Sanniki - Chopin, Strawberries and Paper Cuttings

The Sanniki community (gmina Sanniki) is a part of the fantastic region of Mazovia. It is one of the communities of the Gostynin county (powiat gostyniński) with the surface of 94.6 square kilometers and about 6,700 inhabitants. The Sanniki community is composed of the following smaller local government units (Polish: sołectwo): Aleksandrów, Barcik Nowy, Barcik Stary, Brzezia, Brzeziny, Czyżew, Działy, Krubin, Lasek, Lubików, Lwówek, Osmolin, Osmólsk, Sanniki and Mocarzewo, Sielce, Staropól, Szkarada and Wólka. Three regional routes run through the area of the community: No 577, 583 and 584.
It is an agricultural community thanks to its favorable climate and plains. The area lacks troubling industries which makes a great advantage and adds to its attractiveness for tourism. The agricultural production focuses on cultivation of strawberries, fruit, vegetables and cereals. As local farmers typically specialize in growing strawberries, the Sanniki community is often referred to as ‘the strawberry-growing region”.
It is a dynamically developing part of Mazovia. Thanks to the efforts of Gabriel Wieczorek, the leader of the Sanniki community, many important investments have been realized in the area within the last three years, which has made the life of local inhabitants easier and added to the constantly growing attractiveness of the region as regards tourism and investments. In 2009, a new kindergarten was opened which provides appropriate education for the youngest inhabitants. Moreover, some new local roads have been constructed, including Wiejska and Tkacka Streets in the center of Sanniki.
The region can also boast its rich history, folklore and cultural heritage. It has its own local folk costume, music and dances, and it is also an important culture center, much different than the neighboring Łowicz region. The folk art from Sanniki is mainly associated with its paper cuttings. Local artists pass on their love for regional traditions to the new generations. Apart from paper cuttings, they also make fantastic spiders of wool, straw and crepe paper, bouquets of crepe paper and feathers, as well as Easter decorations with paper cuttings. The „Sanniki” Regional Song and Dance Ensemble accompanied by a folk band are actively involved in cherishing regional traditions. The ensemble has received numerous awards and mentions at various festivals, both in Poland and abroad. For 42 years, every first Sunday of June, a special event called Niedziela Sannicka (Sanniki Sunday) has been organized. It is aimed at presenting the local culture and folk art. Apart from local performers, folk bands from other parts of the country are also invited to participate, as well as groups from Chalonnes in France, Kruiningen in Holland and Horst in Germany.
The Sanniki community is, first of all, a region connected with Chopin. Here, in 1828 the composer spent his holidays and created some of his great works. To commemorate this event, famous concerts of Chopin’s music are organized on the first Sunday of each month from February to October, together with recitations of Polish poetry. Only in February and in October the events take place on Sundays that are closer to the dates of the birth and death of the composer. The events attract crowds of lovers of Chopin’s music. After the concerts, the participants can watch exhibitions of paintings, photographs and sculpture. The Frederic Chopin Palace and Park Complex in Sanniki is undoubtedly the greatest mark of the region. The Palace is a home of the Frederic Chopin Remembrance Center and the Mateusz Gliński Musical Library. Soon, a comprehensive redecoration of the building is to be started that will lead to restoring it to its former beauty and adjusting it to new functions. The cost of the planned investment is to stand at some PLN 20 million. The authorities of Sanniki have received PLN 17 million from the European Union to co-finance the investment. The Palace in Sanniki is surrounded by a wonderful old park of the surface of 10 hectares with old trees that must remember the times when Frederic Chopin took walks there. In one of the alleys in the park, there is a flat stone. It is said that the composer would sit down there to rest. Many of the trees in the park have natural features of historic importance. The year 2010 is to be an important period for Sanniki, as well as for our all country and the whole world because of the 200th anniversary of Chopin’s birth that is being celebrated. And the Sanniki region is one of the most important Mazovia’s centers related to Chopin, so frequently visited by tourists, Polish and foreign alike.
The Chopin region of Sanniki invites you to come there!

Contact details:
Urząd Gminy w Sannikach (Sanniki Community Office)
169 Warszawska St
09-540 Sanniki
Phone: 24 277 78 10
Fax: 24 277 78 15
e-mail: sanniki@zgwrp.org.pl
www.sanniki.pl;
www.sanniki.bip.org.pl