67 years ago was inaugurated the “Present of Stalin” the Palace Of Culture and Science (237 m – Until 2021 the highest building of Warsaw, Varso Tower changed it to 310 m). Today, the building is still dividing people, some want to destroy it, some love it and some simply live with it. In the 60’s, the Varsovians often joked about the PKIN:
“The only happy inhabitant of Warsaw is the guardian of the palace. of Culture … because when he goes to his window, he is the only one not to see it ”.
Despite the Communist legacy, it is also possible to see this building as a monument part of Warsaw History, now fully Varsovian and one of the symbols of the city. Now the PKIN holds events, art workshops, movies, theater, concerts, tourists… The building fully entered the XXIst Century, the pop culture, and became an Instagrammable place #PKIN. Far from the original roots, the PKIN as Warsaw is open to everyone.
66 years ago on July 21st, 1955 after 3 years of work the Palace of Culture and Science was inaugurated. 3500 people worked on the construction of the building desired by Stalin and “mostly paid by Poland” (Officially 13 workers worked on the site). 34 million bricks, 28 000 m2 of marble, and 50 tons of steel were used. Designed by Lev Roudnev the construction began on May 2nd, 1952, and was inaugurated on July 21st, 1955.
Inside the PKIN you can find 3288 rooms for a total of 123 000 m2 and 42 floors (you will need 9 years to sleep in each room), two theaters of 6000 seats, 3 cinemas, several museums, a congress and concert hall, restaurants, bars, offices, a post office, shops, and a nightclub. The lift system was replaced in the 1990s, to one of the fastest in Poland (6 meters per second). In 2001, a clock was added, one of the highest installed in the world.
Some Historic dates:
- January 19th, 1964. The Austrian artist Marlena Dietrich performed at the Sala Kongresowa (Congress Auditiorium).
- September 25th, 1965. Jan Kewermann (French) jumped from the terrace on the 30th floor – 114 m.
- April 14th, 1967. The Rolling Stones performed for the first time in Poland at the Sala Kongresowa.
- June 14th, 1987. Pope John Paul II celebrated a mass at the Defilad Square for the closing of the 2nd Eucharistic Congress.
- December 12th, 1991. The Sala Kongresowa hosted a fashion show of Pierre Cardin.
- November 9th, 2001. The world’s most popular magician, David Copperfield, performed at the Palace.
- September 30th, 2006. The Finale of Miss World 2006.
In Front of the PKIN the Place Defilad was an entertainment park, a market, a commercial center… In 2022, the Museum Of Modern Art will be inaugurated. The PKIN is built on the former Złota Street, destroyed during WWII.
Beautiful Warszawa 