Poland

Bundz cheese from Poland.

Polish cheesemakers bask in newfound fame

The food website Taste Atlas recently rated the light and creamy bundz, made from sheep's milk, as one of the top cheeses in the world. The cheese doesn't come from France or Italy — it comes from the southern mountains of Poland.

Polish cheesemakers bask in newfound fame
scientists on lake

Geologists edge closer to defining the Anthropocene

Geologists edge closer to defining the Anthropocene
PTAK Expo Center in Warsaw, Poland.

Ukrainian refugees in Poland will now be charged to stay in state-funded housing

Ukrainian refugees in Poland will now be charged to stay in state-funded housing
The book includes haunting photos from inside the ghetto, along with its record of the medical effects of starvation.

Warsaw Ghetto’s defiant Jewish doctors secretly documented the medical effects of Nazi starvation policies

Warsaw Ghetto’s defiant Jewish doctors secretly documented the medical effects of Nazi starvation policies
Denmark's military officers stand next to a Leopard 2A7 tank at the Tapa Military Camp, in Estonia, Jan. 19, 2023.

Tanks for Ukraine are 'ready to go' when Germany and US strike a deal, retired Navy Adm. says

Tanks for Ukraine are 'ready to go' when Germany and US strike a deal, retired Navy Adm. says
In this September 1947 file photo, hundreds of Muslim refugees crowd on top a train leaving New Delhi for Pakistan.

State reformation: Part II

Critical State, a foreign policy newsletter by Inkstick Media, takes a deep dive this week into the power and politics of collective memory when it comes to partitions. "If states told ghost stories, they would tell them of past partitions," Kelsey D. Atherton writes.

State reformation: Part II
Historians come together to uncover disturbing aspects of Polish and Eastern European shared history.

War in Ukraine spurs new bonds between historians of shared Soviet past

As Russian dissidents flee to Poland, this moment has created an unexpected opportunity for historians in both countries to work together to uncover the more disturbing aspects of their shared history.

War in Ukraine spurs new bonds between historians of shared Soviet past
destroyed tanks

These Ukrainians are trying to rebuild their lives at home — despite renewed Russian strikes

Recent Russian attacks have damaged power grids and water systems in the capital, Kyiv, but families are returning home, and crews of electrical maintenance workers are being charged with bringing power back to the city.

These Ukrainians are trying to rebuild their lives at home — despite renewed Russian strikes
view of monument

War in Ukraine expedites Poland's move to destroy Soviet-era monuments

The Polish government has steadily been demolishing dozens of Soviet-era monuments ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But many Polish citizens believe preserving their country's complicated history is important.

War in Ukraine expedites Poland's move to destroy Soviet-era monuments
people on street walking past banners

Poland has taken in more Ukrainian refugees than any other EU country. Local mayors say they’re running out of money. 

Poland has taken in nearly 1.5 million Ukrainians since the war began. Local mayors say they’re now running out of money to support refugees. And the vast network of volunteers that turned up in the early months of the invasion say that they’re running out of energy, too.

Poland has taken in more Ukrainian refugees than any other EU country. Local mayors say they’re running out of money. 
man in kitchen

Poland is feeling the pinch after cutting Russian energy imports 

Poland was quick to cut back on Russian energy imports. The government has signed contracts with Norway and the US to help make up for those cuts. But the energy crunch is really hitting Poland hard. Prices have shot up by as much as 700% since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Poland is feeling the pinch after cutting Russian energy imports 
A couple kisses through a fence as she boards a train toward Kyiv at Przemysl train station on Oct. 6, 2022, Przemysl, Poland.

Polish border town of Przemyśl is a revolving door for Ukrainian migrants 

The town Przemyśl which lies on Poland's border with Ukraine, has seen a revolving door of migrants fleeing the war in Ukraine, and then returning home. At the train station in Przemyśl, many Ukrainians are facing difficult decisions about returning home amid a brutal war.

Polish border town of Przemyśl is a revolving door for Ukrainian migrants 
A group of women's rights activists with a sign reading "Abortion Without Borders" protesting Poland's strict anti-abortion law, outside the top constitutional court, in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022.

Poland’s ‘pregnancy registry’ will further restrict abortion access, activists say

The Polish government says it is establishing a national medical database, following a directive from the EU Commission, promising to ensure the protection of people's privacy. But in a country with a near-total abortion ban, rights activists are not so convinced.

Poland’s ‘pregnancy registry’ will further restrict abortion access, activists say
The Kyiv Symphony Orchestra rehearses at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw, Poland, the day before the premiere performance of the "Voice of Ukraine" tour that took them to nine cities across Poland and Germany

The Kyiv Symphony Orchestra fights on the war's 'cultural front'

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense granted special permission for the male musicians to leave the country, calculating that the world will be more motivated to protect Ukraine if it sees its culture as something precious and worth saving.

The Kyiv Symphony Orchestra fights on the war's 'cultural front'
Students at the Warsaw Ukrainian School (SzkoUA), in Warsaw, Poland, sing during an English lesson.

'Their lives collided with war': Ukrainian refugees in Poland open their own schools

In recent weeks, some Ukrainians in Warsaw have opened their own schools to let displaced children finish the school year in their own language and according to their own education system. 

'Their lives collided with war': Ukrainian refugees in Poland open their own schools