LECTURE: (UN)REALIZED UTOPIA | ANNA HELENA PRZYBYLA

In post-war Polish urban planning, the concept of the Park of Culture and Recreation stands as one of the most striking examples of the collision between utopian planning and the country’s actual capabilities. This new type of park, developed in the Soviet Union during the 1920s and 30s, was intended to be an ideological and functional alternative to traditional public parks. Its purpose was to provide users with a cultural, political, and sports program within a monumental architectural setting. The model assumed the creation of formalized layouts serving not only leisure but, above all, the political and social shaping of the masses.

During the event, we will examine the adaptation of this idea on Polish soil. An analysis of projects from the Socialist Realist period shows how monumental visions clashed with the economic realities of 1950s Poland. This resulted in much humbler realizations, often stripped of their original ideological functions. Comparing theory with practice reveals a distinct rift between the „paper utopia” and its final form. Many of these sites never fully acquired the characteristics of Parks of Culture and Recreation, remaining suspended between the original design and practical execution constraints.

The presentation will showcase the results of interdisciplinary research that combines a critical look at archival materials with artistic research. The study covered projects from Warsaw and major industrial centers of Upper Silesia, including Katowice, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Gliwic, and Sosnowiec. The research process involved an extensive archival query of design documentation as well as field research. The narrative will be accompanied by a presentation of painted sketches created directly within the park spaces, and collages that serve as a creative interpretation of archival plans and visions juxtaposed with their actual realization.

Lecture by Anna Helena Przybyła is a presentation of her research conducted within the Exercising Modernity fellowship project.