Poland’s public television channel TVP Kultura marked its 20th anniversary by honoring some of the country’s most respected artists - including figures who, until recently, had been absent from state media in protest against its politicization under the previous right-wing government.
Among this year’s Super Guarantees of Culture award recipients were actress Krystyna Janda, sculptor and visual artist Zofia Kulik, writer Wiesław Myśliwski, animator Mariusz Wilczyński, and conductor Jerzy Maksymiuk.
For many Poles, the appearance of Janda on a TVP stage represents a notable change. During the rule of the populist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which lasted until 2023, Poland’s public broadcaster was widely criticized for acting as a government mouthpiece.
Prominent artists and intellectuals - among them Janda - boycotted its channels, accusing the network of spreading propaganda and silencing dissenting voices.
🏆 Laureatką Super Gwarancji Kultury 2025 w kategorii TEATR została Krystyna Janda! 👏 🥳 Serdecznie gratulujemy i...
Opublikowany przez TVP Kultura Sobota, 25 października 2025
Janda, a legendary film and theatre actress, was praised for her “extraordinary moral compass” and for creating independent cultural institutions that offered opportunities to marginalized artists. Accepting her award, she said: I have never said a single sentence on screen that I did not believe in.
Writer Wiesław Myśliwski, honored for his literary achievements, accepted the award from his home, telling viewers: If you don’t have the first sentence, don’t write.
🏆 Laureatem Super Gwarancji Kultury 2025 w kategorii LITERATURA został Wiesław Myśliwski! 👏 🥳 Serdecznie gratulujemy i...
Opublikowany przez TVP Kultura Sobota, 25 października 2025
The Super Guarantees of Culture awards were reintroduced after a decade-long hiatus to celebrate figures who have shaped Poland’s artistic landscape across literature, theatre, film, visual arts, and music.
From left: Mariusz Wilczyński, Krystyna Janda, Jerzy Maksymiuk (photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka)
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Source: Radio Poland/TVP Kultura