Postcard from... Poland | Make It In Design

Poland is a very beautiful and interesting country. Historically our neighbouring countries have always wanted a piece of us – so there must be something worth having!

People’s views of Poland vary greatly depending on where they live. I moved to the US in 2005 and since then I have tripled my love for my native land. It is sometimes easier to appreciate things from afar.

Poland is known for its historical heritage and cultural treasures. Besides having an interesting folk and modern culture, the Communistic aesthetics still live on. However, where they were once disliked, they are now cultivated by young people.

Vintage Communism (known as PRL, ‘Polish People’s Republic’) is the new black. The PRL context appears in the works of artists born in the early 1970s, who watched the final disintegration of the Communist system. Today, the restaurants and clubs, design companies and hip shops are all picking up on the trend. And if you spend five minutes researching on Facebook you’ll find many PRL fan pages.

Let’s take a walk around this trend, and see what Poland has to offer:

1. PRL KLUB : 6, 90-007 Łódź
Great club for those visiting from outside of Poland to get at least a small flavour of what things were like in Poland under the Communist PRL (Polish People’s Republic). Where most communist bars use scary icons and busts of Lenin, PRL Klub has wall murals of the happy proletariat cheerfully toiling away. Whether your happy liquor is vodka, whiskey, beer or wine it’s all just 5zl (app. $1.50). Be sure to visit the shop to check out items which remind us of the not-quite-so-pleasant memories of those times. Now though, I promise they are great, nostalgic, funny buys.

The TV screens provide another link to the past. They are old models of TVs and play Communist era films. On that subject the Mis (BEAR) film is an especially accurate and satirical representation of the times and of Polish humour, so if you ever have a chance to see it, do so.

2. CRAZY GUIDES : ul.Krakusów 1a/31, 30-092 Kraków

Crazy Guides is undoubtedly been the most famous tour company in Krakow, covered by the most prestigious international media in the world, such as the BBC, Lonely Planet, Reuters, CNN Traveller, New York Times, Der Spiegel, and La Republica, to name but a few.

This is a must if you are in Krakow. The tour helps you to see the Communist past from different angles: “Milk Bars” (canteens), “Communistic apartments”, the famous Trabant cars (which broke so often) and even a 1980s-style disco. The ‘Communism Deluxe’ package includes lunch in an old school “Milk Bar” canteen and a visit to an unchanged genuine Communist apartment, where you’ll watch a propaganda movie and have the rare opportunity to eat pickled cucumbers and have a shot of vodka.

Great atmosphere, good food (pickles and vodka!), lots of laughter.

3. PAN TU NIE STAL : ul. Piotrkowska 138/140 Łódź

This outlet is called Pan Tu Nie Stal, which means “You didn’t Stand Here” or “It’s Not Your Turn”, a reference to the common problem of staying long hours in lines for produce. It has been open since 2009 and is attracting shoppers with a yearning for vintage kit that harks back to Poland’s Communist past. When you enter into the space you are greeted by PRL typography and wording. They have everything from t-shirts, postcards and books to posters, chairs and even vintage pickle jars. Much of this comes from forgotten collections of a married couple in their 30’s.

While in Poland make sure to pay attention to contemporary design which is blossoming right now. If you ever have a chance to attend an exhibition of Polish posters, do so. That was our secret weapon and the honest answer to the PRL regime of oppression and lack.

“Poland has a long tradition of a colorful folk art and during my recent trip I’ve seen few contemporary takes on it. I hoped to reference the tradition and inject it with today trends.” Design inspired by Poland by Marta Spendowska