On 25 September, the Polish Archaeological Institute at Athens hosted a Polish-Greek poetry evening dedicated to the works of Zbigniew Herbert, marking the 100th anniversary of the poet’s birth. The event was initiated by Beata Kukiel-Vraila, PAIA’s cultural programme coordinator, and organized with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Athens and the Zygmunt Mineyko Polish School at the Embassy.
The audience was introduced to Herbert’s world by philologist Mieczysława Makarowicz, MA, from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. Her presentation, titled “A Pilgrim in the World of Culture,” aimed not only to present the figure of one of Poland’s most important poets and outline the historical context in which he lived and created, but also to engage the audience—especially younger participants—in reflection and dialogue.
Selected poems by Herbert were recited by students of the Polish School who took part in the discussion: Kinga Kotyńska, Wiktoria Kawka, Krystian Kudła, Kacper Wiśniewski, and Paweł Madziar.
Herbert’s poems in Greek translation were performed by Marta Lambiri-Fedorów, an actress of Polish-Greek descent, born and raised in Piraeus. A graduate of the National Theatre of Greece’s drama school, she has appeared in numerous theatrical productions and films, including Free Subject (Ελεύθερο Θέμα), The Noise of the World (Βοή του Κόσμου), and the popular Greek TV series Trapped (Παγιδευμένοι).
A special highlight of the evening was the presentation of Herbert’s poem The Power of Taste, followed by a continuation inspired by it, composed and read by Professor Janusz Czebreszuk, Director of the Polish Archaeological Institute at Athens.