President Andrzej Duda traveled to neighboring Lithuania over the weekend for commemorations alongside Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.

The two leaders met in Vilnius to commemorate the 1863 January Uprising against Russia and discuss cooperation in the Three Seas Initiative and Ukraine’s EU and NATO aspirations.

In an official statement, Duda’s office stressed that it had become a tradition for the two leaders to meet to commemorate the January Uprising of 1863, in which “Lithuania and Poland fought hand in hand for their independence against Russian imperialism.”

While the uprising was ultimately unsuccessful, it paved the way for Poland’s hard-won sovereignty in 1918.

Duda and Nauseda were joined for Sunday’s commemorations by Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouska and representatives from Ukraine.

Source: Radio Poland, prezydent.pl

Polish teacher’s salaries are set to increase by at least PLN 1500 (EUR 344) per month, according to a recent announcement by the education ministry in Warsaw.

The current government has promised to allocate more than PLN 23 billion for increases for school and preschool teachers.

After the changes introduced by the government, average salaries under the Teachers’ Charter will increase by PLN 1577 for beginning teachers, PLN 1720 for certified teachers, and PLN 2198 for appointed teachers. The money will be paid retroactively from January 1, 2024.

According to the ministry’s statement, an increase in base salary will also automatically increase the value of some other components of teachers’ compensation.

Source: Radio Poland

Opera fans around the world are mourning the death of internationally acclaimed Polish opera singer Ewa Podleś, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 71.

Podleś was renowned for her distinctive contralto voice, staggering three-octave range, and remarkable artistic achievements spanning several decades.

Since her 1984 debut with the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Podleś has been among a select group of singers who appeared regularly in the world’s most prestigious opera houses and concert halls in Europe, the UK, and the United States, including Milan’s La Scala, Covent Garden and Wigmore Hall in London, and Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center in New York.

During her decades-long career, Podleś won many international competitions, including the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and vocal competitions in Athens, Barcelona, Geneva, Rio de Janeiro, and Toulouse.

Many of her recordings have also won prestigious awards, including the Diapason d’Or, Orphée d’Or, Grand Prix de l’Académie Française du Disque, and the Fryderyk Prize in Poland.

Foreign music critics contributing to Classic FM Magazine have included Podleś among the 10 best mezzo-sopranos of the first decade of the 21st century, while Operaarts.com named her one of 100 operatic legends of the last half-century.

The singer passed away on January 19 after a serious illness, according to a post on the Facebook profile of “Ruch Muzyczny.”

Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland

Local athlete Marek Zakrzewski set a new Polish U20 record and a new European U20 record in the 200-meter race at a competition in Luxembourg over the weekend.

In his first start of the year, Zakrzewski finished the 200-meter race in 20.80 seconds, setting a new Polish and European record in the U20 division.

Last August, Zakrzewski took home gold medals for the 200-meter and 100-meter dash at the European Championships in Jerusalem, the first Polish athlete to do so.

Source: Radio Gdańsk, worldathletics.org

Weather forecasters have warned residents of Pomerania to be prepared for strong winds, freezing rain, and snowmelt.

A snowmelt warning will be in force from Monday at 9:00 to Tuesday until 9:00, with forecasters noting the possibility of winds with an average speed of 30-45 km or 22-28 miles per hour, with gusts from the southwest of up to 75 km or 47 miles per hour.

The wind is expected to weaken gradually overnight from Monday to Tuesday, though roads and sidewalks may remain slippery throughout the day.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Weather

Today will be mostly cloudy and cold, with a good chance of rain and strong winds from the southwest. Temperatures will be slightly warmer than yesterday, with a high of 5°C, or 41°F, and a low of 1°C or 34°F overnight. Similar weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for more rain later in the week.

Elizabeth Peck