It is worth noting that this year Biesiada at Bartnik coincided with the celebration of the 200th anniversary of priest Jan Dzierzon's birthday. Jan Dzierzon is called "the father of the contemporary Polish beekeeping" and he was also the discoverer of parthenogenesis.

The ceremonial opening of the 20th Besiada was preceded by the unveiling of the commemorative plaque dedicated to the memory of Jan Dzierzon. The honour was performed by Andrzej Butra, the Vice-Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and by Stanslaw Kracik, the Governor of Malopolska.

Janusz Kasztelewicz made the official opening of Biesiada accompanied by the colour guards of Carpathian Beekeeping Association in Nowy Sacz and the beekeeping circles from Bukowina Tatrzanska, Grybow, Kamionka Wielka and Moszczenica.
The guests included Andrzej Butra from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Stanislaw Kracik, the Governor of Malopolska, Wieslaw Janczyk, the Member of Parliament, Mieczyslaw Kielbasa, the Vice-Prefect of Nowy Sacz, Leszek Zegzda, the councillor of local authorities, Boguslaw Wisniewski, the chairman of Agricultural Market Agency in Krakow.

There were also present representatives of beekeeping communities from all over the country, including Elzbieta Kowalczyk, the chairperson of Beekeeping Association "Polanka", Zbigniew Pecak and Piotr Mrowka, the president and vice-president of Professional Beekeepers Association.

The area of science was represented by Prof. Lionel Segui Gonçalves (Brazil), Prof. Ryszard Czarnecki, Prof. Artur Stojko, Prof. Marek Chmielewski, Prof. Pawel Chorbinski, Prof. Jerzy Wilde, Dr. Zbyszek Lipinski, Dr. Piotr Jakubowicz Chmara (Ukraine), Werner Hohl (Austria).

The event could not take place without friends of "Sadecki Bartnik": Wasilij Gajadar, the breeder of Carpathian bees from Ukraine, Halina and Henryk Bondarczyk, beekeepers and collectors, Henryk and Jerzy Gnerowicz.

This beekeeping holiday was also an ideal occasion to present the awards granted by the President of Poland Bronislaw Komorowski, as well as, the awards of "Zasluzony dla Rolnictwa" (Order of Merit for Agriculture) granted by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Marek Sawicki.

The Gold Crosses of Merit were given to Marian Babik, Elzbieta Kowalczyk, Zbigniew Krawczyk, Piotr Mrowka, Franciszek Palka and Albert Radwan; The Silver Cross of Merit Jozef Gucwa and Zbigniew Pecak , and the medals in recognition of long-standing service for were presented to Jerzy Matusik and Jadwiga Grybos.

The awards "Zasluzony Dla Rolnictwa" were granted to: Czeslawa Adamik, Lucjan Furmanek, Wlodzimierz Kario, Marcin Lipinski, Jan Nazarowicz, Stefan Tkaczuk and Zygmunt Wiatr.

Stroze was visited by the winners of the 4th Open Photo Contest "Pszczola i jej otoczenie" (Bee and its environment). Janusz Kasztelewicz presented them with the awards, certificates and prizes.

You are welcome to listen to the interview with Andrzej Butra, the Vice-Minister of Agriculture and with Stanislaw Kracik, the Governor of Malopolska.