There was a time when Elblag lived off maritime trade and when it competed with wealthy Gdansk. Sailing ships from the Netherlands and distant England came to the city. Mainly cloth and spices were imported, wood, tar, wood tar and ash were exported, as well as leather and grain. Goods arrived in Elbląg on the Vistula and Nogat on rafts. The first meeting of the Elbląg on the Big Screen series in 2023 will be devoted to this subject!
When the Elbląg Canal was built in the mid-19th century, the route for floating timber from the Masurian forests was significantly shortened. Instead of the Drwęca, Vistula and Nogat, they now flowed directly to the Elbląg river. Demand was so great that logs had to be tied in multiple layers. The canal could barely hold this amount of timber. Also after the war, the Elbląg Canal was restored primarily for economic transport. But with time, the work of the rafters became too heavy and inefficient, until they disappeared from our landscape altogether. What is left of them are unique photographs and films, and traditions recreated by contemporary rafters.
On Wednesday, 4 January, three films dedicated to rafting will be screened at the Światowid Cinema. It will be one of the episodes of the Wiatrak magazine, produced by Paweł Rogalski for the Gdańsk branch of Polish Television, a film by Elbląg Television about sailing on the Elbląg Canal, edited from archive photos, and 'Flis Kanałem Elbląskim' - a film documenting a reconstruction rafting trip from Iława to Elbląg organised last June. The organiser of this project was the Stowarzyszenie Miłośników Kanału Elbląskiego NAVICULA (Association of Elbląg Canal Enthusiasts) and the Polski Cech Flisaków, Szkutników i Sterników (Polish Guild of Rafts, Boatmen and Helmsmen). The manager, Sławomir Dylewski, is an expert on the Elbląg Canal. Thanks to their kindness, the film will be shown in 4K quality on a large cinema screen.
According to Juliusz Marek, the host of the "Elbląg on the big screen" series of meetings, the creators of the "Wiatrak" magazine and the participants of the rafting event have announced their presence at the screening. So there will be an opportunity to meet them and talk to them. As always, there will also be a competition with prizes.
For the screening entitled. "Flisacy w Elblągu" on Wednesday, 4 January at 6 p.m. at Kina Światowid. The organisers of the "Elbląg on the big screen" series are the Centrum Spotkań Europejskich Światowid in Elbląg and Truso.TV television, partners are the Elbląskie Towarzystwo Kulturalne (Elbląg Cultural Association), the Polskie Towarzystwo Historyczne o. w Elblągu (Polish Historical Association, Elbląg branch) and the association Polskie Telewizje Lokalne i Regionalne w Elblągu (Polish Local and Regional Television in Elbląg). The media patron is the Elbląg internet newspaper portel.pl. Admission free.
