Pomaranczowa Alternatywa- The Orange Alternative- Protest, baby.

I have mentioned in my previous Polish blogs my admiration for the Polish people. They have demonstrated incredible resilience and determination in the recovery from the occupations and atrocities of the last century. One of the incredible stories of this strength is the "Orange Alternative" po polsku "Pomaranczowa Alternatywa".
When Germany lost World War II, and, I don't pretend to understand how exactly this happens, but instead of making Poland Poland again, the country was given to the Soviets. This isn't a blog about that in particular, but I still don't get it.
Anyhoo, the Polish people had the heap of atrocities know as Nazis and then Stalinist Soviets from about 1939 until they eventually dropped the Soviet yoke in the late 1980s.  Wrocław, where we stayed in Poland was the site of a movement that helped lead to Poland as it is today. The movement was called the Orange Alternative, and was begun by a man named Waldemar Fydrych. As movements go, it was a pretty jolly one. One of the techniques instituted by Fydrych was to paint playful images over the painted-over anti-Soviet graffiti. The idea was to point out the Soviet government's lack of competence and absent sense of humor.

 The images of gnomes, or dwarves started cropping up all around the city of Wrocław. And, the movement grew. "Happenings" began to be organized. These were gatherings that were meant to poke fun in a blameless type of way at the Soviet government. For instance, a "Happening" was to ridiculously overdress in Soviet Red on the anniversary of Russia's communist revolution. Or, a "Happening" was thrown where a large group gathered to sing Stalinist hymns to the chimpanzees at the zoo. Perhaps the most pointed ones were when they handed out scarce but basic items, like toilet paper or feminine hygiene products. A favorite and famous "Happening" was during a strike in 1988, where a letter was read aloud to the striking workers, supporting the strikes in strong words- written previously by Lenin.
All the "Happenings" were non-violent, and could be, on the surface, seen as Soviet support. All the while, the gnomes appeared all over the country.

 In 1988, on the anniversary of the Russian Revolution, over 10,000 people in Wrocław marched on the Nazi- built government seat, dressed in orange floppy dwarf hats and chanting "We Love Lenin".

This is my photo of the same building, taken from the Odra river. This building looks so Nazi, it's a propaganda poster in stone.

In 1989, Poland once again became Poland instead of Communist Poland.
But, in Wrocław, the gnomes live on. They have become a touristy past-time, hunting down the little statues that are tucked in here and there all over the city-centre. More arrive each year, I was told there are more than 400 now.

 Huz and I enjoyed looking for them, and in doing so, exploring the city more thoroughly.
 But I also loved how the "Just for Tourist" entertainment in art was tied so closely to the idea of poking fun at the Soviet government.

(Orange) Hats off to you, Pomaranczowa Alternatywa!