25 Years, Thousands of Stories: Culture.pl Celebrates Its Anniversary and Opens a New Chapter

Over 50 million words about Polish culture, seven language versions, readers in more than 80 countries, and millions of visits every year. Culture.pl – the largest and most trusted source of knowledge about Polish culture – is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Launched by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in 2001, today the portal is an international medium combining cultural journalism, podcasts, video and multimedia projects. The anniversary is an opportunity to look back on a quarter of a century of activity, but also to present new projects and directions for the future of Culture.pl.

What do quarks, elephants and pierogi have in common? Where do Polish threads appear in the adventures of Sherlock Holmes? And what does occultism have to do with paintings by miners? These are just some of the stories waiting to be discovered on Culture.pl. For 25 years, the portal has been telling the story of Polish culture, combining the familiar with the surprising – introducing key figures and events, uncovering forgotten stories, and revealing unexpected connections between culture, history and the present day.

Over a quarter of a century, almost everything has changed: technology, the media, the ways people engage with culture and how audiences are reached. Culture.pl has evolved alongside these changes, remaining a place where reliable knowledge meets curiosity about the world. Today, as algorithms increasingly decide what we read and watch, the editorial team consistently champions an authorial perspective, in-depth content and stories that make it possible to discover Polish culture beyond well-worn clichés.

From a pioneer of the Polish internet to an international platform

When the Adam Mickiewicz Institute launched Culture.pl in 2001, the internet in Poland was only just gaining popularity. Wikipedia was founded the same year, and the ability to reach audiences around the world online opened up entirely new possibilities. Culture.pl was one of the pioneering ventures to use this potential to tell the story of Polish culture.

From the outset, the portal’s ambitions went beyond simply reporting on events. It was meant to be a place where Polish and international audiences could find in-depth, accessible and engaging stories about culture – from literature and the visual arts to music, film, theatre, architecture and design.

Over the following years, Culture.pl expanded its editorial team, broadened its scope and launched new language sections. Today it publishes in seven languages: Polish, English, Ukrainian, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese. Russian-language material is also available in the archive. Each section has its own character and storytelling style, reflecting the interests of readers from different countries and cultural backgrounds.

Tens of thousands of articles, interviews, biographies and multimedia features now make up an extensive archive of Polish culture of recent decades. It is used both by people who have long been interested in Poland and by those just beginning to discover it – readers, journalists, researchers, curators and cultural event organisers.

– For 25 years, successive generations of editors have created a place that is attentive to the world while remaining a reliable source of knowledge about Polish culture. Today, when we can get an answer to almost any question in a matter of seconds, the question of how trustworthy that knowledge is becomes especially important. Trust cannot be built in seconds. Behind Culture.pl are people – their experience, inquisitiveness, talent and thousands of hours of work. It is thanks to them that Culture.pl not only documents the history of Polish culture, but also stays close to its contemporary phenomena, creators and most important debates – says Olga Wysocka, Director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.

Polish culture in an international perspective

– For 25 years, Culture.pl has been practising the art of finding unexpected connections. Between eras, languages, people and experiences. Between what is familiar and what may yet captivate us. This is much more than telling stories about Polish culture. It is work on our collective imagination. Today, when algorithms try to predict what will interest us tomorrow based on what interested us yesterday, this ability becomes particularly valuable. An algorithm suggests what we are looking for. Culture can show us what we did not know was worth looking for – says Olga Brzezińska, Deputy Director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.

This ability to spark curiosity and open up new perspectives is particularly important in the international work of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, whose mission is to promote Polish culture abroad. From the very beginning, Culture.pl has been an essential part of this mission – not only reporting on Polish artists, but also helping international audiences better understand the historical, social and cultural contexts of their work.

Over the past 25 years, Polish culture has made its presence felt around the world ever more clearly. The Nobel Prize in Literature for Olga Tokarczuk, the Oscar for Paweł Pawlikowski’s film “Ida”, and the international popularity of the games “The Witcher” and “Cyberpunk 2077” show how diverse the paths of Polish creativity to international audiences can be.

Culture.pl documents these successes, but devotes just as much attention to lesser-known figures and phenomena. It tells stories of history, architecture, everyday life and social change. It shows Poland through its culture – multifaceted, ambiguous, rooted in tradition, yet open to new ideas.

From the start, the portal has also accompanied the international projects of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, providing knowledge about the artists presented and the contexts of their work. As a result, exhibitions, concerts and performances become not only an opportunity to encounter Polish culture, but also the beginning of further discoveries, conversations and interests that can last long after the event is over.

Culture.pl – to read, listen to and watch

Over 25 years, not only has the subject matter of Culture.pl changed, but so has the way audiences discover culture. The portal, which began as an online knowledge base, is today a multimedia outlet developing podcasts, video productions and new forms of cultural journalism.

– Over 25 years, we have built a vast knowledge base about Polish artists, works and cultural phenomena. It is a unique resource that we are constantly developing, but Culture.pl is not just an archive – it is a living organism that changes together with culture and its audiences. Today, we are experimenting more and more boldly with different formats: podcasts, reels and longer video forms. We are present where our audiences are, and we talk about culture in a way that engages and inspires them. At the same time, regardless of the format, we want to preserve what makes Culture.pl strong – the quality of its journalism, its knowledge and its authorial perspective – says Maria Peltz-Orlińska, Culture.pl Team Coordinator.

From the documentary series “The Final Curtain” about the fall of the Eastern Bloc, through the “Unseen” sound walks, to the book “Quarks, Elephants & Pierogi: Poland in 100 Words”, which introduces Poland to international readers through its language – Culture.pl’s projects show how many different stories and perspectives Polish culture holds.

Among the editorial team’s current productions are the architecture podcast “Teren zabudowany” by Anna Cymer, the music podcast “Flis” by Filip Lech and Izabela Smelczyńska, and the Ukrainian-language “Pod prąd” hosted by Sashko Yarmola. In the video series “How Poland!”, Adam Żuławski introduces English-speaking audiences to Polish customs and social phenomena with a dose of humour, while the video interview series “10-ish Questions for…” shows Polish artists from a less obvious angle – its guests have included Jakub Józef Orliński and Aleksander Dębicz.

New projects for the 25th anniversary

To mark its 25th anniversary, the editorial team has also prepared new initiatives that show the direction in which Culture.pl is developing.

On 15 October, “Studio Culture” premiered – a video podcast in which, once a month, the portal’s authors, led by Aleksander Kmak, discuss intriguing phenomena from the world of culture. The guest of the first episode, devoted to time and endurance, was actress Magdalena Cielecka.

The editorial team is also preparing a selection of the best articles from the 25-year archive of the Polish and English sections of Culture.pl in audio form. Upcoming premieres also include “Wajda: A Legacy of Resistance” – a six-part video podcast directed by Filip Skroniec, devoted to the work and legacy of Andrzej Wajda.

The anniversary has also seen the launch of the first English-language Culture.pl Yearbook. The publication is aimed primarily at the Adam Mickiewicz Institute’s international partners and at artists visiting Poland on study visits and residencies.

The anniversary is also accompanied by a refreshed visual identity for Culture.pl, developed as part of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute’s rebranding. The new visual system meets the needs of contemporary communication – from the website to video content and social media.

The anniversary is a great excuse to visit Culture.pl and discover something new – whether you are in Poland or on the other side of the world.

Culture.pl is published by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute (IAM), which brings Polish culture to people around the world. As a state institution, it creates lasting interest in Polish culture and art, strengthening the presence of Polish artists on the global stage. It initiates innovative projects and supports international cooperation and cultural exchange. It promotes the work of both established and promising artists, showcasing the diversity and richness of our culture. More information: iam.pl/en.

Read more about the history of Culture.pl: A Palace, Plenty of Magenta & Some Pierogi: Culture.pl’s History in a Nutshell

And about how Polish culture has changed over the past 25 years: Slides & Snapshots: A Look Back at 25 Years of Polish Culture in Honour of Culture.pl’s 25th Anniversary