The director of the Department of Culture has been dismissed. An unexpected decision by the Szczecin city hall.

City officials have dismissed the director of the Department of Culture, Cezary Cichy. This comes at a time when local culture is experiencing significant changes, and officials dealing with this area face significant challenges.

The dismissal was the result of a "loss of confidence" in Cezary Cichy. The city council will not be issuing any further comment.

Several representatives of local cultural life expressed surprise. Damian Romaniak, editor-in-chief of the magazine "eleWator," shared this reflection on social media: "Shock and great surprise. I remember last year, as artistic director of the Szczecin Film Festival, I called the vice-president of Szczecin, Mr. Marcin Biskupski, requesting that a representative of the City Hall be present at the festival's closing ceremony. The director of the culture department, Cezary Cichy, was delegated. I remember Mr. Cezary telling me that he wasn't a great speaker and not to expect a fiery speech. But his speech made a great impression; it was calm, balanced, and very substantive. I listened with undisguised pleasure. Many thanks are due for his work on the revival of the Pionier 1907 Cinema. And it was clear that Mr. Cezary knows a thing or two about cinema. It's a great pity that he will no longer be in office. And the topic of culture in Szczecin is unfortunately too complex."

Film critic Krzysztof Spór wrote: "Shock and disbelief. Cezary Cichy is no longer the director of the culture department at the Szczecin City Hall. And I am overcome with sadness. For me, he was a very competent partner in conversations about Szczecin culture, a man who invited me to reactivate the Pionier 1907 Cinema."

When it comes to city-controlled arts and entertainment institutions, they are currently undergoing significant changes. Mayor Piotr Krzystek recently announced that he will build a new building for the Contemporary Theatre in Łasztownia – a costly and demanding undertaking. A temporary location for the theatre will also need to be found. Initial discussions on this matter have already begun, the city's press office informed us a few days ago. A merger between the Szczecin Artistic Agency and the "Słowianin" Cultural Center is also expected to take place this year. Construction of the Mediateka on the right bank of the river is underway – the first library in post-war Szczecin to be built from scratch. It remains unclear who will lead Villa Lenta.

Cezary Cichy, a long-time employee of the Department of Culture, became director of this unit relatively recently, in September 2024. Dorota Serwa previously held this position, also not for long. The former head of the Szczecin Philharmonic has been director of the Department of Culture since July 2023.

It is currently unknown who will succeed Cezary Cichy. ©℗

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