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himself resplendent in bright-blue suit and silk pocket-square
The border with Belarus is a hop and a skip away
so this small town in eastern Poland may mark visitors’ first encounter with the European Union
Siemiatycze brims with well-maintained nursery schools and a gleaming sports centre
thanks to EU funds lavished on the region since Poland joined in 2004
Remittances from thousands of émigrés in Belgium have poured into handsome houses
and businesses depend on those who return for holidays: Siemiatycze
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Illiberalism lives”
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The Ministry of Defense of Poland has announced the deployment of a new tank battalion near the border with Belarus
The tactical unit will be stationed in Czartajew
approximately 50 kilometers from the national border
The inauguration of the new military unit took place on November 12
The town has already set up a container camp
with plans to develop permanent infrastructure in the coming years
The initial phase of establishing the unit involves relocating over a hundred soldiers
with the prospect of expanding to several hundred
Military personnel will be stationed in Czartajew permanently
The tank battalion will be equipped with modern technology
We know very well that the Kremlin rulers have initiated the war because they want to restore the Russian Empire
This has always been a threat to neighboring nations,” stated Mariusz Błaszczak
The minister emphasized the preventive strengthening of the Polish army to deter any attack on Poland
He highlighted the modern K2 tanks as part of the newly established tank battalion in the Siemiatycze district
These are modern tanks developed in the 21st century,” Minister Błaszczak added
The new tank battalion is a component of the first infantry division
the formation of which began in September of last year
The tactical unit comprises 12 military components
the division will consist of over 30,000 soldiers
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as the country faces key debates over social policy
and national security that could shape its political trajectory
The annual report said Russia is using aggressive tactics
such as unauthorized airspace incursions and close encounters with NATO ships and aircraft
including Iranian-designed Shahed-type drones
located about 70 kilometers northwest of Donetsk
remains one of the most fiercely contested sectors of the front
where Russia has concentrated its main offensive efforts since March
(Updated: May 6, 2025 11:41 am)Ukraine's drones target Moscow second night in a row, Russian official claims, ahead of Victory Day parade. Debris from one of the drones reportedly fell on the Kashirskoye Highway
The reported attack comes just days before Russia's Victory Day parade and three-day "truce."
Vice President Mike Pence said Putin "only understands power."
About 800 million euros ($905 million) will be allocated for the acquisition and installation of anti-tank mines to deter potential aggression
(Updated: May 6, 2025 9:36 am)War analysisFrance is sending Ukraine more AASM Hammer bombs — here's what they can do
Polish President Andrzej Duda said the United States has tools that can effectively influence the Kremlin
arguing that only President Donald Trump has real leverage over Russian President Vladimir Putin
The number includes 1,430 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day
"To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement" by Benjamin Nathans
which covers dissent in the Soviet Union and Russia today
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on May 5 announced they had facilitated Russian journalist Ekaterina Barabash's escape from Russia to France after she fled house arrest on April 21
A Russian drone attack on Odesa Oblast on May 5 killed one and caused damage to local infrastructure
by Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak in Czartajew. (Website of the Republic of Poland)The Polish government deployed a tank battalion to the village of Czartajew near the border with Belarus, the Polish Defense Ministry reported on Nov
Poland's Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak stated
"We are perfectly aware that the Kremlin rulers started the war because they want to rebuild the Russian Empire...Therefore
in order to prevent our homeland from being attacked
we are strengthening the Army...We are establishing new military units
This tank battalion here in Siemiatycze [Czartajew] will be equipped with K2 tanks."
Minister Błaszczak met with soldiers in the village of Czartajew to celebrate the deployment of the 1st Legions Infantry Division of the Polish army in Siemiatycze
The formation of the 1st Infantry began in Sept
2022 and will eventually include 12 military units
Poland's Defense Ministry expects more than 30,ooo soldiers in the new division to be equipped with K2 tanks
"the most important task of the 1st Legions Infantry Division is to strengthen the defense of the eastern wall of the country."
While Poland has been one of Ukraine's biggest backers and a key partner since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022
tensions have been rising between the two countries in recent months
A dispute about grain exports emerged in September, after Poland, together with Slovakia and Hungary, announced they would implement their own bans on Ukrainian grain imports despite the European Commission's decision to end the embargo on Sept
The Commission had imposed a ban on sales of certain Ukrainian agricultural products in May in five EU countries that border Ukraine
Earlier this week, Ukrainian President emphasized "the partnership between Ukraine and Poland "makes both of us and our entire Europe stronger."
Rachel Amran is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked on the Europe and Central Asia team of Human Rights Watch investigating war crimes in Ukraine. Rachel holds a master's degree in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Regional Studies from Columbia University.
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Poland’s chief rabbi said he had been left speechless after bodies were left in piles during the work
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Human remains from an old Jewish burial ground in eastern Poland have been dug up and dumped in an empty lot to make way for the construction of an electrical substation and a parking lot
Polish Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich described the excavation as the worst desecration of a Jewish cemetery he has seen during the 17 years he has been a rabbi in the country
Jewish religious law holds that bodies should be disturbed once they are buried only under limited circumstances
A day after visiting the construction site in Siemiatycze, a small town that was about 60 per cent Jewish before the Second World War, Schudrich showed The Associated Press photos of large mounds of earth with human bones
“Sometimes people can do something by mistake and may not realise they are seeing bones
insisted that the building work did not take place on the grounds of the Jewish cemetery
but on already developed land that is managed by an automobile association
The mayor’s office had no information indicating construction there should be prohibited
Schudrich disputes that, saying the land in question was part of the old cemetery. He said it and another section of the cemetery were not returned to the Jewish community after the fall of communism in Poland
The rabbi said he warned local authorities that it was holy ground and asked them to inform him if there was ever a request to build there
“I went there three or four years ago and I told them that if you put a shovel in the ground
you are going to find bones,” Schudrich said
Only 70 of the 7,000 Jews estimated to have been living in Siemiatycze on the eve of the Second World War survived the Holocaust, and none are believed to living there now, Schudrich said.
“This is a very egregious violation of the final resting place of the Jews of this town,” said Gideon Taylor, co-chair of the Foundation for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland.
The country has more than 1,000 Jewish cemeteries but, in most cases, no Jewish communities left to look after them, Taylor said.
“It’s essential that local authorities protect them because there is no local Jewish voice to protect the memory of those who died,” he added.
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The underground rapid transit lines have been under construction for almost two decades due to various project delays
The cross pinnacle on the Tower of Jesus Christ will be ready to receive visitors in 2026 on the centennial of Gaudi’s death
Now you can get your wine in Talence by paying directly in Bitcoin
That’s because the state has to spend money on updating the railway infrastructure rather than subsidizing the cost of the popular pass
Steffen Romstöck said that he would respect the residents’ choice and would take over the helm of the municipality
which will come into force from 1 January 2025
Rethinking renewable energy sources for the urban landscape
But operating them is still illegal under the country’s legislation
can inform and inspire communities and entrepreneurs that still feel trepidation at the prospect of energy transition
it has a unique modular design that allows it to be shortened and lengthened like a train
that’s the promise made by the mayor of Paris
the district has long been known as the hangout spot for the artsy crowds
Hostal de Pinós is located in the geographical centre of the autonomous region
the ranking considers several distinct but essential factors
these quiet areas will now be available on all main routes in the country
The academic institution shows a deeper understanding of the well-being of its students
The financial support for the first stage of construction exceeds 70% of the total
The Polish city of Siemiatycze has received European funding for the first stage of the construction of a future Social integration square
as was announced by the authorities last week
The amount exceeds 70% of the expenses related to the first construction stage and is provided under the Regional Operational Program of the Podlaskie Voivodeship
The project for the construction of the important public space in the Polish city of Siemiatycze (eastern Poland) received a boost from the EU
The amount of PLN 392,998.44 was provided for the implementation of the first stage of a project entitled “Small revitalization in the City of Siemiatycze: Social integration square.”
The financial help constitutes 71.72% of the costs for the implementation of the first stage of the project
planned from September 2020 to the end of June 2021
The tendering procedures and signing of the contract are planned for this year and the construction of the square itself will start in 2021
Due to the total cost of building Plac Integracji Społecznej (the Polish name of the project) amounting to almost PLN 3 million
The city is currently trying to obtain funds for the implementation of the other two parts of the project
The new facility in Siemiatycze will revitalize currently unused land
The design of the square involves the division of the area into various zones for play and recreation that will welcome residents of all ages
The first stage involves the construction of paved alleys (280 square metres)
lighting and installation of small architectural elements
a rocker on springs in the form of a surfboard
a climbing wall and elements of an outdoor gym
The aim of the project for the construction of a social integration square is the development of currently unused land (9462 square metres) and making it available to residents
as a place for activities and social integration
Equipped with devices and installations adapted to the needs of different age groups
the square will be an attractive place for everyone
the infrastructure is designed to perform functions well beyond recreation
as it is also adapted to facilitate building relationships and social ties
the construction of Plac Integracji Społecznej is expected to improve public safety in the revitalized area
The 10th European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns (ESCT) sets the stage for stronger cooperation between the EU
national and local level to fast track Europe's transition to climate neutrality
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
An interview with the Mayor of a Polish city that seeks to reinvent itself
An interview with the newly elected ICLEI President and Mayor of Malmö
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VRT journalist and Poland expert Marc Peirs is working on a book inspired by a journey along the River Vistula that he made together with photographer Peter De Bruyne
The journey is already the subject of a photo exhibition in the Atelier 34zero Muzeum in the Brussels borough of Jette
but you don’t need to travel that far to meet people from Poland
An estimated 100,000 Poles currently live in Belgium including 60,000 in Brussels
Most of the Poles living in Brussels hail from the Białystok area of eastern Poland
Marc Peirs told TV Brussel’s Liesbeth Bernolet the rather special story about how this came about:
"It's all due to one man from a nearby village
At the end of the eighties when Poland was opening up this guy served as the head of the local transport company
The company could make its own decision and decide for itself with which west European city it wanted a link
This gentleman knew a Pole living in Brussels and that's why he decided on the Belgian capital
The bus got the Jourdanstraat in Sint-Gillis in Brussels as its destination and the line became tremendously popular
"I shot a report in the village of Siemiatycze
It's called 'Mala Belgia' or 'Little Belgium'
Nearly everybody you meet there has been in Belgium one or more times
They made money here and returned to Poland to build beautiful houses
And remember the guy from the transport company
the line made him so popular that today he has become the local mayor."
Marc Peirs: "Some aristocratic Polish families have been based here for over a century
There are also dissident émigrés who left the country during the Communist era
but the cliché that all Poles are cleaning ladies or odd jobs men contains a lot of truth and does largely correspond with reality."
Marc Peirs says there are several reasons for this immigration: "Wages for manual workers in Belgium are still higher than salaries for many white collar jobs in Poland
Unemployment at 12% is high in Poland and to make some money many Poles travel abroad for longer or shorter periods."
Many Polish women here in Belgium are cleaning ladies and the men may be electricians or construction workers and the like
Of course there's absolutely nothing wrong with these professions!"
"They come here with the idea: I'll be here for a while to make some money and then return home."
If most Poles aim to return to their native country
a number have decided to make their home in Belgium
Marc Peirs: "You notice it on the street
In Sint-Gillis in Brussels there are Polish shops and even delicatessens
These people have their own business here and have settled in Belgium
The majority though use the little white vans you may see lined up on the Munthof in Brussels
Six-seater vans with room for an awful lot of luggage
Poles in Brussels more often than not hail from the Białystok area
but Poles in Antwerp usually hail from another town in eastern Poland
The photo exhibition Wisla Stories runs in the Atelier 34zero Muzeum in the Brussels borough of Jette until 25 January