Former mining shaft Jan, KWK Julia, Wałbrzych (2013), from Loss series on the end of coal mining industry in a region built and dependant on it.
Today is Barbórka – St. Barbara day, traditional holiday for the coal miners in Poland. The 21th after KWK Julia ceased to work. Now the central part of this mine is a museum, but peripheral shafts like this one had been repurposed – now there’s a car mechanic in Jan. Wałbrzych isn’t a structural disaster (dubbed Polish Detroit) as it used to be, but whole region still bears the burden of heavy structural damage that was imposed on it by the closure of the mines. The poorest district of coal miner homes is now being prepared to be demolished, but the new shopping mall has a tower resembling the coal mining shaft, and the biggest football club is still named Górnik (Miner). 4 years ago, when I asked kids drawn from their schools for the city celebrations of Barbórka what does the sign on their paper hats means, all of them told me it’s for the football team.