Slavic World

Why is it that in Polish schools, children learn about Zeus, Athena and Aphrodite from a very young age, yet know almost nothing about our own Slavic roots? 🤯 @doda (https://www.tiktok.com/@doda) sharply criticises the education system and asks a fundamental question: where has our identity gone? In her view, cutting us off from our Slavic roots and forcing a foreign tradition upon us from childhood destroys local patriotism. ,,Instead of learning about foreign gods, we should first learn about the history of our ancestors, our native mythology and nature – even the herbs that used to heal us back then. Only by building a strong identity from an early age can we raise a generation that will want to fight for Poland, rather than ‘sell it off left, right and centre’!" We don’t know @doda’s other posts, but this one is interesting. However, one shouldn’t equate Christianity with Catholicism 👉Slavic World👈

Jadwiga Piłsudska 🇵🇱 Jadwiga Piłsudska (*28 February 1920, †16 November 2014) was a Polish pilot who served in the British Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) during the Second World War and was one of two daughters of Józef Piłsudski. With the rank of second officer (flying officer) she flew unarmed military aircraft in the skies of wartime Britain and was, with Anna Leska and the Lithuanian-Pole Barbara Wojtulanis, one of several Polish women who served as wartime ferry pilots in Britain. On 20 January 1944, she resigned from the service in response to the decisions taken at the Tehran Conference in December 1943, which were unfavourable to Poland. Due to the communist takeover in Poland, she remained in England after the war as a political émigré. Never accepting British citizenship, she used a Nansen passport, valid for all countries in the world, except Poland. After the collapse of the communist government, she returned to Poland and lived in Warsaw #SlavsInHistory 📣 Follow us for more! 👉Slavic World👈

📍Labin, Croatia 🇭🇷 Labin is a town on the Istrian peninsula and has a population of almost 12,000. Labin is the birthplace of the Lutheran theologian Matthias Flacius. From the 19th century until after the Second World War, the main economic sectors were agriculture and coal mining. Following the decline of the mining industry and the closure of the last coal mine in Podlabin, tourism has been the town’s main source of income since the 1960s. 👉Slavic World👈

⚔️ The Battle of Cedynia, 972 AD 🇵🇱 On 24 June 972, near the Oder river, forces of Mieszko I of Poland — first historically attested Piast ruler — met the army of German margrave Odo I of the Ostmark. Odo, likely seeking plunder or territorial gain amid Mieszko's Pomeranian campaign, invaded Polish lands. His raid was a private conflict, without Emperor Otto I's permission. The battle proved a Polish triumph. Mieszko's brother Czcibor played a decisive role in the victory, inflicting heavy losses on Odo's forces, including many among the German nobility. Disturbed by this miserable story, the emperor ordered Odo and Miseco from Italy to remain peaceful until he arrived himself to investigate the case. Cedynia holds significance as the first battle recorded in Polish written history. The Polish victory demonstrated the young Piast state's ability to repel an invasion and strengthened Mieszko's position as a leading ruler in the region. 👉Slavic World👈

🎼 Pyotr Tchaikovsky — One of Russia's Greatest Composers 🇷🇺 - Part 2 Rise as a Composer Tchaikovsky quickly became one of the most influential composers of the Romantic period. His works combined emotional intensity, memorable melodies and rich orchestration—qualities that resonated deeply with audiences. His output includes symphonies, operas, ballets, chamber music, concertos, more than 100 songs, and numerous piano works. Among his most famous works are: Swan Lake The Sleeping Beauty The Nutcracker 1812 Overture Romeo and Juliet (Overture-Fantasy) Violin Concerto Piano Concerto No. 1 Eugene Onegin These compositions became central pillars of the international classical repertoire. Personal Struggles Despite his success, Tchaikovsky's life was marked by emotional turmoil. He experienced recurring emotional crises, endured a disastrous marriage and saw the end of his long association with his patroness Nadezhda von Meck. Many scholars see connections between his personal experiences and the emotional character of some of his works. Legacy Tchaikovsky died on November 6, 1893, in St. Petersburg. Today, he is regarded as one of the most widely performed and internationally recognized Russian composers. His music is admired for its successful fusion of Russian musical traditions with Western forms. His ballets remain central to the international repertoire, his symphonies are staples of orchestral programs and his operas continue to occupy an important place in the Russian operatic tradition while being regularly performed around the world. His global influence is reflected in institutions such as the International Tchaikovsky Competition, one of the most prestigious events in classical music. #SlavsInHistory 📣 Follow us for more! 👉Slavic World👈

🎼 Pyotr Tchaikovsky — One of Russia's Greatest Composers 🇷🇺 - Part 1 Early Life and Education Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born on May 7, 1840, in Votkinsk, Russia, into a well-educated family. Encouraged by early musical experiences at home, including an orchestrina and piano lessons from the age of four, he showed remarkable talent from an early age. Nevertheless, his parents initially prepared him for a career in the civil service, and in 1850 he entered the Imperial School of Jurisprudence in St. Petersburg. After graduating, Tchaikovsky enrolled at the newly founded Saint Petersburg Conservatory, completing his studies in 1865. His Western-oriented musical education distinguished him from the nationalist composers known as "The Five", although he maintained professional relationships with some of them. In 1866, he was appointed professor of harmony at the newly founded Moscow Conservatory, where he taught for more than a decade while establishing himself as a composer. #SlavsInHistory 👉Slavic World👈

☦️ ⛪️ Orthodox Church in Hrubieszów, Poland 🇵🇱 The Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God (Cerkiew Zaśnięcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny) is the only surviving Orthodox church in Hrubieszów that continues to serve as an Orthodox parish church. The present building was constructed between 1867 and 1875 and was consecrated in 1876. It replaced an earlier church building, which had been demolished in 1785. The history of the parish goes back much further: a church dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God is already documented in Hrubieszów in the 16th century. The present building is at least the ninth Orthodox church to have existed in the town throughout its history. Following the turmoil of the First and Second World Wars, parish life was interrupted several times. Since 1951, the church has once again served continuously as a parish church of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church. 👉Slavic World👈

👑 Vladimir II Monomakh 🇷🇺 Vladimir II Monomakh (1053–1125) was the son of Vsevolod I, Grand Prince of Kyiv, and a relative of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos. In 1113, he became Grand Prince of Kyiv and sought to unite the often-divided princes of Kyivan Rus'. Following an uprising in Kyiv, he introduced legal reforms aimed at improving the conditions of the poorer strata of society and curbing abuses arising from excessive debt. He led successful military campaigns against the Cumans (Polovtsians) and is also regarded as a distinguished author. His Instruction (Poucheniye) is considered one of the most important literary works of early East Slavic history. In it, he combines practical advice for rulers with moral and Christian principles. The years of his rule saw the last flowering of Ancient Rus', which was torn apart by internal struggles after the death of his son and heir Mstislav in 1132. #SlavsInHistory 📣 Follow us for more! 👉Slavic World👈

🌿 The Green Holidays — A Slavic Spring Rite of Spirits, Renewal and Ancestral Presence - Part 2 Ritual Practices During the Green Holidays, homes and villages were decorated with fresh branches, flowers and young birch or willow leaves. These plants symbolized renewal, vitality and the protective power of nature. People performed dances and songs in groves, made ritual offerings, and visited the graves of their ancestors. In some regions, young women wore wreaths of greenery and participated in processions celebrating the renewal of nature. The festival also included communal gatherings, feasting and rites intended to bless fields and livestock for the year ahead. ✝️☦️ Transformation under Christianity As Christianity spread across the Slavic lands, many Green Holiday customs became associated with Pentecost and other Christian observances rather than disappearing altogether. Many traditional symbols—including greenery, wreaths, processions and blessings of fields—were incorporated into Christian celebrations, allowing older folk customs to continue within a new religious framework. Legacy Today, echoes of the Green Holidays survive across many Slavic countries in the form of church decorations with fresh branches, springtime processions, folk dances and customs celebrating the renewal of nature. Although these traditions are now largely practiced within a Christian context, many scholars recognize that they preserve elements of earlier Slavic folk traditions. Regional customs differ considerably, reflecting the diversity of the Slavic cultural world rather than a single, uniform ancient festival. 👉Slavic World👈

🌿 The Green Holidays — A Slavic Spring Rite of Spirits, Renewal and Ancestral Presence - Part 1 Origins and Meaning The Green Holidays were an important seasonal celebration in many Slavic regions. Observed in late spring or early summer, they marked the flourishing of nature and were closely connected with agricultural life, fertility and the remembrance of the dead. Although customs varied across the Slavic world, many traditions were associated with ancestral remembrance and, in some regions, beliefs about nature spirits. The celebrations combined seasonal rites, community gatherings and rituals intended to promote prosperity for the coming agricultural season. Connection to Slavic Beliefs The Green Holidays reflect core elements found in many traditional Slavic beliefs: - Nature as a source of life and renewal, expressed through symbolic greenery. - Ancestors as protectors, honored through seasonal rituals. - Fertility and agricultural prosperity, celebrated through communal rites. 👉Slavic World👈

👸🏻 Countess Emilia Plater 🇵🇱 Emilia Plater (1806–1831) was born in Vilnius into a noble Polish–Lithuanian family of German origin. She became a celebrated freedom fighter during the November Uprising (1830–31) against the Russian Empire. During the uprising, she organised a volunteer unit on her own initiative and took part in several military actions. Although her actual military influence remained limited, she became a symbol of courage, determination, and the struggle for Poland's independence. After the uprising failed, she retreated with other insurgents and died in 1831 at the age of just 25 from exhaustion and illness. Her legendary reputation was cemented by Adam Mickiewicz's poem Śmierć Pułkownika (The Colonel's Death). To this day, she is regarded as one of Poland's best-known national heroines. #SlavsInHistory 📣 Follow us for more! 👉Slavic World👈

Mikhail Lomonosov - The Polymath Who Helped Shape Russian Science and Intellectual Culture 🇷🇺 Part 2 Scientific Work Lomonosov became one of the most influential scholars of the 18th century. His fields of study included natural science, chemistry, physics, mineralogy, history, linguistics, art, philology, optical devices and others. He contributed to early atomic theory, formulated principles related to the conservation of mass and conducted pioneering atmospheric studies. Among his achievements were the discovery of the atmosphere of Venus and an early formulation of the law of conservation of mass in chemical reactions. Cultural and Linguistic Impact Beyond science, Lomonosov played a crucial role in shaping the Russian literary language. He developed grammatical rules, promoted a structured linguistic style and helped bridge Church Slavonic with vernacular Russian. Legacy Lomonosov’s legacy is monumental: he is regarded as the founder of Russian science, a reformer of Slavic literary culture and a symbol of intellectual self‑determination. His name is immortalized in institutions such as Lomonosov Moscow State University, reflecting his lasting impact on Russian education and scholarship. #SlavsInHistory 📣 Follow us for more! 👉Slavic World👈

Mikhail Lomonosov - The Polymath Who Helped Shape Russian Science and Intellectual Culture 🇷🇺 Part 1 Mikhail Lomonosov (1711–1765) was a Russian natural scientist, poet, and reformer of the Russian language. He is regarded as a polymath of the Enlightenment era. Early Life Mikhail Lomonosov was born into a fishing family in today’s Arkhangelsk Oblast in the far north of Russia. Even as a boy, he learned navigation and meteorology and also acquired a basic knowledge of Russian grammar from a neighbour. His thirst for knowledge was so strong that in December 1730 he is said to have left his family against his father’s wishes and walked a thousand kilometres to Moscow to begin his studies there. This act later became symbolic of his determination and ambition. #SlavsInHistory 📣 Follow us for more! 👉Slavic World👈

Vila - Part 2 Vile like to ride horses or stags. They go hunting, dance in a circle dance, and seek the love of handsome strong men, assisting them against their enemies. They also possess supernatural powers and are able in the art of healing. Vile are usually friendly to people, but they can take horrible revenge on those who insult them, disregard their orders, or approach their circle dances uninvited. Their general amiability distinguishes them from the rusalki. The folk venerated them by placing flowers, food and drink before caves where they were believed to have lived. 🗣 The etymology is unclear. Possible explanations are from the verb viti "to wind" and Church Slavonic: vichъrь "whirlwind"; or from Sanskrit: vāyú- "air", ultimately from Proto-Indo-European u̯ēi̯o- "wind". Picture: Serbian epic heroes Prince Marko and Miloš Obilić, and the vila Ravijojla 👉Slavic World👈

👸🏻 Świętosława of Poland - The first Queen of Bohemia 🇵🇱🇨🇿 Part 2 Life as a widow Following Vratislav’s death in 1092, she lived for a further 34 years as a widow in Bohemia. In 1111, she took part in negotiations between her son Vladislaus I and her nephew Bolesław III Wrymouth. She was also involved in mediating disputes between her sons Vladislav and Soběslav. According to the Chronica Boemorum, in 1125 she even played a decisive role in settling a succession conflict that threatened to escalate into war. After her husband’s death, Svatava lived to see six successive rulers of Bohemia, including three of her own sons as dukes and princes of Bohemia. Although none of these rulers regained the royal title, she retained the title of queen for the rest of her life. Svatava died in September 1126. #SlavsInHistory 📣 Follow us for more! 👉Slavic World👈

👸🏻 Świętosława of Poland - The first Queen of Bohemia 🇵🇱🇨🇿 Part 1 Świętosława, (Czech: Svatava Polská; c. 1046–1048 – 1126) was a Polish princess. She was the third wife of Vratislav II, and the first Queen of Bohemia from 1085 onward. Origin Świętosława was the daughter of the Polish prince Kazimierz I and his wife Dobroniega of Kiev, the daughter of Vladimir I of Kiev. Her brothers Bolesław II the Bold and Vladislav I Herman were rulers of Poland. 👰🏻 Marriage and life in Bohemia In late 1062, she was married to Vratislav II, then Duke of Bohemia. The marriage was intended to ensure Bohemia’s neutrality in the conflict between Poland and Germany. After the wedding, Świętosława adopted the name Svatava. In 1085, Emperor Henry IV conferred the title of King of Bohemia to Vratislav II. On 15 June 1085, Engelbert, Archbishop of Trier, crowned Vratislav II and Svatawa in Prague as King and Queen of Bohemia respectively. #SlavsInHistory 📣 Follow us for more! 👉Slavic World👈

Vila- Part 1 A vila (plural: vile), is a female nature spirit in Slavic mythology. Vile are described as communal beings and are predominantly associated with the element of water, although they also appear in forests, fields, and mountains. Related spirits include the Rusalkas, whose veneration is closely linked to the cult of the dead and who, in contrast to the Wilas, are generally malevolent in nature. 📜 Their worship within pre‑Christian cult practices was already recorded by Procopius of Caesarea in the 6th century. However, he does not use the Slavic name, referring to them instead as nymphs. Medieval Russian treatises associate them with the goddess Mokosh. Their veneration remained an explicit target of ecclesiastical prohibitions in the 11th and 12th centuries. Early modern ethnographic documents attest to belief in the Wilas particularly in the South and East Slavic regions; in Bulgaria, a Samovila festival was celebrated at Pentecost. 👉Slavic World👈

👩‍🔬 Marie Skłodowska Curie 🇵🇱🇫🇷 – Part 2 👧 Early Life Marie Curie grew up in the part of Poland that at that time belonged to Russia. She was the youngest of five children of the teacher couple Bronisława and Władysław Skłodowski, who both came from the lower Polish nobility, the szlachta, and belonged to the Polish intelligentsia. In 1883, at the age of 15, Maria passed her school‑leaving examination as the best in her class. From 1884 she worked as a private teacher. Her cousin Józef Boguski, a former assistant of Dmitri Mendeleev, was appointed head of the Warsaw Museum of Industry and Agriculture. In the rooms of the museum, which had its own laboratory, Maria had the opportunity for the first time to carry out her own chemical and physical experiments, which strengthened her “inclination towards experimental research in the field of physics and chemistry” and encouraged her in her wish to take up scientific studies in Paris. 🔬Scientific Work After Moving to France Since women were not admitted to university studies in Russian‑occupied Poland, she moved to Paris in 1891 and began studies at the Sorbonne at the end of the same year, which she completed with degrees in physics and mathematics. She completed the examinations for the degree in physics in July 1893 as the best student. The degree in mathematics followed in July 1894, which she completed as the second‑best. In 1895, Marie Skłodowska married Pierre Curie. In December 1897 she began the investigation of radioactive substances, which from then on formed the focus of her scientific work. After Pierre Curie’s accidental death, his teaching duties were transferred to her in 1906. Two years later she was finally appointed to the Chair of General Physics that had been created for him. She was the first woman and the first female professor to teach at the Sorbonne. During the First World War, Marie Curie devoted herself, as a radiologist, to the treatment of wounded soldiers. She developed an X‑ray vehicle that made it possible to carry out radiological examinations in the immediate vicinity of the front, and she took part in the training of the necessary technicians and nurses. After the war, she became involved in the International Commission for Intellectual Cooperation of the League of Nations for better working conditions for scientists. At the Paris Radium Institute, which she directed, she supported the promotion of female and foreign students. 🏅 Nobel Prizes In 1903, the Curies, together with Henri Becquerel, received the Nobel Prize for Physics. In 1911, Marie Curie received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Family With her husband Pierre Curie she had two daughters: - Irène Joliot‑Curie (born 1897 in Paris, died 1956 there) – French physical chemist, Nobel Prize laureate in Chemistry - Ève Denise Labouisse‑Curie (born 1904 in Paris, died 2007 in New York) – French‑American writer, journalist, pianist and politician. Irène Joliot‑Curie had two children who also became scientists: - Hélène Langevin‑Joliot (*1927) is a nuclear physicist who taught as a professor at the Institute for Nuclear Physics at the University of Paris. Her son Yves Langevin (*1951) is an astrophysicist and planetologist. - Pierre Joliot (*1932) is a biochemist, honorary professor at the Collège de France and a member of the French Academy of Sciences. He has two sons: Marc (*1962) is a neurobiologist and Alain (*1964) is a biochemist. ♥️ A Patriot While a French citizen, Curie, who used both surnames, never lost her sense of Polish identity. She taught her daughters the Polish language and took them on visits to Poland. She named the first chemical element she and Pierre discovered polonium, after her native country. #SlavsInHistory 📣 Follow us for more! 👉Slavic World👈

👩‍🔬 Marie Skłodowska Curie 🇵🇱🇫🇷 - Part 1 Marie Skłodowska Curie (born 7 November 1867 in Warsaw, Russian Empire, as Maria Salomea Skłodowska; died 4 July 1934 near Passy, France) was a physicist and chemist of Polish origin who lived and worked in France. She investigated the radiation emitted by uranium compounds, first observed in 1896 by Henri Becquerel, and coined the term “radioactive” for this phenomenon. In the course of her research — for which she was awarded a share of the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics and the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry — she and her husband Pierre Curie discovered the chemical elements polonium and radium. 👩🏻 Marie Curie is the only woman among the five individuals who have been awarded the Nobel Prize more than once, and, alongside Linus Pauling, the only person to have received Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields. #SlavsInHistory 📣 Follow us for more! 👉Slavic World👈