In Poland, Santa works year-round

KOSTOWIEC, Poland — He is 76, sports a long white beard, and likes people to call him Santa. For a decade, Pole Romuald Madrakiewicz has criss-crossed his country helping his fellow poor, and not only with seasonal cheer.

"It's Santa! Santa!" yelled a crowd of youngsters at a primary school in Kostowiec, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) from Poland's capital Warsaw.

Dressed from head to toe in red, with a sack on his back, Madrakiewicz strode in.

The marvelling children tugged on his beard: it was real, for sure.

He dipped into his sack, producing sweets and other little gifts which he shared out among them.

But this Santa is not just a giver. He also comes to collect.

The children in Kostowiec had prepared four big parcels, filled with food, sweets, soap, and toys. They were bound for an orphanage in Krosno, in southern Poland.

"Santa gave us the orphanage's address last year, as well as the addresses of several poor families who need help," Zbigniew Reluga, head of the school, told AFP.

"Since then, the children have been doing what they can to help, and Santa comes to see us several times a year," he added.

Madrakiewicz said he aims to teach youngsters what really matters.

"My visits are meant to help them understand that in life you can share everything you have," he explained.


He clearly knows how to spread his message.

"Sometimes the kids even put their favourite mascot in the packet," he said emotionally.

This Santa's real magic is to spread a sense of generosity wherever he goes.

Behind his smile, Madrakiewicz carries a lot of hurt.

A former social worker, he gets by on a tiny pension and doesn't have a real home. He lived in a hostel for the homeless last year, and is now staying with friends.

When he needs money to buy gifts, he sometimes hunts for bottles and scrap metal to swap for petty cash.

"Santa gives out gifts and doesn't expect anything back, and on top of that, he gives everything he's got," Madrakiewicz said, his eyes fired up.

He learned his values in his family home in southeast Poland, and in the Scouts, he explained. "You're a Scout your whole life, and a Scout does a good deed every day," he added.

He has won growing recognition for his work -- in 2007 he was named Poland's volunteer of the year -- and is increasingly in demand.

He receives dozens of letters every day via the office of Homo Mizerus, a magazine for the homeless based in a poor district of Warsaw.

"I get a massive amount of post which I hand over to those who help me, because I simply don't have time to read them all, let alone come to the aid of everyone who needs me. It costs a lot and the parcels have got too heavy for me," he said.

As he grows older, he is looking for a successor.

Turning to the youngsters, he called out: "Who can be Santa?"

"Someone who's kind to other people," replied six-year-old Filip.

"Anyone can be Santa, as long as they know how to share," Madrakiewicz responded.

Source:AFP

Once Golden, Again Golden Poland

From a global and historic perspective is seems as though Poland had reached its golden era around the 16th century during the wealthy and powerful Jagiellonian Dynasty and that it has been largely downhill ever since. The Polish have taken a tremendous beating during the second 500 years of their existence but have had remarkable and admirable success pulling their vast and stunningly beautiful land back together to make up today’s modern Third Republic. Travel to Poland to experience fast-pasted cosmopolitan centers like Krakow, rewind in time in the horse-and-carriage countryside or lose yourself completely in one of the forested national parks.

Poland, Pillage and Plunder

Whether Poland has been synonymous with bridge or battlefield to its surrounding neighbors, the results have not been pleasant. As early as the 13th century, Polish states were ravaged by Mongolian raiders due to the lack of natural boundaries and its strategic position between east and west, which would again become a curse during the World Wars and the Cold War. There were few cities that emerged from WWII unscathed, but the baffling restorative reconstruction has left even the locals duped by the perfectly replicated Baroque and Gothic architecture. Thriving cities like Krakow and Warsaw are hubs of both traditional and modern Poland, showcasing contemporary art, classic jazz and an unfettered youthful spirit. Auschwitz Nazi Concentration Camp and Holocaust Museum is located just outside Krakow, which became the epicenter for the Nazi battle against Europe’s Jews. Also in this area is a World Heritage Site known as Southern Little Poland where an enchanting collection of medieval wooden churches still stand among the Carpathian Mountains.

Hillside, Countryside, Seaside

Poland has a unique draw due to its positioning on the Baltic Sea and its shared borders with Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Russia. Poland today is finally the more tranquil, dynamic and cheaper cousin of its neighbors. Visit the Great Mazury Lake District in the northeast where nearly 15% of the area is covered by pristine lakes and canals, dotted with picturesque villages. This is a haven for cycling, canoeing and hiking. Don’t miss the 13th century Malbork Castle, the headquarters for the Order of the Teutonic Knights, which holds the title as the largest medieval castle in Europe. Then, as you find your way to some of the Baltic seaside resorts, stop along the coast in Gdansk, the historic medieval Hanseatic trading city that was perfectly restored in the 20th century. While you make your way east to visit Bialowieski National Park in order to see Europe’s last surviving native Bison, stop in the 14th century town of Torun to pay homage to Nicolaus Copernicus’ place of birth. For skiing and hiking, the Sudeten Mountain Range winds through part of southern Poland, including the popular escapes in the Tetra Mountains.

Although the ravages of the 20th century are behind Poland, they are certainly not out of mind. The Polish have a blossoming culture that emerged vehemently from the violence and repression of the Cold War. The reactive and eager populace finally has found a place to shine artistically, politically (as part of NATO and the EU) and domestically with open arms to those curious about the Polish way of life. Travel to Poland and discover a proud and established nation that is equally as excited to finally welcome you!

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