Author Archives: lkonieczny

Tłusty Czwartek — Fat Thursday

Posted on 12 February 2015 by lkonieczny

Today is Fat Thursday in Poland, Tłysty Czwartek in Polish. As the Christmas season and the following Karniwal come to an end and the season penitence, fast and abstinence–Lent–approaches, Poles take a bit of a time out to indulge in … Continue reading →

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Stalin’s Deportations Began 75 Years Ago Today

Posted on 10 February 2015 by lkonieczny

75 Years ago today, on February 10, 1940, Stalin and his NDVD (Secret Police) began the mass deportation of Polish Citizens to Siberia. Beginning in 1940 and continuing into 1941, somewhere between 300,000 and 1,500,000 Poles were  evicted from their … Continue reading →

Posted in history, History of Poland, Kresy | Leave a comment

St. Stanislaus RC Church in Tarnoruda, Ukraine

Posted on 3 January 2015 by lkonieczny

When I visited my cousins in Ukraine, we were fortunate to visit the church where my great-grandfather and his parents would have attended, St. Stanislaus in Tarnoruda. After World War II most of the Poles in the area (including some … Continue reading →

Posted in 2011 Poland Trip, Ukraine | 1 Comment

Roman Catholic Church in Łuka Mała

Posted on 2 January 2015 by lkonieczny

When I visited the home of my ancestors in 2011 in what is now Ukraine, we briefly visited the town of Łuka Mała, also called Mała Łuka. Our goal was to see the Greek-Catholic Church where my great-grandmother had been … Continue reading →

Posted in historic sites, history, Kresy, Photos, Ukraine | Leave a comment

2014 Pierogi Party

Posted on 7 December 2014 by lkonieczny

Leon and Ewa’s 10th Annual Pierogi Party is now history! This year about 30 of us gathered and made about 433 pierogi, and consumed well over 1/4 of them as well. Now that the party is history, I’ve posted a … Continue reading →

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I am in Poland every day of the week–yet at home in Florida, USA

Posted on 13 September 2014 by lkonieczny

I am totally blessed. You see, I get to spend some time in Poland every day of the week, and from the luxury of my home office in sunny Florida, USA. How do I do it? It’s easy, it’s called … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, Kresy, My love of Poland | Leave a comment

Battle of Vienna

Posted on 12 September 2014 by lkonieczny

It’s simple: on this day in history, September 12th, 1683, Europe and Christendom was saved from the Turk (Ottoman Empire) at the Battle of Vienna, led by Poland’s King Jan Sobieski III. Later proclaimed the “savior of christendom” by Pope … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, history, History of Poland | Leave a comment

Book Review: Push Not the River

Posted on 28 August 2014 by lkonieczny

Push Not the River, by James Conroyd Martin, is a historic, romantic novel written somewhat in the grand tradition of Doctor Zhivago or Gone With the Wind. To call it “fiction” would do it no justice at all–it is set … Continue reading →

Posted in history, History of Poland, My love of Poland | Leave a comment

70 Years Ago Today

Posted on 1 August 2014 by lkonieczny

70 years ago today, at 5 PM local time, the Warsaw Uprising began. After 5 long years of Nazi occupation, having suffered the devastating loss of the whole Jewish Population, having suffered the loss of many Polish lives with countless … Continue reading →

Posted in current events, history | 2 Comments

Battle of Grunwald

Posted on 15 July 2014 by lkonieczny

Today, July 15, 2014, marks 604 years since the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. It was at this battle that the combined forces of the Kingdom Poland and the Duchy of Lithuania once and for all decisively defeated the German … Continue reading →

Posted in historic sites, history, History of Poland, Poland Tour 2010 | Leave a comment