Warsaw celebrates 71st anniversary of Old Town reconstruction

Warsaw, July 19 (IANS) A series of celebration events kicked off in Warsaw's Old Town Square to mark the 71st anniversary of its reconstruction on Friday. This square, along with parts of the Old Town streets were destroyed during World War II and were officially reopened in 1953 after five years of reconstruction.

During this year's anniversary, over 40 cultural institutions in Warsaw's Old Town have prepared nearly 100 diverse cultural activities, including visits, concerts, workshops, exhibitions, and film screenings. Some areas of the Old Town that are usually closed to the public will also be open for cultural visits.

Karolina Ziębińska, Director of the Museum of Warsaw, said, "Together with other Old Town institutions, we organised a grand celebration of last year's 70th Birthday of the Old Town," Xinhua news agency reported.

As she pointed out, the idea of such an anniversary was also born out of the need for joint, active cooperation between numerous cultural institutions of Warsaw's Old Town. That is why they decided to organize it as a regular event.

"We hope that through this collaboration, we can attract not only tourists but also provide a rich and diverse cultural experience for the residents of Warsaw," she said.

A highlight of this year's anniversary is the over 400-year-old golden mechanical clock at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, which has finally reopened to visitors. This unique clock features four faces, each depicting different expressions of a sun-shaped human face: sad, indifferent, smiling, and joyful.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the clock's reactivation after its reconstruction in 1974.

The cultural events of the 71st anniversary of the Old Town's reconstruction will last for three days, until July 21.

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