My First Visit to Poland — Early 1990s
My first visit to Poland in the early 1990s was a fascinating introduction to a country undergoing enormous change. Having only recently emerged from decades of communist rule, Poland was beginning to open up to the West, yet everywhere there were reminders of its long and often turbulent history.
I spent time exploring Kraków, one of Poland’s most historic and beautiful cities. The medieval Old Town, Rynek Główny, Wawel Castle and the Vistula River provided an extraordinary backdrop for photography, while places such as the Katyń Memorial offered a much more sobering reminder of Poland’s 20th-century history.
What particularly struck me was the mixture of the old and the new. Historic buildings, churches and monuments stood alongside the signs of a country adapting to a new political and economic era. The atmosphere was quite different from that of later visits, making these photographs a valuable record of Poland at a significant moment in its history.
These photographs were taken during that first visit to Poland in the early 1990s, capturing some of the places, people and impressions that made the trip so memorable.
Kraków, Poland — early 1990s.
The gilded dome and ornate lantern of the Sigismund Chapel at Wawel Cathedral, photographed during restoration work on Wawel Hill. Scaffolding surrounds parts of the historic cathedral complex, while the brilliant Renaissance dome catches the summer sunlight beneath a deep blue Polish sky. A visitor stands in the foreground.
The chapel was built between 1519 and 1533 to the design of Italian Renaissance architect Bartolomeo Berrecci, and is regarded as one of the finest Renaissance monuments in Poland.
Kraków, Poland — early 1990s. Main Market Square (Rynek Główny), with the twin towers of St. Mary’s Basilica rising above the surrounding historic buildings. A summer crowd of visitors fills the square on a bright day, with shops, cafés and street activity providing a snapshot of Kraków in the early post-Communist period.
St. Mary’s Basilica (Bazylika Mariacka), Kraków, Poland — photographed from the Main Market Square in the early 1990s. This magnificent Brick Gothic church dominates Kraków’s historic market square with its two strikingly different towers. The taller Hejnalica, or Bugle Tower, rises 81 metres and is famed for the hourly Hejnał Mariacki trumpet call, while the 69-metre lower tower houses the church bells. The contrast between the towers, topped by their distinctive Gothic and Renaissance crowns, is one of Kraków’s most recognisable architectural features.
The Wawel Dragon (Smok Wawelski), Wawel Castle, Kraków, Poland — photographed in the early 1990s. A crowd of visitors gathers around Kraków’s famous bronze dragon at the foot of Wawel Hill, beside the entrance to the legendary Dragon’s Den. Designed by Bronisław Chromy, the six-metre-high sculpture was installed here in 1972 and commemorates the mythical dragon said to have lived in the cave beneath the castle. The dragon famously breathes real fire, adding a memorable touch to one of Kraków’s best-known legends and landmarks.
Katyń Memorial Cross beside St. Giles’ Church, Kraków, Poland — photographed in the early 1990s. Erected shortly after the fall of communism, this five-metre wooden cross commemorates the Polish officers and other victims murdered by the Soviet authorities in the Katyń massacre of 1940. Consecrated in May 1990, it stands beside the medieval Church of St. Giles at the foot of Wawel Hill, making it a particularly poignant landmark on Kraków’s historic Royal Route. The memorial’s inscription, “1940 KATYŃ 1990,” reflects both the date of the massacre and the year the memorial was dedicated.
Interior of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Kraków, Poland — photographed during my first visit to Poland in the early 1990s. Visitors stand before the magnificent late-Baroque high altar, completed in 1735 and featuring the painting of St Peter receiving the keys, surrounded by gilded sculpture and imposing columns. The church, one of Kraków’s finest Baroque interiors, was built for the Jesuits in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The striking black, gold and white decoration, together with the patterned marble floor, creates a dramatic setting that remains one of the highlights of Kraków’s historic Grodzka Street.
Vasa and Sigismund Chapels, Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland — photographed during my first visit to Poland in the early 1990s. The two adjoining royal chapels stand prominently against the Gothic brickwork of Wawel Cathedral. On the right is the celebrated Sigismund Chapel, completed in 1533 and regarded as one of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture in Poland; beside it is the later Vasa Chapel, built in the 17th century in a deliberately similar form. The contrast between the golden dome of the Sigismund Chapel and the darker dome of the Vasa Chapel is particularly striking.
The Renaissance Arcaded Courtyard, Wawel Royal Castle, Kraków, Poland — photographed during my first visit to Poland in the early 1990s. The spacious inner courtyard of the former royal residence is surrounded by elegant three-storey arcaded galleries, created during the castle’s transformation into a Renaissance palace in the 16th century. Italian architects, including Francesco Fiorentino and Bartolomeo Berrecci, introduced the Renaissance architectural style, producing one of Kraków’s most celebrated historic spaces. The upper gallery, with its slender columns and distinctive roofline adapted to Poland’s harsher climate, is particularly characteristic of Wawel.
Kraków, Poland — Corpus Christi procession. A traditional Corpus Christi procession moves through the city, with children dressed in white ceremonial dresses carrying flowers and religious items, watched by a large crowd of spectators.
Corpus Christi procession, Kraków, Poland, early 1990s — worshippers carry religious banners and images through the streets as crowds gather to witness the traditional celebration.
Corpus Christi procession, Kraków, Poland, early 1990s. Women in traditional Polish regional dress carry a richly decorated Marian image, while behind them a banner reads “Więźniarki i więźniowie Oświęcimia dziękują Maryi za opiekę” — “The women and men prisoners of Oświęcim [Auschwitz] thank Mary for her protection.” The banner bears the date 1940, recalling the first deportations to Auschwitz. The procession is accompanied by clergy, standard-bearers and large crowds of Kraków residents and visitors.
Kraków, Poland — Early 1990s. Corpus Christi procession crossing the Rynek Główny, with Polish Catholic and civic associations carrying ceremonial banners and standards. The procession follows the historic route from Wawel Cathedral through Kraków’s Old Town.
Kraków, Poland – Members of the Fundacja Krakowskiego Młodzieżowego Domu Kultury (MDK) carry their ceremonial banner during the annual Corpus Christi (Boże Ciało) procession through the historic city centre. Escorted by a uniformed colour party, they join one of Kraków’s oldest religious and civic traditions as crowds gather to watch the procession.
Kraków, Poland. Costumed members of one of Kraków’s historic ceremonial confraternities march through the Old Town during the annual Corpus Christi (Boże Ciało) procession in the 1990s. The procession is one of Poland’s most important religious observances and is renowned for its participation by historic guilds, civic associations, and local communities
Kraków, Poland. Participants in traditional medieval-style costume pause during the annual Corpus Christi (Boże Ciało) procession through the historic city centre in the 1990s. Historic confraternities and civic associations have long formed an integral part of Kraków’s celebrated procession, preserving customs that have endured for centuries.
Kraków, Poland. Women in traditional regional dress lead a section of the annual Corpus Christi (Boże Ciało) procession through the historic city centre during the 1990s. The procession includes sacred images, statues, clergy, and children in First Communion dress, preserving one of Poland’s oldest and most important religious traditions.
Kraków, Poland. Clergy and altar servers lead a section of the Corpus Christi (Boże Ciało) procession through the historic city centre during the 1990s. Decorated religious banners, processional crosses, and parish groups in traditional regional costume reflect centuries of Catholic devotion and local custom that have made Kraków’s celebration one of Poland’s most renowned religious events.
Kraków, Poland. A procession of clergy, altar servers, and parishioners carrying ornate religious banners passes through Rynek Główny during the annual Corpus Christi (Boże Ciało) celebrations in the 1990s. The centuries-old observance combines solemn Catholic worship with Poland’s rich regional traditions, as folk-costumed participants, processional crosses, and sacred banners make their way through the historic heart of the city.
Kraków, Poland. Floral displays and devotional banners adorn the windows of a historic ecclesiastical building ahead of the annual Corpus Christi (Boże Ciało) procession in the 1990s. Decorating churches, monasteries, and processional routes has long formed part of the city’s observance of this centuries-old Catholic festival, transforming the streets into a setting for public worship and celebration.
Kraków, Poland. A view across Rynek Główny (Main Market Square) towards the Romanesque Church of St. Adalbert (Kościół św. Wojciecha) during the 1990s. Surrounded by elegant townhouses and bustling shops, the square has served as the commercial and civic heart of Kraków since the Middle Ages and remains one of Europe’s finest medieval public spaces.
Kraków, Poland. A wide view across Rynek Główny (Main Market Square) towards the Adam Mickiewicz Monument on a sunny afternoon in the 1990s. Framed by centuries-old townhouses and the Church of St. Adalbert on the right, the square has served as the commercial, cultural, and civic heart of Kraków since the Middle Ages
Kraków, Poland. Visitors relax at outdoor cafés in Rynek Główny (Main Market Square) during the 1990s. International brands, bustling terraces, and a growing café culture symbolised the economic transformation of post-communist Poland, while the medieval square remained the social and cultural heart of the city.