On Sunday 19th of September 2010, we had the honour of taking part in Harvest Festival in Spala. The event was organized under the auspices of Bronisław Komorowski, the president of the Republic of Poland.

The symbolic loaf of bread was given to the President by this year hosts of ceremony Anna Kozera-Nowak and Marian Szczepanski. The harvest wreath presented by the farmers from district of Opole won the competition for the most beautiful wreath and on behalf of all the beekeepers "Sadecki Bartnik", represented by Janusz, Tomasz nad Krzysztof Kasztelewicz, gave a basket full of honey jars and bee products.

The president said to the guests: "Abundant harvest is the proof that we are better and better in coping with the uneasy problems of Polish countryside. Now we can openly and without fear or shame discuss its affairs. The majority of Polish population has its strong roots in countryside and this is what makes us different from other European societies."
President Komorowski also emphasized that our modern countryside is made of hard-working, giving and industrious people, who are not afraid of being innovative and challenge adversities. Thanks to them Poland can more fully and actively participate in the great civilization project of The European Union.

He also promised more involvement of the Presidential Office in the problems of Polish countryside.

First, the president put flowers before the memorial plate of the president Ignacy Moscicki, who initiated the tradition of Presidental Harvest Festival in Spala in 1920s. After that the President took part in the mass in the Chapel of Soldier of Polish Army. Then he went to the stadium of Sport Centre where the ceremony was held.

Among the guests were present the ministers of Agriculture and Rural Development - Marek Sawicki, of Infrastructure - Cezary Grabarczyk and the Chief of Presidential Staff - Jacek Michałowski. The host of the ceremony was Włodzimierz Fisiak - the marshal of the district of Łódź.

The first Presidential Harvest Festival was organized in 1920s by the president Ignacy Mościcki and continued to be held until 1938. After the II World War the festival was reactivated in 2000 by the president Aleksander Kwaśniewski.

See the photo report from Spala.

See more photos from the festival >>