To my family city - Warsaw. Such a dedication was included by Leopold Tyrmand in the most Warsaw-like novel in his literary output. 'Zły' is an unmatched panorama of Warsaw in the 1950s, a book that, despite the passing decades, continues to fascinate creators, directors, writers, and above all, ordinary readers.
The author made the protagonist of the novel not only the residents of the city coming back to life but also its infrastructure. With a procession of colorful characters, we can peek into trains, buses, pubs, milk bars, cinemas, car workshops, railway stations, pharmacies, and the ubiquitous ruins of Warsaw, to realize that 'Warsaw residents brought it to life, breathing their own hot breath into its brick body.'
Tyrmand did not hide his dislike for communism and socialist realist architecture, but he skillfully used the new, albeit full of architectural contrasts, socialist realist space of Warsaw, which is the Marszałkowska Housing District, to create a backdrop for the events of his novel. Tyrmand treated MDM much more gently than the Palace of Culture and Science. In his 'Diary,' he wrote, 'Warsaw embraced the warmth of MDM, seeing in it a piece of urbanity, a decent morsel on a scale worthy of a great capital.'
During the walk, we will learn:
- where Lowa Zylbersztajn waited for the 'ponies'?
- which Warsaw street was a symbol of the marketplace for Tyrmand?
- where did the selection for Kruszyna's gang take place?
- how did the author of 'Zły' assess Warsaw's cafes?
- where did Marta and Halski consume sausages?
- what remains of the Bar under the Curanty?
- where was the fair of 'Mazovian Strawberry' held?
If someone has not read the novel or does not remember its content, they will not be disappointed.
We invite you to the walk on July 21 at 11:00 AM. The walk will last 1.5 hours.
We start under the Methodist tenement at Zbawiciela Square, and we will end the walk at the intersection of Marszałkowska and Wilcza Street.