Communism goes underground

It will occupy 5,000 sqm, out of which 1,500 sqm will be underground and the rest in new premises built under the main yard. Marek Kozicki, the coordinator of the project, wants construction to begin at the end of April. The first guests will hopefully be welcomed by year-end. Investment discussions have entered the final phase and municipal clerks should issue the conditions for construction in two weeks' time. The concept of the museum was designed by architect Czeslaw Bielecki. "The museum will be an element of a kind of revitalization of the Palace, a symbolic break up with the fact that it was a gift from Stalin,' says Kozicki. "We want to show everyday life in the time of communism and socialism. We will reconstruct the interiors of shops, offices, and flats." Some zł.13 million from this year's budget has been allocated for the project. A.B.