"Praga w klatkach" was born out of a simple belief:
our neighbourhood deserves more than negative headlines
and police statistics.
Because this district has so much more to offer its residents!
It is one of Warsaw's oldest and most fascinating places,
full of history, culture and people with extraordinary stories.
We wanted to show this to the world,
but above all, to the residents themselves.
We wanted them to rediscover their neighbourhood,
to stop and take a closer look at the places
they pass every day, the places where they live.
We also wanted to introduce Praga to others.
That is why we spent many months working
with young people and seniors,
bringing generations and cultures together
around a shared goal:
telling the story of Praga-Północ
through photography, conversations and moving images.
We organised history workshops
during which we explored the district's past
through the experiences of the different ethnic communities
that helped shape it.
We went on historical walks,
listened to stories told by senior residents
and learned to look at Praga with curiosity rather than fear.
We ran analogue photography workshops,
where participants learned not only how to take photographs
but also how to develop them.
These activities required patience,
concentration and genuine dedication,
but they were incredibly rewarding.
We learned how to tell stories through images,
compose photographs and build visual narratives.
As part of the project, we created a publication that both summarises our work and serves as a practical guide to organising a similar initiative in your own neighbourhood or city. We shared our experiences and provided future organisers with a ready-to-use framework.
The project resulted in many remarkable photographs taken by its participants. These images became the centrepiece of the exhibition "Praga wywołana" ("Praga Developed"), held at Pracownia Wschodnia. The exhibition became a major event in the Praga district.
"People of Praga" is a part of the project
dedicated to the district's residents.
It is also a collection of fascinating stories,
anecdotes and personal experiences.
Oral history is a method of documenting the past
through recorded accounts of witnesses —
people sharing their own experiences,
memories and everyday lives.
Instead of facts from history books,
we hear the living, personal voices of residents:
their emotions, anecdotes, ways of speaking
and perspectives on the place they call home.
In our video series,
we talk to the people of Praga,
giving them a voice
and allowing the district's history
to tell itself — in their own words.
Jakub runs a shop at the famous Różycki Market, where he sells football shirts, among other things. He loves talking about Praga, even though he was not born here. In his spare time, he is a comedian with an endless collection of wonderful stories to tell.
We met Dawid during one of our history workshops. He was walking back from a basketball court, carrying a basketball. His height immediately caught our attention. We simply had to talk to him! It turned out to be one of the best conversations we had during the entire project.
Ms Ewa is a true Praga icon. She works in a curtain shop, but she also appeared in two episodes of the cult Polish television series "07 zgłoś się". In one memorable scene, Lieutenant Borewicz leads a criminal out of Różycki Market — and there she is, standing proudly in the background.
Mr Sylwester tells us about TKKF "Błyskawica" — the oldest gym in Praga. This is where many well-known wrestlers and athletes built their strength. It is also a place where many people managed to turn their lives around, leaving difficult paths behind and finding a better future.
What you have seen above
is just a small glimpse of our Praga project.
To explore the e-book,
two extensive photo galleries
and all ten interviews,
we invite you to visit the project's website.
The project is still ongoing —
the photography exhibition was not its conclusion!
If you have any questions,
would like to host the exhibition
at your local cultural centre,
write about the project
or have another interesting idea,
please get in touch.