A-Infos (en) Poland, FA: Report from the Anarchist Camp in the Lemko Region (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

Camp Community Center --- From July 18th to 25th, the long-awaited 
anarchist camp in the Lemko Region in the Beskid Niski Mountains took 
place. This was the second one at this location, and it immediately grew 
in both quality and quantity. A large number of comrades arrived, over 
four dozen of the entire group, including guests. Participants from most 
FA sections, various initiatives, and groups from across the country 
were present. Logistically, the camp was perfectly prepared. Many thanks 
and respect to the team who prepared and assembled it. Since the camp is 
being built on the spur of the moment, and everything had to be 
transported and assembled, it was quite a challenge. All necessary 
utilities were available, from a toilet and shower to water and 
electricity. The large community center tent could accommodate twice as 
many people. A huge round table with a great anarchy was conducive to 
sit-downs, conversations, and shared meals. In addition, a large, fully 
equipped kitchen tent allowed the chefs to showcase their incredible 
culinary skills, feeding us exquisite meals, even by camp standards. 
Local specialties can be sampled from local culinary offerings, 
including the famous Lemko "fuczki" (sauerkraut fritters), simple yet 
hearty pancakes made from sauerkraut and wheat flour. Coffee lovers 
enjoyed Zapatista coffee (which was even more delicious in the meadow 
and in such company) (it wasn't grown in the mountains). A properly 
secured fire pit with a grill brought the feasts to the open air and 
starry sky. A storage tent, stocked with tools, materials, and 
equipment, prepared us for any eventuality, fortunately without the need 
for full utilization. A modest library with maps, guidebooks, and books 
describing the history and remains of Lemko culture, as well as the rich 
flora and fauna of the area, was available for everyone. An activist 
trip to Myscowa
Few people made it on the hiking trails, though some did. As a camp 
community, we compensated with daily hikes and longer walks. From a few 
to a dozen kilometers a day, for those who wanted to. We hiked the 
scenic trail on the Slovak side to Konieczna, to a World War I cemetery, 
and took a rainy but enjoyable trip to the same cemetery in Rotunda. 
There was also a beautiful trail in Magura National Park along the 
winding and capricious Wisloka River, where tributaries converge, 
creating deep pools and enormous rocky tubs perfect for diving. We 
visited the valley of the former villages of Radocyna, Czarne, 
Nieznajowa, Dlugie, and Lipna. We observed enormous beaver dens, which 
influenced the water retention of entire valleys, and other natural 
wonders - from flowering meadows full of herbs to the vast number of 
butterfly species in this area. Lesser spotted eagles, nesting nearby, 
circled above us throughout the camp. Majestic beech trees lined the 
trails, and beautiful views unfolded from the colorful mountain meadows 
and mountain pastures.

Besides those practicing the art of walking, the camp also attracted 
enthusiasts of well-trodden bikes. They embarked on picturesque, winding 
trails with significant elevation gain, undertaking eighty-kilometer 
excursions.

Route: anarchist camp - Smerekowiec - Ropica Górna - Bartne - Krzywa - camp

Route: anarchist camp - Stebnik (Slovakia) - Regietów - Wysowa Zdrój - 
Skwirtne - Uscie Gorlickie - Brunary - Klimkówka - Smerekowiec - camp

Szwejk in Bardejov
A spontaneous car trip also took place along the trail of scattered, 
sparse wooden architecture monuments, mostly Orthodox churches, but also 
Lemko houses. We could see Orthodox churches, which in this area often 
have a local character - as if three towers were joined together and 
roofed with shingles. Some of the campers also drove to Bardejov in 
Slovakia, a picturesque town with Renaissance architecture, a sloping 
market square paved with cobblestones, and medieval city walls and 
towers. It started to rain, so we couldn't help but visit a local pub 
serving traditional dishes from our southern neighbors: fried cheese and 
other specialties, along with beer or, for those who didn't drink 
alcohol, a Kofola made from a stick. Shvejk, a mug in his hand, smiled 
down at us from the wall. In The Adventures of the Good Soldier Shvejk, 
he entered the arena of world wars in the Low Beskids on the Carpathian 
Front. This was in keeping with the experiences of the author himself, 
Jaroslaw Haszek. This Shvejk humor stayed with us throughout the camp, 
revealing itself in some with witty retorts and conversational quips.

We didn't manage to complete the entire program. We visited the village 
of Myscowa, where we were guided by a member of the local community who 
opposes the flooding of their village and the entire valley by a 
reservoir that has been planned for years.
You can find more about this foolish idea and the residents' fight in 
the latest issue of the A-TAK newspaper and on the Anarchist Federation 
website in the article "We Want a Bridge, Not a Dam."

Tactic Aid Training
A meeting was also held presenting the activities of the Tactic Aid team 
and an interestingly conducted professional medical workshop on 
hemorrhage control.

Meeting with the Wild Carpathians Initiative
We also met with members of the Wild Carpathians Initiative, who are 
fighting to preserve the Carpathian forests, particularly the creation 
of the Turnicki National Park to protect this valuable area from ongoing 
devastation. The lecture was accompanied by slides documenting the 
devastation already wrought there, as well as the years-long struggle of 
the radical environmental movement. Thanks to the people from the valley 
and their knowledge, we could find many parallels to what we saw on the 
ground. During our hikes in the Low Beskids, along the cross-border 
trail, we encountered the increasingly common sight of a harvester 
almost completely clearing a forest, almost to the top of a hill. Only a 
few trees remained, which, without the support of the felled 
surroundings, would fall anyway. According to the description of this 
subdivision on the Forests and Citizens website, this subdivision has 
the status of "protective forest, which, according to applicable law, 
should be particularly protected...". Complete felling on hilltops and 
the logging roads leading to them contribute to faster water runoff and 
flash floods in the region. After the camp, a text describing this was 
published on the FA website, "Complete felling...".

The next item on the program was a meeting with a local history 
enthusiast and researcher, which led us to reflect on human fragility, 
the complex web of connections and divisions, and the pursuit of 
autonomy and the preservation of one's own distinctiveness and culture. 
The history of the Lemko region is a turbulent and twisting process at 
the intersection of many cultures and ethnicities, with their local and 
heterogeneous specificities. We saw traces of how the great winds of 
global social processes, economics, wars, and politics alienated from 
humanity have left their mark on this place. Where does one find 
themselves thrown from the gears of such processes?

At the end of the camp, we participated in a meeting on urban ecology, 
led by a representative of the Rzeszów-based "Jestes Dziko" Foundation. 
We discussed social self-organization, but also human stupidity, expert 
actions and the acquisition of such knowledge, and even formally 
blocking tree felling.

Several film screenings also took place in the large community center 
tent, although much more was planned.

During the camp, we discussed the strategies of the anarchist movement, 
the media, and our message, preserving, compiling, and collecting the 
movement's legacy, researching its twisted history, anarchist 
conferences, and publications. Unfortunately, we also discussed 
painfully current issues: wars, militarization, and the threats that 
await us and future generations.

There wasn't enough time for everything during this intense period, so 
we have a lot of comments and critical self-reflection, which is slowly 
transforming into concrete ideas. We should view this as another 
challenge, a raising of the bar. The organizing committee for the next 
camp is already being formed. Throughout this period, we have much work 
ahead of us on consolidating and developing the anarchist movement, 
which, as always, has been the case, as exemplified by this incredibly 
successful camp.

See you next year! Join us for unforgettable adventures, inspiring 
meetings and discussions, and simply relaxation. See you on the trails 
and around a campfire in the Lemko region in 2027.

https://federacja-anarchistyczna.pl/2026/08/11/relacja-z-obozu-anarchistycznego-na-lemkowszczyznie/
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