The original 1989 poster

Gary Cooper is in Warsaw again... In 1989, posters featuring his image from 'High Noon' – with the Solidarity logo above his sheriff’s badge -  were displayed around the country.  Now, a huge poster modelled on the one from twenty years ago is displayed on the Palace of Culture in Warsaw, Stalin’s gift to Poland in the 1950s.  It reminds Poles of the historic breakthrough twenty years ago.

 

Michal Kubicki reports

Hundreds of events are planned, ranging from conferences and exhibitions to street pageants and parties. A popular newspaper came up with the idea of raising a special toast to freedom on June 4 in restaurants, clubs, pubs, and cafes,  to have good fun and make sure that this historic anniversary will not be remembered as a time of political squabbles.

As far as politicians ago,  the government is to host several European leaders in Krakow on June 3 and 4. Originally the city of Gdansk was to be the venue but the government feared a planned Solidarity demonstration would spoil the atmosphere. As things stand now, Prime Minister Tusk will host German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the prime ministers of Belgium, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania and Ukraine, as well as former presidents Vaclav Havel and Lech Walesa.  President Lech Kaczynski will attend religious celebrations in Gdansk at noon and it is unlikely for him to join the prime minister when he arrives to Gdansk later that day.

Click on the icon to listen to a report, which includes comments from Stanislaw Janecki of the weekly Wprost and Lukasz Warzecha of the daily Fakt.