even today there are traces of the Jewish

inhabitants of the building. In the frame of the door to the staircase

located between the side and the crosswise annexes, there is a small,

diagonal furrow. It was used for a mezuzah, a small trough-shaped

box where Jews would put scraps of paper with quotes from the

Deuteronomy. Pious Jews used to put mezuzah in door frames of their

houses, as they believed that the quotes from the Deuteronomy are

a blessing for their homes. The mezuzah in the entrance to the build-

ing at 12, Ząbkowska Street proves that all the inhabitants of

the house were Jewish.

The house was constructed between 1868 and 1870 by Aleksander

Siekiera for Róża Kwiatkowska. Interestingly, the original decorations

of the building have been preserved. In the courtyard, there is a re-

constructed wooden gallery which runs along the first floor allowing

access to the apartments situated on this storey. The window frames

of the facade have also been restored. The building is home to an

antique shop, Stara Praga, worth a visit even if only for the

atmosphere and the smell of the furniture from bygone days.

Róża Kwiatkowska’s house6


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The oldest preserved building of this kind on Ząbkowska. It was

constructed for Elżbieta Barbara Pobielska in 1866 and it survived

a huge fire, which consumed the whole street in 1868. After this tragic

event the authorities banned the construction of any wooden buildings

on Ząbkowska. This decision initiated a real construction boom of this

area of the city, the results of which can be seen today.

Elżbieta Podbielska’s tenement7

The building of PAST8The edifice at 24, Brzeska Street (just off the junction with Ząbkowska

Street), constructed between 1934 and 1936, served before WWII as

the headquarters of a telephone company, (PAST stands for Polska

Akcyjna Spółka Telefoniczna). It was one of the buildings which were

occupied by Polish fighters on the first day of Warsaw Uprising,

1st August 1944. These events are commemorated with a plaque

on the building’s facade and a symbol of Polska Walcząca (Fighting

Poland): a ‘P’ represented as an anchor.

The stretch of Ząbkowska Street between Brzeska and Markowska

is occupied by tenement houses dating back to the 1990s.

The outside decoration of the houses on the even side of the street

is an interesting pastiche of the architecture of late 19th century.

However, the new buildings are in keeping with the original character

of the street. On the odd side of the street, at the bottom of the large

new building, the facade of three old houses has been reconstructed:

two semi-detached one-storey buildings and a two-storey house

(once no 17, 19 and 21 respectively). Even though the building at

no 19 was pulled down in the 1960s and the state of the other two

buildings was too bad to allow for their renovation, the facades of the

three houses were reconstructed in the new building on the basis of

the preserved elements of the decor and old photographs. Even the

attempts to save a 100-year-old oak tree next to the house no 21 have

been successful.

Tenements at 15/23, Ząbkowska Street9


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At no 27/31, Ząbkowska Street, are the premises of an industrial plant

that has been for years an intrinsic feature of Praga’s landscape.

It is Warsaw Vodka Factory “Koneser” (locally known as „Monopol”),

whose construction started in 1897 on the initiative of Polish-Russian

Distilling Association. The most popular brands of vodka produced on

Ząbkowska Street are Wyborowa (since 1927) and Luksusowa (since

1928). The plant is now a building of great historical importance.

It is a typical example of industrial architecture dating from the late

19th century, which was influenced by buildings from the medieval

period. One of its most beautiful features is the main gate on

Ząbkowska Street. The distilling plant was one of the first in Warsaw

to get a source water well. During World War I, the inhabitants of

Warsaw used it after the retreating Russian army had blown up

Kierbedzia Bridge together with the water pipes that were running

underneath. Today, water from the sources located 260 meters

underground is used mainly for vodka production.

The building stands a good chance of becoming the cultural cen-

tre of Praga. Part of the buildings is home to a off-theatre (“Teatr

Wytwórnia”: www.teatrwytwornia.pl), a cultural association, a shop

selling artefacts (“Magazyn Praga”: www.magazynpraga.pl) as well as

photo galleries: “Luksfera” (www.luksfera.pl) and Bohenska Gallery

(www.bohenskagallery.pl). There are plans to transform part of the

building into a distillation museum.

On the other side of Ząbkowska Street, in front of main entrance to

the Factory the tourist information office ‘Info Praga’ is located.

Warsaw Vodka Factory “Koneser” 10

This tenement house located on the corner of Ząbkowska and

Nieporęcka Streets dates back to the beginning of the 20th century;

it is crowned with merlons and resembles a medieval castle.

The sculpture of Virgin Mary was installed at the corner of Ząbkowska

and Korsaka Street in 1908, on the initiative of workers from the

“Labor” factory, a manufacturer of metal ware, located at 50,

Ząbkowska Street. It replaced an older sculpture and a wooden cross.

Castle-like tenement11

Virgin Mary sculpture12


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3Michałów andSzmulowiznaThe trail will take us through Szmulowizna, a settlement (later incorporated into the city of Warsaw) named after its founder, Szmul Jakubowicz Zbytkower (1727-1802), a Jewish trader, banker, factory owner, friend of the last Polish king Stanisław August Poniatowski. In the 1930s and following World War II the district gained the reputation of being a dangerous neighbourhood. We shall see, however, that the area is more intriguing than perilous. Do not attempt to call anyone here a bum, thought!

Tram depot1

Wooden house on Kawęczyńska Street2

Complex of former factory buildings3

The house, constructed around 1900, is a unique edifice among

Warsaw’s monuments. This is the last multi-storey wooden house

in Praga. It is an interesting example of the old Praga architecture,

once dominated by this kind of buildings. The house has preserved its

decorative window frames, cornices and roofs, which are a credit to

the quality of work of the local carpenters.

No 36, Kawęczyńska Street used to hold the complex of industrial

buildings constructed in 1893 as a production plant of skirting boards

(Fabryka Parowa Listew W. Domańskiego i St. Zabłockiego).

The two buildings that have been preserved, a building that served

as living quarters, dating from 1903, located from the side of

the street, and a production plant from 1912, located further in the

property, are now home to a business college, which in 1995 set up

on Kawęczyńska Street its modern campus.

The tram depot at 20, Kawęczyńska Street was designed by Juliusz

Dzierżanowski and constructed in 1922-25. The complex of buildings

comprises an apartment house for the employees and a spacious

depot at the back that could hold over 200 carriages. It was from

Kawęczyńska depot that on 20th June 1945 the first Warsaw

tramway after WW II left.

27Michałów and Szmulowizna

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3Michałów andSzmulowiznaThe church, dating back to 1907-1923, is one of the largest in Warsaw.

The basilica was funded by the duchess Maria Radziwiłłowa and

her husband, Michał Radziwiłł. The architect of the church, Łukasz

Wolski, drew his inspiration from early Christian basilicas.

The style of the building was also largely influenced by the duchess’s

decision to buy 24 monolithic granite pillars, which were transported

from Italy, by train, in 1915. In 1919 a parish was established in the

church which was still under construction. After the war, the works

were supervised by the architect Hugon Kundera. The construction

site was even visited by Achilles Ratti, a papal nuntius. It was he who,

as Pope Pius XI, proclaimed the church to be a Basilica in 1923.

Soon after that, on 16th September 1923 the basilica was conse-

crated by the cardinal Aleksander Rakowski. The event was attended

by a number of eminent guests: the President of Poland, Stanisław

Wojciechowski and the then Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature,

who later became Pope Paul VI. In 1931, Maria Radziwiłłowa

entrusted the Basilica to the Salesian Brothers, who later

completed all construction works.

Its worth to see the basilica’s interiors. The mosaic in the presbytery,

representing Christ surrounded by angels and two kneeling figures

that symbolise the Catholic Church and Poland. Below, there are

mosaics representing the saint and the blessed. The polychromy in

the remaining part of the basilica are paintings that represent scenes

from the New Testament (the vault of the main nave), portraits of

the twelve Apostles and twelve popes (the ruffle of the main nave)

and Stations of the Cross (side naves). The authors of the polychromy

are Łucja and Józef Oźmin and Jan Molga.

In the left nave, there is a chapel of the Virgin Mary with a statue

brought from Turin in 1933. A plaque commemorates the founders of

the Basilica, Maria and Michał Radziwiłł.

The bell (dating back to 1712) at the top of the basilica’s soaring

tower, constructed between 1996 and 1999, was a gift from Maria

Radziwiłłowa. Pope Pius X gave her his skull-cap, collar and humeral,

as well as a thorn from Christ’s crown. Now these gifts belong to the

Basilica.

Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus4


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3Michałów andSzmulowizna

Former mill5This high brick building used to serve as a steam mill. It was part

of Towarzystwo Akcyjne Warszawaskiego Młyna Parowego,

established in 1899. The mill, owned by Jewish entrepreneurs,

processed 250 tons of cereal annually. Different types of cereals

used to be produced here.

On the corner of Otwocka and Siedlecka Street, there is a complex

of school buildings. It was designed by Konstanty Jakimowicz and

constructed by 1926 as one of a chain of modern schools located in

the outskirts of Warsaw. Before World War II, the buildings on

Otwocka Street were home to three state schools. The buildings

had major role during the war. Since Szmulowizna and Michałów

were beyond reach of German shelling from the other side of the river,

between 1944 and 1945 the building was home to a number of

institutions and municipal authorities, that employed around 3000

people.

Complex of school buildings at Otwocka Street6

No 14, Otwocka Street is a very important place on the cultural map

of Warsaw. These old factory buildings are today home to Fabryka

Trzciny (Reed Factory). This cultural and educational complex was

created in 2003 on the initiative of Wojciech Trzciński (hence Fabryka

Trzciny), a composer as well as a music and TV producer. The factory

buildings were constructed during the 1920s and since then have

been home to a number of different production plants. Today, the

building is a combination of a restaurant, art gallery, concert hall and

conference centre. The place attracts all kinds of artistic activities:

theatre (since 2005 it is home to Teatr Nowy Praga), music, fine arts.

Even though the place now serves completely different purposes than

it was originally intended for, reconstruction works did not eradicate

the rugged, industrial character of this former factory.

More information about cultural activity of Fabryka Trzciny

is available at www.fabrykatrzciny.pl

Fabryka Trzciny Art Centre7


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3Michałów andSzmulowizna

Jadowska Street8Otwocka Street finishes at the entrance of Łomżyńska Street.

Jadowska Street is located several dozen meters further on, to the

right. It is well worth a visit for its replicas of five gas lamps from 1935,

that used to light the street. They were converted into electric lamps

several years ago and today, there are no more gas lamps to be found

in Praga. Jadacka Street has also preserved its original cobblestone

surface.

The building located at 49, Kawęczyńska Street resembles a manor

house. It dates from mid-19th century, but no details concerning its

history are known.

Manor House on Radzymińska Street9

On both sides of the street stand the buildings of the former

„Franbola” candy factory dating from the 1920s: the plant at no 3,

and an administrative building at no 4. The factory was established

in 1922 and named after its three founders: Franciszek, Bolesław and

Ignacy. At the end of the 1920s and in the 1930s, “Franbola” was run

by Ignacy and Laura Kiełbasińscy. Without being nearly as popular as

“Fuchs” or “Wedel”, the company had a good position on the Polish

market and sold its products in the company’s shop in Warsaw

(at 113, Marszałkowska Street) and other Polish cities (Katowice,

Lublin, Łuck, Łódź, Poznań, Równe, Wilno).

Apart from manufacturing sweets, “Franbola” also packaged and sold

tea. In the 1930s it employed around 100 people. The administrative

building at 4, Śnieżna Street was constructed in 1931. The ‘I’ and

‘K’ on the façade of the building stand for Ignacy Kiełbasiński, the

director and co-owner of “Franbola”. The buildings were saved from

destruction during Warsaw’s liberation in 1944 and soon after the war

was over became part of the “Wedel” factory. Today, they are home to

Caritas on Praga.

Śnieżna Street10


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4From the banksof Vistula RiverThis trail around the part of the district located closest to the river bank and Praski Port will allow us to see the coexistence of history and the contemporary life of the district. We will visit an old Nazi bunker, a Classical Water Chamber and the Centre of Vietnamese Culture.

Water chamber1

Former German bunker2

Loreto Sisters’ Nunnery3

The former German bunker from World War II is located by the

hospital wall, on the corner of Panieńska and Jasińskiego Street.

After the war, the shooting ranges located on each side were bricked

in, but they can still be seen in places where the bricks have

crumbled.

At no 17, Kłopotowskiego Street there is Loreto Sisters’ Nunnery.

The congregation was established in 1920 by priest Ignacy

Kłopotowski, the parish priest of St. Florian Church and devoted

worker for social causes. On Kłopotowskiego Street, Loreto Sisters

carry out publishing and educational activities.

Old Water Chamber (Komora Wodna) on 1/3, Kłopotowskiego Street

is one of the oldest and most valuable monuments of Praga.

The building was designed by Antonio Corazzi, a famous Italian

architect. The facade of the chamber was decorated by a big low

relief in a triangular tympanum made by another Italian artist,

Thomas Accardi. The relief represents the god of the seas, Neptune,

on a chariot drawn by four horses with fish tails, surrounded by two

dolphins. The Water Chamber was situated at the entry of the old

“skate-blade bridges”, which used to link both banks of the river.

The chamber’s employees were in charge of these temporary bridges

and collected fees from people passing through and transporting

goods across the river. The building ceased to be used for this

purpose following the construction of a permanent bridge in 1864

(Kierbedzia Bridge, which no longer exists).

35From the banks of Vistula River

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4From the banksof Vistula River

On the corner of Kłopotowskiego and Sierakowskiego streets

stands a monstrous building from the 1950’s, which is now home

to Praga Północ District Council. Until World War II, this impressive

neo-gothic building was an imposing school building constructed

between 1903 and 1904. Being one of very few such investments in

Warsaw, the school was the district’s pride and joy. Unfortunately,

it was bombed and burnt down at the very beginning of the war,

in September 1939, and later pulled down during the Nazi occupation.

On a big square next to the school the municipality used to organize

folk festivities and fairs.

Praga Północ District Council4

Jewish Hall of Residence5On the corner of Okrzei and Sierakowskiego Street stands one of

the most magnificent edifices of Praga, the Jewish Hall of Residence

(Żydowski Dom Akademicki), constructed between 1924 and 1926.

It was home to students of Jewish origin studying in Warsaw.

There were 300 beds, most of which were located in double rooms.

At the time, this was a very modern building containing a gymnasium,

student club and a lecture theatre. It was designed by

Henryk Stifelman. The decor of the building was inspired by Polish

Renaissance art. One of the students who lived in the building was

Menachem Begin, the future Prime Minister of Israel and

a Nobel Prize winner, who studied law at Warsaw University.

This enormous monument represents a soldier who stretches his arm

towards Warsaw. It is dedicated to the memory of the soldiers from

the 1st Tadeusz Kościuszko Infantry Division. The division was part of

the Polish army and was set up in 1944 in the Soviet Union.

The Polish army followed the Soviet army on the combat trail from

Moscow to Berlin. The monument was designed by A. Kasten and

B. Chyliński, and unveiled on 17th January 1985.

Monument of Kościuszko Division6


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4From the banksof Vistula River

Constructed on a spacious sandbank, the remains of the old river

bed. The docks were built between 1918 and 1939. Since 1963, when

Żerański Port was opened in the North, Praski Port has been losing

its significance and it is almost completely closed at the moment.

There are plans to transform the place into a modern business centre

containing offices and luxurious apartment blocks.

Praski Port7

Praga fire station8At no 2, Marcinkowskiego Street, stands Praga fire station, which

was designed by Józef Orłowski and constructed in 1878. The corner

stone was laid by the then City Mayor, Sokrates Starynkiewicz.

The fire station complex comprised living quarters for over 100

firefighters and chimney sweepers, offices, a 120-foot watch tower,

stables, garages, workshops, warehouses and an ice storage room.

The watchtower was pulled down in 1954. The main one-storey

administration building lost its decorative facade. The only preserved

element proving that the edifice used to serve as a public building is

the low relief of the Warsaw mermaid at the top of the facade.

The building at 4, Zamoyskiego Street serves as the premises of

the Centre of Vietnamese Culture “Thang Long” (“Flying Dragon”).

This exotic place was founded by the Vietnamese inhabitants of

Warsaw. The Centre is a meeting place for Vietnamese youth and

a venue for concerts. In the courtyard there is a small copy of

the famous Hanoi Literature Temple – the symbol of the capital of

Vietnam. The building is made of concrete with all details carved

in wood. The temple is surrounded by a pool in the shape of

a 10-metre boat. At the end of it there is an enormous sculpture of

a yellow dragon’s head. These elements were designed by

the Vietnamese living in Warsaw. All the religious celebrations are

held in the building of Thien Viet (The Heaven of Vietnam),

decorated with the representations of Vietnamese gods.

Centre of Vietnamese Culture 9


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5New PragaThis Trail will take us through the streets of New Praga, a district that dates back to 1861 and was established by Ksawery Konopacki. We will visit Wileńska and Stalowa Streets, run down factory buildings and barracks deserted by soldiers.

Wróblewski Warehause complex1

Old Advertisement2

Building of tram depot3

Even though the front building at 5, Inżynierska Street is an uninter-

esting post-war house, the building behind it, in the second courtyard,

is worth a visit because of the preserved advertising sign (in Russian)

of a fittings factory and a foundry set up in 1892 by Ludwik Barwich

and Aleksander Jung.

The building at 6, Inżynierska Street has always been linked with the

history of Warsaw’s city transport. The plaque on the building’s front

wall informs that it was the place from where, on 11th December 1866,

the first horse-drawn tramway in Warsaw left. From 1882, Inżynierska

was home to a tramway depot. In 1920s, the depot was reconstructed

and prepared for prepare the first Warsaw city buses. Some signs of

the old tramway depot have since been preserved, for instance the

railway tracks leading through the gate passage.

The edifice at 3, Inżynierska Street, is a complex of four build-

ings, constructed between 1910 and 1914. The partially preserved

sign on the facade of the front building says: Towarzystwo Akcyjne

Przechowywania i Przewozu Mebli i Towarów “A. Wróblewki I S-ka”.

Adolf Wróblewski’s company, which stored and transported furniture

and other goods, was established in 1875. The large warehouse

gates of the building on Inżynierska were big enough for special

horse-drawn platforms used for transporting furniture. A number of

independent artists have since transformed the former warehouse

building into a complex of ateliers.

41New Praga

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5New PragaPraga has retained the character of pre-war Warsaw. One of

the best examples is Mała Street, located in the heart of New Praga.

This street has preserved its original architecture dating back to

the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. The street was

a perfect location for a number of films. The street was used as

the setting for a number of films, among which the most recent and

famous was „The Pianist”. On Mała Street and in the neighbouring

area, Roman Polański managed to „recreate” the Warsaw ghetto.

Mała Street4

Stalowa Street5Stalowa was the main and the longest street of Nowa Praga during

the 1880s. Its name derives from a steelworks factory which was

located between nearby. With its stately houses, exquisite shops and

a tramway line Stalowa was lively and vibrant – a real ‘big city’ street.

The house at 1, Stalowa Street was for a long time home of Stefan

„Wiech” Wiechecki, a journalist and columnist, author of stories

written in Warsaw dialect.

The building is one of the most interesting in Praga. It is a one-

storey, wooden house with brick caves and a firewall. It has contains

decorative wooden window frames and old shutters. The building was

constructed around 1915 and was home to a child care centre for the

children of the poorest families in Praga. There were classrooms on

the ground floor and bedrooms upstairs. The refuge was set up by

Kazimierz Lisiecki, who ran it throughout the German occupation,

and led the children from the city after the Warsaw Uprising failed.

His charges used to address him simply as “grandpa”. Kazimierz

Lisiecki worked with children from dysfunctional and poor families

until his death in 1976.

Wooden house on Środkowa Street6

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5New Praga

The building at 11/13, Strzelecka Street (24, Środkowa Street) dates

back to 1864 and is currently awaiting renovation works. It belonged

to Ksawery Konopacki, the founder of Nowa Praga. The crossroads

of Środkowa and Strzelecka were considered to be the centre of the

newly formed settlement.

Ksawery Konopacki’s house7

Former marketplace8A big square with a number of brick houses stretching out from

Strzelecka to Stalowa Street used to be a big marketplace, which

existed until the 1970s. In the middle of the square, stood a wooden

butcher’s shop. After the war, the market sold mainly bric-a-brac.

The latter have become an intrinsic feature of Praga’s landscape.

Originally, the market was set up on land that belonged to Władysław

Pachulski who, between 1911 and 1914, invested in the construc-

tion of tenement buildings around the market place. Following the

outbreak of World War I, only part of the initial plan was carried out.

Nevertheless, the project provides an interesting example of

a pre-war housing and commercial building complex.

On the pavement in front of 47, Wileńska Street, there is a metal

cross and a boulder with the following inscription: “Here lies Rozalia

Zamoyska, who died in 1797”. According to a legend, Rozalia

Zamoyska was murdered here by an unknown mugger. There used

to be the grave of this noblewoman, whose body was later relocated

to the family vault. All we know about Zamoyska’s tomb are stories

and legends, but it is believed to be the oldest preserved monu-

ment of Nowa Praga, dating back to the times before the district was

established.

Rozalia Zamoyska’s grave9

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5New PragaNeo-gothic building at 69, Wileńska Street. It was designed by

Władysław Adolf Kozłowski and Apoloniusz Nieniewski and

constructed between 1899 and 1901 as a technical college where

boys from poor families were taught a number of crafts. The school

was run by Jadwiga and Wacław Mańkowski who established it as

a foundation in 1901. Their aim was to instill within pupils a love for

work, moral values, and to teach them specific crafts together with

the Polish language and the Catholic religion.

Mańkowski’s house10

The atmosphere and character of Szwedzka Street has always been

defined by the production plants located along its even side. On the

corner of Szwedzka and Strzelecka Street stand the buildings of the

former lamp factory. The factory was constructed in 1899. The large

area behind the front buildings at 2/4, Stalowa Street used to be

occupied by Warsaw Steelworks established in 1879. The plant was

an important producer of railways. The steelworks were closed after

ten years and the plant was turned into a artillery workshop for the

tsar’s army.

The brick barracks, some of which were preserved at 17/19,

11 Listopada Street, were occupied by Cossacks. Later, after Poland

regained independence, the barracks were turned into Józef Piłsudski

workplace. It is commemorated by a plaque on one of the walls.

Finally, the place became the premises of the 36th Infantry Regiment

of Academic league. There were plans to construct a complex of three

houses for the people who worked for the regiment. Finally, one of

them only was built: it is the neo-baroque house at 15, 11 Listopada

Street.

Szwedzka Street11

Army barracks12

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The trails outlined in this publication are based on

„Warsaw Praga Guidebook” by Michał Pilich, Warsaw 2006.

© Michał Pilich and Fundacja „Centrum Europy”.

Excerpts of texts by Michał Pilich from the website

www.warszawskapraga.pl were also used.

Photographs:© Fundacja Inicjatyw Międzynarodowych

i Obywatelskich „Centrum Europy”

Published by:

Urząd Dzielnicy Praga-Północ m.st. Warszawy

ul. ks. Ignacego Kłopotowskiego 15

03-708 Warszawa

tel.: 022 59 00 000

www.praga-pn.waw.pl

Cooperation:

Fundacja Inicjatyw Międzynarodowych

i Obywatelskich „Centrum Europy”

ul. Pankieiwcza 3 00-669 Warszawa

tel.: 022 629 77 86

www.centrum-europy.org.pl

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