Uncle Joe's Magnificent Erection

The Warsaw Palace of Culture and Science was built in the 1950s on the orders of Stalin as a "gift" to the Polish people. By all accounts it was far from universally popular, dominating the centre of Warsaw in a projection of Soviet power. As an outsider however I found it wonderful. A cinema, technology museum, a proscenium and a studio theatre in one building it made me want to learn Polish and move in. The tower itself must have had hundreds of rooms and halls, all of which were, that day at least, closed to the public as there was a race to the top by various athletes and representatives of police, fire service and army.Read more