Mazowsze is the legend of the Polish musical stage – the ensemble has been continuously present there since 1948. Mazowsze’s founder, Tadeusz Sygietyński, worked on stylizing Polish folk music, because he tried from the beginning to bring the culture of various regions of Poland closer to the people watching and listening to the ensemble. And Mazowsze’s repertoire is a real journey across Poland. It would be difficult to find any other way to visit the Polish seaside, the Kurpie forest, the Masovian countryside, the Lubusz wineries, the towns of Silesia, the Cracow market square, the Pieniny and Tatra Mountains, and the Polish highland region of Podhale – all in one evening! Mazowsze can boast not only the rich repertoire, not only the professional artistic ensemble that performs songs, dances and music with the highest perfection, not only the original, colorful costumes, but also the ensemble’s headquarters!
Only a half-hour drive from Warsaw, between the Warsaw-Cracow and the Warsaw-Poznań routes, is where the village of Otrębusy is located. People can get there not only by road, but also on the WKD train, as well as several bike paths. It is here in Otrębusy, in the historic mansion of Karolin, that the ensemble Mazowsze has resided for over 73 years. Karolin is a palace and park complex in the heart of the Młochów forest, where you can both draw from the rich repository of Polish culture and take a break from the city bustle.
In the heart of the 12-hectare (30-acre) park, there is the historic mansion where Mazowsze was born. At present, after its revitalization, it houses The Center for Polish Folklore Karolin. In a lively and engaging way, the center presents the folklore of various regions of Poland and the Polish national culture that Mazowsze is inspired by. In the dedicated exhibition rooms visitors get acquainted with the colorful varieties of folklore from the regions of Pomorze (Pomerania), Warmia, Mazury (Masuria), Podlasie, Mazowsze (Masovia), Wielkopolska (Greater Poland), Kujawy (Kuyavia), Śląsk (Silesia), and Małopolska (Lesser Poland). The regional divisions were made on the basis of several aspects, such as the presence of folk music and dance areas, the similarities of costume design areas, and the range of dialects in relation to the historic regions of Poland. The permanent exhibition offers a closer look at Mazowsze’s history and achievements – the ensemble that has enchanted and conquered the world’s stages for over seventy years, proudly bearing the titles of “the crown jewel of Poland” and “the Ambassador of Polish culture.” Apart from the permanent exhibition, which can be toured with a guide, the Center for Polish Folklore also offers a wide range of educational activities for both children and adults. The Karolin mansion hosts themed workshops, chamber music concerts, as well as group and family activities that unveil the unique world of Polish folklore. The tour guides in the center usually speak Polish and English, but other languages can also be requested in advance, including sign language.
The park has numerous walkways, educational paths, and playgrounds. There is the Karczma staropolska restaurant, offering dishes prepared on the basis of traditional Polish recipes, and a hotel, offering accommodation and conference facilities.
A visit to Karolin may be combined with a peek at Mazowsze’s backstage. It is a tour of rehearsal rooms, costume repositories, and the performance hall, which are situated in the new theatrical building. The performance hall “Mazowsze” is one of the most modern concert halls in Europe. It contains 560 comfortable seats, with the possibility of expanding to 600. The unique design of the auditorium allows for any arrangement of the 1100 m² (11,800 square feet) of the hall area, including the possibility to remove all the seats. This makes the Mazowsze headquarters a versatile event venue – any type of event can be organized here, from concerts, through socializing events and corporate parties, to balls.
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