On October 21, 2026, the Wisła District presented the latest iteration of the "People of the Vistula" cycle, which focuses on the people who everyday create the identity of the Warsaw section of the river. This initiative, part of an educational and informational campaign implemented by the Warsaw City Greenery Management (Zarząd Zieleni m.st. Warszawy), continues the project resumed in 2016 at the initiative of the Do Dzieła! Foundation. This year's presentation includes the premiere of a film and an update to the open-air exhibition, featuring nine new figures from various industries operating on the Vistula.
New Protagonists of the Project
In the latest spot and on the exhibition boards, figures include, among others, shipowners, inland waterway captains, and representatives of city institutions. Among the protagonists of this year's edition is Andrzej Stański – an inland waterway captain, author of adventure-fantasy literature, and shipowner of traditional boats of the Krypa.pl fleet. Another figure is Konrad Zatoński, a known sailor and captain who is the shipowner of vessels such as Dudek, Inna Bajka, and Czapla.
The project also features Urszula Zawadzka, chairwoman of the Industry Social Dialogue Commission regarding the Warsaw Vistula and a canoe polo trainer at KS Powiśle. Michal "Borek" Borkiewicz and Dominika Szpinda also appeared as protagonists, having built the entertainment offer for the capital and the vicinity of the river for years. Among the new figures is Paulina Pająk from the Warsaw City Greenery Management, responsible for key revitalization projects of the riverbank areas, and Honorata Kożuchowska – a waterwoman, cultural animator, and shipowner of the boat "Klarowna". According to available data, this boat was highlighted in the 42nd edition of the "Warsaw in Flowers" competition and received the title of the most beautiful wooden boat during the Vistula Festival 2025. The last of the presented individuals is Katarzyna Pisarczyk from the City Transport Authority, caretaker of the Wilga, Pliszka, and Słonka ferries and the Kopernik water tram.
Location and Significance of the Initiative
The exhibition is located on the facade of the beach pavilion on the gen. G.S. Pattona Embankment, at the height of the Dance Pavilion, allowing residents and tourists to get to know the figures during their daily walks. The project, inspired by a Polish social drama of the same title, emphasizes that it is the people, not just the river itself, that define the unique character of this space. Jan Piotrowski, Commissioner of the President of Warsaw City for the Vistula, notes that these people create the image of the Warsaw section of the Vistula, which is a pride of the city. Without their engagement, the Wisła District would not have become one of the most popular recreational and sports places in Warsaw. The cycle, whose roots go back to the novel by Helena Boguszewska and Jerzy Kornacki, in its new version focuses on the contemporary everyday life of boatmen, shipbuilders, and people involved in water tourism.