APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070023-3
FIGURE 50. Palace of Culture, Warsaw (U/OU) (picture)
"Warsaw Autumn," which has been held annually in the Polish capital since 1956.
Folk art is no longer a vital force in national expression but is artificially kept alive to serve propaganda and commercial ends. Traditionally important in peasant life, folk art in all its forms (song, dance, woodcarving, pottery, weaving, embroidery) was characterized by marked regional and local variation. Since World War I, such forces as urbanization, the development of mass media, and improved transportation have promoted a cultural homogeneity in which Western styles and customs are dominant. Although intent on eliminating regional and local differences, the Communist regime has fostered the development of folk art for commercial purposes and as a means to identifying itself with national values. Folk art and tradition is best preserved among the Gorale, highlanders of the central Carpathians, who lived in virtual isolation until the end of the 19th century. The fashionable holiday resort of Zakopane affords tourists an opportunity to see the Gorale in their folk costumes, enjoy their songs and dances, and purchase folk art wares (Figure 52). Of more importance, the rediscovery of the Zakopane style in the 19th century initiated a widespread movement for the employment of folk motifs in the applied arts. This movement continued throughout the interwar period and still flourishes under the regime's encouragement. The regime, moreover, sponsors two folk song and dance ensembles, Slask and Mazowsze, both of which have given numerous performances abroad, including tours of the United States.
c. Popular participation
In carrying out its cultural goals, the regime is concerned not only with having a say in the character of contemporary art expression but also with broadening the cultural opportunities of the general population and shaping its esthetic tastes and values. Traditionally, the cultural product in Poland was made by the upper class for their own consumption; it began filtering down to the emerging middle class at the end of the 19th century. Later, especially with the development of mass media after World War II, it became accessible to all social groups. In an effort to popularize culture, the Communist regime has provided an expanding network of theaters, music establishments, museums, and libraries, and has
FIGURE 51. Old Town square, Warsaw, 1945 (top), 1965 (bottom) (U/OU) (pictures)
71
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070023-3
