US EditionAt 70, Skyscraper Stalin 'Gifted' to Warsaw Still Evokes Strong Feelings
WARSAW, POLAND, JUL 21 – The Palace symbolizes Soviet-era dominance but now serves as a cultural venue hosting concerts and exhibitions, with 70 years of mixed public perceptions, officials said.
- Seventy years after Soviet dictator Josef Stalin gifted Warsaw the Palace of Culture and Science, conceived as a symbol of Soviet domination and it still polarizes residents.
- After the fall of communism in 1989 many Soviet-era monuments were removed and street names changed, yet the palace remained despite calls for demolition in 2007.
- Controversial concerts shaped the palace’s reputation, while Valerii Shcherbak said `This is history and we need to respect it.`
- Younger Warsaw residents focus less on its political past and more on its landmark status, Karol Los said `For me, it's a symbol of Warsaw.`
- In 2025, renovation work on its concert hall ensures ongoing cultural use, while the palace still houses four theatres, a large cinema and museums, ensuring its continued cultural role.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Colorado Springs Gazette
Denver GazetteAt 70, skyscraper Stalin 'gifted' to Warsaw still evokes strong feelings
WARSAW (Reuters) -Seventy years after Soviet dictator Josef Stalin "gifted" the Palace of Culture and Science to Warsaw, the towering skyscraper at the heart of Poland's capital still stirs strong feelings among Poles.
The imposing skyscraper in the heart of the Polish capital, the Palace of Culture and Science, still evokes strong feelings among Poles seven decades after it was “gifted” to Warsaw by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. The palace opened in 1955, when the country was part of the Soviet-controlled Eastern Bloc, and Stalin conceived it as a symbol of Soviet rule. The building originally bore the dictator’s name.
Warsaw - The imposing skyscraper in the heart of the Polish capital, the Palace of Culture and Science, even seven decades after Soviet dictator Josef Stalin "donated" it to Warsaw, still evokes strong feelings among Poles, writes Reuters.
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- 40% of the sources lean Left, 40% of the sources are Center
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