About  .  Contact  .  Donation A copper axe dating back to the 4th to 3rd millennium BCE has been unearthed in Poland’s Hrubieszów district Archaeologists collaborated with experts from the Institute of Archaeology of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin drawing upon comparative analyses and historical research to unravel the axe’s mysteries The Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments described it as crafted through a primitive casting method suggesting a connection to the earlier Neolithic era This led to speculation about the axe’s origins given the absence of similar artifacts within Poland’s archaeological record a breakthrough came when a similar axe was discovered near Kyiv in Ukraine accompanied by pottery fragments attributed to the Cucuteni–Trypillia culture indicating the presence of Trypillian people in eastern Poland beyond their traditional heartlands in southeastern Europe the discovery may signify the oldest known copper artifact in Poland The significance of this discovery extends beyond mere artifact identification; it challenges existing perceptions of ancient cultures’ geographical boundaries and trade networks The possibility of lost Trypillian settlements in Poland raises questions about the extent of their civilization’s reach and interactions with neighboring regions The axe will undergo further study at the Hrubieszów Museum offering researchers an opportunity to delve deeper into its significance and the mysteries it unravels about ancient civilizations and their interactions and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()) Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative Feb 28, 2022 | Society People living near Poland’s most easterly point were woken by rocket strikes close to the town of Volodymyr in Ukraine less than 15 kilometres (9 miles) from the border The attack is the closest yet reported to the Polish border Three explosions “that made the window panes shake” were heard around 6.30 a.m. one man living a few kilometres from the Ustyluh-Zosin border crossing told Wirtualna Polska They were also reportedly heard further west in Hrubieszów The attack on Volodymyr was later confirmed by Ukrainian officials in the region People who had crossed the border there later reported having seen smoke rising after the strikes while waiting in the queue Explosions du côté de Volodymyr-Volynskyï, à proximité de l’endroit où nous attendons de passer côté Polonais avec d’autres milliers de réfugiés. #Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/tUkoeNuSwS — Pierre Mareczko (@MareczkoP) February 27, 2022 “The explosions woke me up and even now I still feel scared,” the owner of a local agrotourism guesthouse told Wirtualna Polska I even checked whether there’s a NATO reconnaissance plane monitoring us.” “It’s a shock – we didn’t expect it to take place so near to us,” the mayor of the village of Korczowa where one of the other main border crossings is located “Today everyone’s expressions have become more serious – the war affects us too.” Poland to lift Sunday trading ban in regions on Ukraine border The line of cars carrying people wanting to cross the border at Zosin is almost 10 kilometres long. Once in Poland, they are met by people offering them transport or accommodation, reports Wirtualna Polska. According to figures released today, more than 281,000 people have arrived in Poland from Ukraine since Thursday Some 250 people are currently staying in the Hrubieszów sports centre As in many towns and cities throughout Poland local people have donated large amounts of items for refugees including food and sanitary materials as well as bedding and toys “I think most residents spent Sunday watching the war on television,” said the guesthouse owner “I don’t know anyone who hasn’t visited the border yet to help refugees.” Main image credit: Slawomir Kaminski / Agencja Wyborcza.pl Ben Koschalka is a translator and senior editor at Notes from Poland , , Karol Nawrocki even suggested that the state security services were involved in creating the scandal , , The 1,200 square metre national symbol was unfurled on the beach in Międzyzdroje , , The proportion of Poles saying the US has a positive influence on the world has also fallen to its lowest recorded level Apr 30, 2025 | , , , That response will include “large Polish and NATO exercises in Poland” Apr 29, 2025 | , , , Those employed in Poland work on average the third-longest hours in the European Union Apr 28, 2025 | , , , , Westinghouse and Bechtel were first chosen in 2022 as partners on the 192 billion zloty ($51 billion) project please consider helping us to continue and expand it [email protected] Copyright © 2025 Notes From Poland | Design jurko studio | Code by 2sides.pl Senior Research Fellow at the Global Europe Centre ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Weronika Strzyżyńska is currently studying journalism at Goldsmiths as a Scott Trust Bursary recipient She  has written on issues immigration and Brexit for New Statesman and Prospect Agnieszka Wądołowska is managing editor of Notes from Poland She has previously worked for Gazeta.pl and Tokfm.pl and contributed to Gazeta Wyborcza ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland and assistant professor of history at the Pedagogical University of Krakow He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications The Independent and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Stanley Bill is the founder and editor-at-large of Notes from Poland.He is also Senior Lecturer in Polish Studies and Director of the Polish Studies Programme at the University of Cambridge Stanley has spent more than ten years living in Poland He founded Notes from Poland in 2014 as a blog dedicated to personal impressions cultural analysis and political commentary He is committed to the promotion of deeper knowledge and understanding of Poland He is the Chair of the Board of the Notes from Poland Foundation ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Professor of European Studies at Oxford University ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Professor at the Institute of History of the Jagiellonian University ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Executive Director of Taube Family Foundation ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Associate Professor at the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Science ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR sat down with Kim Backstrom for episode 3 of the Kirk Anderson Show less than 15 miles from the Ukrainian border The show was live-streamed at 8:30a (CST) on DrydenWire's Facebook page on Thursday when she told us about her decision to move to Hrubieszow Poland to help with the refugee crisis growing on the border of Poland and Ukraine Russia invaded and occupied parts of Ukraine in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides and instigated Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II approximately 42,295 people have been killed and approximately 14 million people have been displaced 2022 (just days after the start of the war) to help with refugees fleeing the war we will talk to Kim to get updates on her efforts in Hrubieszow the church she is working with,  and the latest from the Poland/Ukraine border If you were unable to watch the show live, you can watch a recording of the show on DrydenWire’s Facebook page, Youtube channel The Kirk Anderson Show is presented by Rhett Boesen Are you ready for a new cell phone or cellular service provider Rhett Boesen is ready to get you connected Skip the store and get personalized support at your business or home Mention “DrydenWire” to hear about Show Sponsor specials Submit A Story or Press Release: DrydenWire@gmail.com Advertising QuestionsGeneral QuestionsDrydenWire Insider Questions Aristos is a Newsweek science and health reporter with the London He is particularly focused on archaeology and paleontology although he has covered a wide variety of topics ranging from astronomy and mental health Aristos joined Newsweek in 2018 from IBTimes UK and had previously worked at The World Weekly He is a graduate of the University of Nottingham and City University You can get in touch with Aristos by emailing a.georgiou@newsweek.com. Languages: English either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content A treasure hunter has uncovered a hoard of ancient weapons that were likely used by barbarian tribes during Roman times The "accidental discovery" was made in a forested area near the town of Hrubieszów in southeastern Poland, the Lublin Provincial Conservator of Monuments announced in a Facebook post two battle axes and a carpenter's axe as well as three objects that have yet to be identified found all of the items hidden in roughly the same place—in a swampy area due to the very strong corrosion covering the metal it was difficult to determine what these objects were," the Facebook post said "These circumstances led to the discovery of initially one object on the surface corroded iron were safely packed and taken from the forest with the intention of cleaning and determining the nature of the find," the post said "It quickly turned out to be undoubtedly an archaeological find." The finds were sent to the Stanisław Staszic Museum in Hrubieszów where archaeologists conducted a preliminary analysis of the artifacts The preliminary hypothesis indicates that the weapons were most likely used by barbarian tribes during the time of the Roman Empire These warriors may have belonged to the Przeworsk culture or the Goths—a Germanic people who played a significant role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire the method of deposition and state of preservation indicate that they were not part of a single burial or cemetery in this location No bones or fragments of pottery were found at the site during a field investigation the evidence suggests that someone deliberately collected these items packed them in a bag or other container—no trace of which remains—and then dumped them in the swamp Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends "This discovery is very important for understanding the customs of depositing weapons used by barbarian tribes in the Roman period in northern Europe," Bartłomiej Bartecki with the Museum in Hrubieszów told Newsweek hidden or sacrificed in a specific place." "We know of individual cases of weapons being discovered in lakes and wet areas in northern Poland But such a large collection has never been found before This discovery is a great scientific sensation for experts of the Roman period," Bartecki said The artifacts are now being kept at the museum "Only after these procedures will it be possible to properly determine the nature of the discovery in question and its chronological and cultural affiliation," the Facebook post said Researchers plan to revisit the location where the artifacts were found in the spring with more favorable weather conditions in the hope of uncovering more information about this discovery Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering ET: This article has been updated with comment from Bartłomiej Bartecki Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all LBV Magazine English Edition The beginning of 2024 brought an accidental archeological discovery in Poland’s Hrubieszów region Mateusz Filipowicz was exploring the state-owned forests near Hrubieszów when he came across a cache of several iron objects it was difficult to identify the items due to heavy corrosion and mud coating the metal Everything was clustered together just beneath the leaf litter in an area disturbed by logging machinery and animal activity This led to the discovery of one object on the surface followed by others nearby Several dozen kilograms of rusted and muddy iron were carefully packaged to transport to the forest for cleaning and identification It quickly became clear this was an archeological finding The discoverers contacted the Hrubieszów Museum and within hours the entire collection was brought there along with a full report of the discovery circumstances and approximate location Museum archeologists Bartłomiej Bartecki and Anna Hyrchała conducted a preliminary analysis and evaluation Based on documentation from the Monument Protection Delegation (AZP) no archeological sites were previously known from the discovery area The collection consists of several artifact types But some clues may help archeologists cautiously form theories these were likely arms used by barbarian tribes during the Roman Empire period Perhaps warriors from the local Przeworsk culture (1st c identified with Vandal or Gothic communities (2nd/3rd – 5th c many years ago during construction of the border guard station in nearby Horodło a Przeworsk warrior burial was uncovered—the culture’s northernmost known site and preservation state rule out this being a cemetery or single grave No bones or pottery sherds were found during field verification as expected at a burial site Everything suggests someone intentionally assembled these items packed them in an organic bag or container (of which no traces remain) and discarded it in the swampy area It’s possible the wetlands mentioned in the forest are remnants of large water bodies or river floods Local monument authorities were immediately notified and all necessary formal steps were taken The pieces were transferred by the monument conservator to the collection of the Father Stanisław Staszic Museum in Hrubieszów which will proceed with protection and conservation work Only after this can the finding be properly determined along with its chronological and cultural attribution we mentioned ancient Gothic weapons must be somewhere in the Hrubieszów land as they did not place iron objects in graves axes and other military gear are finally found… Who cast this group into the river or swamp Let’s await the final answer – this is surely one of the most interesting discoveries in recent years Not very appealing now but will be spectacular after rust removal and conservation Lubelski Wojewódzki Konserwator Zabytków (Curator of Monuments of Lublin Voivodeship) Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email Archaeologists from universities in the United States and Denmark found deep within the Actun Uayazba Kab cave in Belize two small stone tools dated between 250 and 900 AD that… men and women gathered to play a game called Cuju A team of researchers has succeeded in recreating for the first time in a laboratory experiment a phenomenon that until now only existed as a theory in the realm of… the Cantonal Archaeology of Aargau carried out a rescue excavation between early May 2024 and the end of March 2025 The Egyptian archaeological mission affiliated with the Supreme Council of Antiquities announced the discovery of a group of defensive structures and a system of moats that could indicate… In the southeastern area of the city of Rome archaeologists excavating inside the Triton Baths within the monumental complex of the Villa di Sette… Why did some animals from ancient eras become fossils while others simply disappeared without a trace A recent study on the cave paintings of the Altamira Cave in Santillana del Mar Cantabria (Spain) has concluded that some of the artworks it contains could be much older… A team of paleontologists from the University of Leicester has managed to decipher one of the many enigmas of the dinosaur era—the exact moment when pterosaurs Rome achieved numerous military victories that allowed it to grow and dominate nearly the entire known world in Antiquity Receive our news and articles in your email for free You can also support us with a monthly subscription and receive exclusive content where Jewish men and boys were ordered to gather before being marched to their deaths thousands of Jews were led out of the Polish town of Chelm in what would become the first death march of the Holocaust and which has been almost totally forgotten Most researchers have not defined the Chelm event as a "death march" because people generally think of the death marches as having taken place toward the end of the war The Chelm march was a sort of trial by the Nazis to test – among other things – whether the mass murder of Jews would be acceptable to the local population and international opinion whose Jewish community once numbered 18,000 The families pass on the story of what took place – how thousands of Chelm's Jews were murdered in the space of a few days Nearly all of those who survived the march are now dead and the only survivors were children at the time It's the second and third generation who continue to keep the story that was nearly lost alive It was three months after the start of the war but they retreated following the infamous Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact but even then the Jews couldn't foresee what was about to happen "The first few months were characterized by confusion," says Hila Blatt-Arad some people were already warning the Jews about what was about to happen who said that the ground was burning and they should flee But most of the town's residents chose to believe everything would be all right "I don't know if they ignored [the warnings] They thought it would pass," says Blatt-Arad recorded his story about what took place that day in Chelm before his death in 2011 who saved himself by following the Russian army the German invasion of Chelm was not orderly and the Russians who were supposed to stop their retreat at the nearby Bug River but even when the Germans were in charge there wasn't any killing or humiliating treatment "I wasn't yet eight years old," recalls Ben Zion Drutin "They hung huge notices that said that all Jewish men aged 16-60 had to come to the town square one morning but my mother blocked the doorway and argued with him he gave in and decided to go to my grandfather's village." Yehoshua Blatt says that "it was the last time I saw my father." At the time Blatt's father was working for the Germans in their nearby warehouses who was in the middle of the morning prayer that he would share in everyone else's fate," Blatt-Arad says which saved the latter's life because the Nazis didn't want to lose cheap labor and ordered the workers to stay in the factory The death march set out from Chelm on a Friday afternoon she remembers how as a three-year-old child she was horrified I grew up – from age three to 30," she recalls "I saw them bury the chief rabbi alive in the square and force the other Jews to watch so a German grabbed him and impaled him on a fence the Germans separated the community leaders and strong men Yehoshua Blatt heard the shots from the factory where he was working but he didn't know what hell was taking place only a few miles away with a lot of them losing their shoes along the way They walked miles and miles to the next town over where they added another 2,000 Jews," Blatt-Arad says Zvi Hirsch Blatt was having trouble keeping up The Nazis were on horseback while the Jews were shoeless Anyone who dared to help those who fell was brutally shot The rest continued marching until they reached the border between Nazi-occupied Poland and the Russians – the Bug River "The Nazis forced the survivors of the march to jump into the river saying that anyone who made it to the Russian side would be saved," Blatt-Arad says "The problem was that they were shooting at them from one side the Jews were marched a distance of 52 to 60 km (32 to 37 miles) in unimaginable conditions an ongoing nightmare that would end in death Only a few dozen people survived the terrible march most of whom managed to cross the river and then remained in Soviet territory until the end of the war which was how the town's Jewish residents learned what had happened to their loved ones and friends Others had heard about it from Polish villagers who lived nearby "I'll never forget the huge notices and the hesitation about whether or not to arrive People left normal and returned as fragments We heard the stories of the few who returned some 2,000 of the Jewish men and boys from Chelm had been murdered Most of the Jews of Chelm were later murdered in ghettoes and deported to the Sobibor death camp Netali-Gonen and Drutin somehow managed to survive while Drutin was secreted in a small apartment "Just before the third deportation we were warned so we ran away and hid at the home of a Gentile man who had promised my father that if we were in trouble For two years we didn't see the light of day We were hidden in the basement and we heard the Nazis flirting with the girls in the shop next door," Drutin says taking an unusual route that brought them almost as far as Iran Nechama spent the period immediately after the war in four different DP camps and was eventually allowed to leave for either the U.S She made her choice without hesitation: "We arrived in Israel on board the ship Galila which docked at Atlit exactly two days after [David] Ben-Gurion announced the establishment of the state." She served in the army and a few years later moved to the U.S. She works as a docent in the Holocaust Museum in New York and shares her memories with anyone who will listen and the survivors of the Chelm death march passed away one after the other The youngest people in the march would now be 96 had they survived Their children and grandchildren have taken on the mission of keeping the memory of the atrocities alive They founded the Chelmer Organization of Israel "The descendants of the communities that were destroyed set up organizations to commemorate their families and friends People were left orphaned and had a burning need to commemorate their relatives So there was a need for the second and third generations to take charge," Levkovitz says the descendants of the Jews of Chelm plan to set off on a commemorative march that will follow the path their murdered family members were forced to take and we have made it our goal to make people aware of it," Levkovitz explains Members of his group reached out to the Chelm city authorities and received approval to hold a series of ceremonies in the same square where the Chelm Jews were gathered and at five sites of mass graves and it took a long time for people to come back from labor camps and death camps That handful pledged its word to not forget and to tell the story It's a shame that the first deportation isn't remembered Anyone who survived it went through so many things Five years passed before we were freed from the nightmare," Drutin says Israel has launched Operation "Port City," striking concrete plants and cargo docks at the Houthi-controlled port in coordination with.. Indications obtained by Israel Hayom suggest that in recent weeks The British police launched an urgent operation to stop Iranian terror cells operating within the country Analysis  Archaeology Blogpost Business & Finance Culture Exclusive Explainer Environment Features Health In Brief Jewish World Judea and Samaria Lifestyle Cyber & Internet Sports Diplomacy  Iran & The Gulf Gaza Strip Politics Shopping Terms of use Privacy Policy Submissions Contact Us The first issue of Israel Hayom appeared on July 30 Israel Hayom was founded on the belief that the Israeli public deserves better more balanced and more accurate journalism [contact-form-7 id=”508379″ html_id=”isrh_form_Newsletter_en” title=”newsletter_subscribe”] This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page When I was a boy, there was a revolution in Hungary against the communist government. The Soviet Union put it down brutally Several hundred thousand Hungarians fled the country They moved into the little white house where I was born and stayed for a year or two until the dad found a job in a local auto body shop We had never heard a language other than English I’ve been thinking about this as I have watched the news about the invasion of Ukraine. The Russians have bombed civilian areas, and more than 3 million people have fled the country The Polish government has provided an easy off-ramp It is accepting refugees without a passport It is drafting a bill to allow Ukrainians social benefits available to permanent residents Arrivals at the border are taken by tour buses to reception centers where they can get food and beds The European Council has approved a Temporary Protection Directive that will allow Ukrainians to stay in EU member states for up to three years But what I have marveled at are the nightly reports of ordinary people taking refugees into their homes The New York Times reports that more than 500,000 Poles have joined a Facebook group that coordinates support These families don’t have a spare house like my grandfather did The Times spoke with one couple who moved their 5-year-old daughter into their bedroom to make space for a mother and her 2-year-old son Guests need anything they have not crammed into a suitcase Evenings around the table are not like a visit from your college roommate but they’re not like Danes and Swedes this prospect seems strange and off-putting here “the assumption is that strangers are a potential danger and that it is up to them to disprove it.” We protect our apartments with dogs and double locks We teach our children to avoid the risk of “stranger danger.” We post security guards in subways and airports Something about our culture has bred in us an unhealthy fear of strangers I wonder whether our very prosperity is to blame The rich can wall themselves off from people they don’t know Wealth lets them be selective in their relationships They choose their friends and connect at work you yourself have probably never had to depend on the kindness of strangers our fear of strangers may cause us to lose sight of an essential Christian virtue that “any guest who happens to arrive at the monastery should be received just as we would receive Christ himself because he promised that on the last day he will say: ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me.'” Garvey is president of The Catholic University of America in Washington Catholic University’s website is www.cua.edu Looking to access paid articles across multiple policy topics Interested in policy insights for EU professional organisations With the ongoing Russian military air attacks on energy infrastructure it is important to find alternative solutions to make sure Ukrainian consumers have a stable supply of electricity Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data which could be delivered there via an unused gas pipeline from Ukraine to Hrubieszów (Poland) and then through Polish distribution networks to Zamość (Poland) Kim Backstrom has been in Hrubieszow on the Polish/Ukraine border helping the refugees fleeing the war she will be joining Ben Dryden and Kirk Anderson to share her amazing story Live from Poland The Live show is scheduled to start at 8:30a (CST) on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, on DrydenWire’s Facebook page. If you’re unable to watch live, a recording will be published on DrydenWire’s YouTube channel and DrydenWire.com within a few hours following the conclusion of the show and was raised in a Christian family that loves the Lord Maddock is a small town of about 400 people My parents were farmers so I grew up driving tractors and working in the fields I played basketball and was active in my church’s youth group while going to Junior high and high school I graduated from high school and then started attending Northwestern College in Roseville I was involved in a youth group and coaching basketball I went on a missions trip to Poland thinking that it would be the first and last missions trip this becomes the first of many trips to Poland From 2001-to 2007 I would go to Poland about once a year for a 10-day missions trip I would go with a team to Camp Eden in Ocwieka we would have opportunities to share our testimonies build relationships and learn a little polish The rest of the year would be spent on the farm working with my Dad after I graduated from college and a few other farmers started a business the next phase of my time in Poland started Instead of coaching the local junior high girls basketball team Poland which is located in the southeastern part of Poland I was connected with a local church and would help out with the children’s ministries and winter and summer camps I would be back working in ND both on the farm and for Precision Ag Results The next phase in Poland began in 2013 when I moved “full-time” to Poland I usually spent around 10 months in Poland This new phase also meant moving to the area of Silesia near Katowice For the first several years I didn’t do anything other than learning polish I help out with the high school and young adult camps I would do discipleship with some of the college girls I’ve been in Hrubieszow on the Polish/Ukraine border helping the refugees fleeing the war Jan 21, 2024 | History Fifteen iron weapons likely belonging to “barbarian tribes” during the Roman Empire have been discovered in a forest in eastern Poland described by a local museum as “sensational” axes and three objects that are yet to be identified The items were found in a swampy area of a forest near the town of Hrubieszów due to the very heavy corrosion covering the metal it was difficult to determine what the objects were “Several kilograms of shapeless muddy corroded iron were safely packed up and taken out of the forest to clean and determine the nature of the find,” Dariusz Kopciowski the group that had found the items quickly realised they were archaeological in nature and contacted the the municipal museum in Hrubieszów “We are most likely dealing with weapons used by barbarian tribes during the Roman Empire perhaps with the Przeworsk culture,” announced the museum in a statement That is the name given to a culture that inhabited the area of what is now Poland between the third century BC and fifth century AD They are named after the Polish town of Przeworsk near which the first artefacts identified with the culture were found One of Europe's largest Roman-era pottery production sites has been discovered in Poland https://t.co/WWlXm7gMIS — Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) March 31, 2021 “This is undoubtedly one of the most interesting discoveries of recent years,” said the museum which noted there there are no known archaeological sites in the area of the discovery Given the number of items discovered together and the fact no bone or pottery fragments were found nearby “everything indicates that someone deliberately collected these elements Now the fifteen weapons found in the forest will be further examined and a more precise estimate of their age and provenance will be determined the researchers plan to carry out a more detailed survey of the location where they were found A sword believed to be over 1,000 years old has been found during dredging work on a river in Poland The find has sparked speculation that the item belonged to a Viking, but one expert has expressed scepticism about that idea https://t.co/7NorHjZJgq — Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) January 16, 2024 Main image credit: Lubelski Wojewódzki Konserwator Zabytków/Facebook Agata Pyka is an assistant editor at Notes from Poland She is a journalist and a political communication student at the University of Amsterdam She specialises in Polish and European politics as well as investigative journalism and has previously written for Euractiv and The European Correspondent , , Poland has recorded the strongest rise in consumer sentiment across the EU this year , , , The stunt has also been criticised by Ukraine’s ambassador to Poland as well as politicians from Poland’s main ruling party [email protected] David Brennan is Newsweek's Diplomatic Correspondent covering world politics and conflicts from London with a focus on NATO David joined Newsweek in 2018 and has since reported from key locations and summits across Europe and the South Caucasus This includes extensive reporting from the Baltic David graduated from the University of Cambridge having specialized in the history of empires and revolutions You can contact David at d.brennan@newsweek.com and follow him on Twitter @DavidBrennan100 The Polish armed forces announced that an "unidentified aerial object" crossed into the country's airspace from the direction of Ukraine early on Friday, amid what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called a "massive" round of Russian missile and drone attacks The Polish army's Operational Command wrote on X, formerly Twitter of the unknown object: "From the moment it crossed the border until the signal disappeared it was observed by the radars of the country's air defense system the operational commander of the armed forces mobilized the available forces and resources at his disposal." Polish television channel TV Republika reported that a search for the object was underway in the country's southern Lublin region less than 4 miles from the Ukrainian border A Polish Defense Ministry spokesperson confirmed to Newsweek that a "search for the object is currently underway." The spokesperson added that the Polish Operational Command is "in constant contact with the Ukrainian side." wrote on X: "We received information that an object appeared on the radar near Hrubieszow We have no confirmation that it fell within our region." Newsweek has reached out to the Ukrainian air force by email for comment Russia fired 158 drones and missiles at Ukraine overnight in what Kyiv said was one of the largest air attacks since the beginning of the full-scale invasion on February 24 The bombardment targeted critical infrastructure and hit several civilian buildings including a shopping mall and a maternity hospital in the central city of Dnipro Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote on Telegram that as of early Friday morning 12 people had been confirmed killed and 76 people injured in the attack The Ukrainian air force reported that it shot down 114 of the 158 drones and missiles fired NATO officials have repeatedly warned of the danger posed by errant Russian and Ukrainian munitions amid the ongoing war between the two countries. In November 2022, a stray Ukrainian air defense missile detonated in the southern Polish village of Przewodow killing two people and raising fears that Poland and its allies might be dragged into the conflict And in April, Polish news agencies reported that a Russian KH-55 missile—a nuclear-capable cruise missile widely used in Moscow's bombardments of Ukraine—was found in a forest close to the northern Polish city of Bydgoszcz Romanian authorities have also warned Russia against violating its airspace after drone debris was found in its territory amid Moscow's ongoing bombing campaign against infrastructure targets in the Ukrainian side of the Danube River A project of When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February, 34-year-old Newsweek journalist Agnieszka Żądło felt jolted awake unable to concentrate on anything outside the news about the war Żądło cut her vacation short to travel to the country’s border with Ukraine Przemyśl and Ustrzyki Dolne had reserved all housing rentals for refugees only so she and other media workers were scrambling to find available “[With the Ukraine refugee crisis there is] no censorship The security and police were compassionate helping carry the belongings of refugee women and children in their arms.” Since the war broke out, more than 4 million Ukrainians have fled their country, nearly 2.5 million of whom have arrived in Poland. Journalists — local Ukrainian and foreign correspondents alike — have risked their lives to report on the refugee crisis and the many other aspects of Russia’s invasion She didn’t want to frighten displaced people arriving in droves from the depths of Ukraine there was already a curfew and no accommodation; the first night I had no choice but to sleep on the cold train station floor,” said Żądło unlike in other parts of Ukraine where cities are bombarded.” She is close to tears when she recalls the images and conversations she had with refugee women and children just days earlier her workplace covers the cost of regular psychotherapy She thinks back on her most recent reporting trip which included helping journalists from Taiwan enter Ukraine for their reporting “I was to meet Taiwanese journalists and take them to Lviv They came to Poland to cover the refugee crisis and wanted to enter Ukraine to write about the war I thought this was an excuse not to go because I didn’t have the strength anymore Especially when it comes to explaining the danger to her young son “Whether I am in Polish Przemyśl or Ukrainian Lviv it makes no difference to him; in his mind I tell him that this is a critical moment in the history of the world and I need to be there so I directed him to cook some pancakes and take them to the Warsaw Central train station where there are many displaced Ukrainian kids who love sweets,” she said “Polish journalists always try to help,” Żądło noted about what she witnessed at the border so you deliver food and medicine from aid groups.”  The journalists from Taiwan asked her: “Why did the Poles rush to help so much?” Indeed one reason is the fear that this war may also happen to us Kamil Bałuk is a 34-year-old freelance journalist from Warsaw The father of a 3-year-old daughter and a 9-month-old son suddenly the book project he had been working on and isn’t familiar with the history and issues of the two countries Unlike many Poles who have taken in refugees under their roofs he couldn’t assist as his apartment is small and his kids have some health issues Bałuk had time on his hands, however, and a car with kids’ seats. He called a volunteer group, Zasoby to take refugees arriving at the train station to their hosts’ apartments “These women and children prefer female drivers; unfortunately I show them a photo with my wife and children at the pool Bałuk began to calm after his first two shifts I don’t want to act like a journalist,” he said He has witnessed the toll of the war up close through this volunteer work I asked a mother and her teenage daughter where they came from Every question would seem stupid,” he thought and this woman suddenly said she didn’t believe she was in Warsaw but the next second she put on the face of a strong Agnieszka Burton is a Polish-Australian reporter and non-fiction writer Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London His focus is reporting on pop culture and entertainment He previously led teams on major Hollywood awards shows and events He has interviewed scores of A-list celebrities and contributed across numerous U.S TV networks on coverage of Hollywood breaking news stories Ryan joined Newsweek in 2021 from the Daily Mail and had previously worked at Vogue Italia and OK Languages: English. Some knowledge of German and Russian You can get in touch with Ryan by emailing r.smith@newsweek.com famed for creating the Transformers line of toys and revolutionizing the way poker is played According to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth the Polish-born innovator passed away this week at his home in New Jersey he endured the horror of his parents being murdered in the Holocaust before he and his brothers were transferred to a Nazi concentration camp in Germany where he pitched his vision for a line of transforming toys to then industry giant Hasbro—a move that then CEO Alan Hassenfeld said was "the catalyst" for the legendary Transformers toys that were a huge hit in America "Henry basically had a sense that Transformers was going to be something that would be transformational for the toy industry," Hassenfeld told Newsweek in 2016 proved hugely popular and have gone on spawn a number of blockbuster movies Also included in Orenstein's toy-making legacy are the Johnny Lightning racing cars and the 1950s doll Betty the Beautiful Bride more than a million and a half of these dolls were sold," he told Yedioth Ahronoth in 1989 He was also an innovator in how audiences watch poker on TV A dedicated player who won the 1996 World Series of Poker Seven Card Stud tournament Orenstein revolutionized how we watch poker at home TV broadcasts of poker were in the past not only rare as you could not see the cards the players were holding Orenstein's solution was to invent hole-card cameras a camera under the glass poker table that displays a players cards for TV viewers at home The idea was sold to NBC and led to live poker becoming a TV sport sensation across the globe He was subsequently elected to the Poker Hall of Fame in 2008 Orenstein created and served as the executive producer for Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament on Fox Sports Network He also produced the TV Show High Stakes Poker He was also known for his philanthropic efforts. In 2017, he and his wife, Susie Orenstein, founded the Orenstein Project in Israel works to provide "meals and extra-curricular activities for children and teens Police officers stand at a blockade after an explosion in Przewodow a village in eastern Poland near the border with Ukraine Polish government confirmed on Tuesday night that two Polish citizens were killed in explosions in the Polish city of Hrubieszow near the Poland-Ukraine border amid media reports over missiles hit there in the afternoon "We are increasing the readiness of some military units and other uniformed services," Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller said after a meeting at the National Security Bureau which was urgently convened after the incident Poland is verifying whether there is ground to launch the procedures under Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Article 4 of NATO's founding treaty allows members to bring any issue of concern especially related to the security of a member country to the table for discussion within the North Atlantic Council The cause of the explosions has been unclear among several mainstream Polish media outlets said earlier that the blasts were reportedly caused by Russian rockets falling on eastern Poland but no confirmed information has been given Russian Defense Ministry denied the reports by saying in a statement that "Polish mass media and officials commit deliberate provocation to escalate the situation with their statement on alleged impact of 'Russian' rockets at Przewodow." Russia has launched no strikes at the area near the Ukraine-Poland border adding that "the wreckage published by Polish mass media from the scene in Przewodow have no relation to Russian firepower." Polish President Andrzej Duda has spoken over the phone with US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky head of the International Policy Bureau of the Cabinet Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also convened the Defense Council Tuesday night and the Hungarian government was monitoring the developments The US Defense Ministry said it cannot yet confirm or deny the information about the alleged fall of Russian missiles in Poland 1.Comments will appear only after being approved by our team so it might be a while before your comment is posted 2.In accordance with the Regulations on Internet News and Information Services and other related laws and regulations of the People's Republic of China comments should not contain anything that is obscene Please [ Login ] to leave a comment Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times By submitting the above I agree to the privacy policy and terms of use of JTA.org Henry Orenstein is a tinkerer Born in 1923 in Hrubieszów, Poland, Orenstein survived Nazi concentration camps, including that of Budzyn in 1944 he heard over the barracks loudspeaker: All Jewish scientists chemists and mathematicians must register immediately Orenstein registered himself and his siblings – who were at Budzyn too – even though none of them qualified The scientific “work” they were forced to do was actually a big dupe: even the Gestapo didn’t know that the labor they were enforcing was actually a fake project devised by German academics to fool them into not sending them to the front lines of the war against Russia Orenstein’s ingenuity not only helped him survive, but continues to keep him vibrant and inventive. Today, he lives in Manhattan with his beloved wife Susie and almost 100 patents to his name – often using his fortune to support Holocaust survivors and low-income families https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96Ph3oIdBO0 Image: screenshot JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent I accept the Privacy Policy. Sometime in the 14th century, a medieval knight traversing the marshes of southeast Poland either dropped his sword or sank into the muck, losing his life—and weapon—in the process. Archaeologists haven't found his remains, but they did discover his intact blade earlier this month in a peat bog near the Polish town of Hrubieszów, according to Archaeology 4-foot-long sword is corroded and missing its padded hilt but it still bears its maker's brand: an isosceles cross A medieval sword has been recovered from a peat bog in southeast Poland https://t.co/3TZGtq54f7 pic.twitter.com/Je8Muus9L1 The sword has been donated to the Fr. Stanisław Staszic Museum in Hrubieszów, where experts hope to find out how, exactly, it ended up in a marsh. "This is a unique find in the region," noted Bartłomiej Bartecki, the museum's director, according to Science & Scholarship in Poland "their places of discovery is often unknown and that is very important information for historians and archaeologists," he added Archaeologists plan to return to the site of the find and conduct minor excavations for other pieces of fighting equipment conservationists will examine it to see if any engraved signs on the blade exist to identify its owner and origin "The place where the discovery was made is a wetland and a peat bog," Bartecki said "It is possible that an unlucky knight was pulled into the marsh [h/t Archaeology] © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved A medieval sword has been recovered from a peat bog in southeast Poland https://t.co/3TZGtq54f7 pic.twitter.com/Je8Muus9L1 The sword has been donated to the Fr. Stanisław Staszic Museum in Hrubieszów, where experts hope to find out how, exactly, it ended up in a marsh. "This is a unique find in the region," noted Bartłomiej Bartecki, the museum's director, according to Science & Scholarship in Poland [h/t Archaeology] Home → Science → Archaeology A very fortunate excavator operator working in Mircze made headlines after he found a medieval longsword The weapon is thought to have been buried in a peat bog for over 600 years which explains why it looks so badly corroded Considering it’s been buried in peat for so long, the sword’s condition isn’t that bad. “Only the original hilt, which was likely made from bone, wood, or antler, is completely gone,” George Dvorsky writes for Gizmodo. The medieval long sword was later donated to the Fr Stanislaw Staszic Museum where it was thoroughly analyzed by the staff This is a well-balanced weapon that’s nearly 1.2 meters (4 ft.) long but weighs only 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs.) The knight who owned it had to use both hands to grip the sword but given its specs You wouldn’t want to meet someone armed with such a weapon in battle It still bears the mark of an isosceles cross in a heraldic shield on the rear bar which must have been the blacksmith’s trademark sign Other signs might still be etched on the sword Perhaps the name of the owner is etched somewhere archaeologists from the museum plan on investigating the site where the long sword was found to get more clues Did it belong to a knight who simply lost it Was the owner killed and his remains are somewhere close to where the long sword was found Such questions will hopefully be answered soon “This is a unique find in the region,” said Bartłomiej Bartecki “It’s worth pointing out that while there are similar artifacts in museum collections and that is very important information for historians and archaeologists.” Bartecki used this chance to emphasize how important accidental but nevertheless valuable archaeological finds such as this exquisite longsword are his museum opened an exhibition of 500 items all of which were handed to the museum by accidental finders the medieval longsword is undergoing conservation in Warsaw but will later be returned to become part of the main exhibition at the Museum in Hrubieszów © 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science © 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The idea behind human-like robot toys "Transformers" and Holocaust survivor Henry Orenstein passed away at the age of 98 As confirmed by wife Susie, through CNN the creator died at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston Orenstein was a Holocaust survivor who lived through five concentration camps in Poland during World War II and moved to America in 1947 where he started his journey in the toy industry Orenstein was able to patent numerous toys in the 1960s ranging from "Suzy Cute Doll," "Johnny Lightning" toy cars and the "Hole Card Camera," which is a revolutionary way the audiences watch poker on TV "He had a great eye for things that could be different," Susie Orenstein said he was always coming up with ideas," she proudly said "He made such an impression about everyone He was proud of everything he did," Susie Orenstein added That's what he did; that's what he felt like he accomplished." The outlet also mentioned that they established Orenstein Project, where the couple worked to feed people in Israel through an organization assisting children The Organization of Jews of Hrubieszow in Israel also came up with a project in which Orenstein contributed to building a memorial wall of destroyed Jewish cemetery the project wouldn't be able to come through which has made numerous people visited by very substantial groups of Jewish pupils in the country Henry and Susie established a kitchen in Queens and a Manhattan apartment building named after his parents based on their website for families in need The wife continued her statement and said "He always cared about people and loved to feed people