Poland is one vast council estate. The communists covered the country with grim grey blocks in which the majority of the population have grown up. Take away the old town centre of Krakow and the port of Gdansk and there is little left worth mentioning.
Bearing this in mind you would think that the scarce period property is highly valued but that is not so. Since they joined the European Union Poles are getting richer and are now 'renovating.' DIY has arrived in Poland. Plastic windows and metal doors are replacing original wooden fixtures. Ornate ceilings are being torn down and cornicing replaced with halogen spotlights. Panelled walls are being yanked out in favour of plasterboard, and silicone is a Polish builder's best friend.
This vandalism is not just restricted to ignorant individuals. The apartment opposite me is being renovated by the council who own it and will rent it out. I have watched daily as original tiled floors have been dug up, ceramic fireplaces smashed, windows ripped out and everything thrown onto the rubbish bins at the end of the courtyard (they do not even dispose of it properly). And this is on one of the most famous Art Nouveau streets in Poland. It is indeed disheartening.
In the staircase they dumped a splendid intricately carved door and frame, identical to mine - in fact I spent a fortune to have replicas made when I moved in as I only had one original. I supposed that the builders were waiting until they felt strong enough to heave the mighty door downstairs. It took me a couple of days but I persuaded a couple of pals to pop round so they could help me nab it. I didn't bother asking the builders as they always want money even though their intention is to throw stuff away, in Poland there is no charity and nothing is free. But the door had gone. We soon found it, however, down by their van... in bags. The builders had sawn up the stunning door and it's frame into small squares for firewood.
