Side Trippin'
A couple of days ago, I mentioned a possible side trip on the road to or from Polany. Today, I’d like to throw out a few other options as well.
Sanok
Sanok is a town in the Lemko region, not too far from Polany. There is a small castle there that houses a modest, but very nice exhibit of icons. While we’ll certainly have a chance to see icons in Krakow, the thing that makes this museum of interest is the fact that the exhibit contains Lemko icons. I first saw this collection in 1995, and liked it so much that I brought mom, dad and aunt Marge here on our trip to Lemkovina. In addition to the icons, there is a second collection of works by a modern artist named Zdzisław Beksiński. This guy has a style that reminds me of Salvador Dali on a bad meth trip! The paintings are incredibly bizarre, depicting strange creatures and landscapes that might just come back to haunt you later. I remember cracking up at dad after he saw the exhibit, when he said, “Man, that guy is SICK!”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanok_Castle#The_Zdzis.C5.82aw_Beksi.C5.84ski_Gallery
A second possibility for a side trip would be a visit to another interesting museum in Sanok. Poland has numerous places throughout the country called “ethnographic museums.” These are walk-through exhibits that are set up outdoors, and contain old buildings characteristic of the particular region where a given museum is located. The one in Sanok has samples of houses constructed in the Lemko style. These are generally not homes that are built as replicas, but instead are authentic structures that were preserved in the region due to their architectural and cultural significance. It’s fun to visit the houses, churches and other buildings here, as they really help to put you in a certain frame of mind when trying to imagine the places our grandpa Stefan would have known as a child in Polany.
Lemko Museum in Zyndranowa
This place is very close to Polany. It is run by a Lemko named Fedor Goc. If I remember correctly, the old home and other structures where the museum is housed were once part of the family homestead. This is just a small museum, but it contains some very nice, authentic items of Lemko culture. I find it kind of touching to go here; it’s right in the heart of Lemko territory, and seems to be very much a labor of love on the part of pan Goc to keep the museum running. It’s been around quite a long time, and a lot of people have visited. Nevertheless, it still feels more like you’re walking around his old house and barn, rather than visiting a museum. He lives in a modern home on the same property, and guests usually end up near the house, talking with him about their connection with Lemkos. I haven’t been there since around 2001 or so, but distinctly remember sitting with him and my friend Diana outside at a table, while at the same time a cow kept coming up to us and looking for attention. Pan Goc told us, “She thinks she’s a dog!” Anyway, this is a great place for a side trip.
https://www.polishfamily.com/p4e/cities456/458_004.html
https://lemko.org/zyndranowa/museum1.html
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Topic: Side Trippin'
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