The Russian Federation’s recent attempts to justify the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and its secret protocol to divide Eastern Europe, including Poland, as well as to paint Poland as an ally of Nazi Germany and a potential threat to the Soviet Union in 1939 have been met by a fierce response from Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance (IPN).

Last week, the Russian Ministry of Defence published a set of archival documents from the Second World War on a special website dedicated to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact along with a statement that the documents “prevent falsification of history and attempts to revise the results of the Great Patriotic War and World War II”.

The IPN responded by saying that the publication of the Russian claims, “at best proves the incompetence of the authors of the site, and at worst – their desire to manipulate history”.

After Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin ordered the Soviet invasion of Poland on 17 September.

Polish police were out in force this week to crack down on drivers who were using cell phones instead of paying attention to the road.

Officers were checking to make sure motorists were keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the traffic rather than being engrossed in their smartphones. The National Police Headquarters has, in a special message, reminded drivers that they are allowed to use only hands-free phones. It warned that using a phone while driving can have serious consequences, because it distracts the driver and causes them to take their eyes off potential dangers. Police also said that people who need to have access to a phone while driving should use a headset or speakerphone. Similar police campaigns were scheduled to take place in other European countries this week in a co-ordinated safety drive.

Poland is to receive 3.5 billion PLN for projects in the areas of health, home affairs, business and culture from the EEA and Norway Grants funds.

This will include increasing research cooperation between Poland and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, promoting local development in small and medium sized cities and continuing the strong support for civil society.

This new round of funds is the third allocation to be made available to Poland after editions 2004-2009 and 2009-2014.

The agreement was marked by a ceremonial signing in Warsaw between Poland’s Minister of Investment and Economic Development the Norwegian Ambassador to Poland.

Beneficiaries of the grants have included Poland’s border guards and Regional Directorate of State Forests in Gdańsk in partnership with the Forestry Extension Institute from Norway.

The 44th edition of the Polish Film Festival is taking place in Gdynia this week.

Defined as the biggest celebration of Polish cinematography, the event attracts hundreds of representatives of the domestic film industry to the sea, as well as a large group of foreign observers of Polish cinema.

As every year, the highlight of the festival program will be the Main Competition, in which films considered by the organizers to be the most interesting productions of the last twelve months will compete. 19 works will compete for the famous, prestigious Gdynia prize – Golden Lions. Besides the Main Competition, the festival program also includes one more challenge: The Short Film Competition.

The Film Festival ends today.

The Weather

Saturday will be cloudy with a moderate breeze. Temperatures will reach 17 degrees centigrade, 63 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, dropping to 9 degrees centigrade (48 degrees Fahrenheit) during the night.

Sunday will be warmer and sunnier with temperatures reaching a very pleasant 18 degrees centigrade.

What’s On

Some highlights of what’s going on today and tomorrow in the Tricity

• Open Source Arts Music

Sopot is hosting the Open Source Arts Festival this weekend which is a series of concerts of advanced electronic music and multimedia projects. Artists from the USA, Great Britain, and Germany will perform, as well as representatives of the local music scene. Concerts and shows will be held at the State Art Gallery, in the centre of Sopot.

Details https://www.facebook.com/events/1397042460434793/

• Chillout Classic

Sunday evening in the Oliwa Hall of Culture (Oliwski Ratusz Kultury) in Gdańsk Oliwa, the Gdańsk String Quartet “Baltic String Quartet” will play a concert entitled “Chillout Classic”. The group who are made up of graduates of the Music Academy in Gdańsk regularly organize a series of concerts called „Chillout Classic”, and tomorrow’s lie-down-and-listen concert promises to be the perfect way to wind down the weekend.

Please note – You are encouraged to bring a carry-mat or pillow to lie on during the performance.

Venue: Oliwski Ratusz Kultury Gdańsk, Opata Jacka Rybińskiego 25 (Oliwa) 

RGEN NEWS/AG