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Cultural Mosaic

Borderland exoticism and places of memory.

Region Lubelskie is bewitch by multicultural heritage, characteristic for Eastern borderlands. The best example is the town Włodawa located on Bug river, in which you will find three temples: Catholic church, Orthodox Church and synagogue, founded formerly by owners of city for citizens of different confessions. For reminder of the past Włodawa organizes Festival of Three Cultures every year, with participation of guests from whole country and from abroad.

In a village Jabłeczna we will find the oldest Orthodox monastery in Poland with mediaeval icon of St. Humprey. Over Bug river – in Kostomłoty and Pratulin ther is still live memory of Eastern Catholic Church's martyrs from Podlasie, killed by czars' soldiers. Also over Bug river – in Kodeń there is one of the most famous Catholic sanctuaries – with miraculous picture of Madonna de Guadalupe, stolen by magnate Nicolaus Sapieha from papal chapel in Vatican City (!). In this “religious and cultural melting pot” there are also more oriental elements – in Lebiedziew and Studzianka you wil find Muslim cemeteries – 'mizars', that are relicts after Tartars' soldiers was settled here by the king John III Sobieski.

Many cities and towns of region have rich history and relics of multi-confessional and multicultural past, including Jewish culture and religion. City of Lublin, with great Jewish district from 15 century (near the royal castle), was called “Jerusalem of Polish Kingdom”.

The end of the magnificence of lubelskie centre of Chassidism was set by Germans, who chose Lubelskie region as a place for action “Reinhard” - final solutions of Jewish matter, that practically meant mass crime. In Nazi death camps in Majdanek in Lublin, in Bełżec and in Sobibór almost million people from many countries of Europe was killed. Today these are special places of memory, visited by tourists from whole world.

The project „Regions of Poland” was realized in cooperation with the Offices of the Presidents of the 16 regions of Poland.

Design, coordination, realization – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland

Contents – Offices of the Presidents of the Regions

Wykonanie:

• Akonet
• 3Web