Wieś Moczydło

While choosing a place to live, I deliberately chose a part of Ursynów with soul, climate and traces of the past scattered around modern development. I am to feel affinity with a place, I need be familiar with its history. Over years I found probably all historical photos of my neighbourhood available online, most on impressive Ursynow.org.pl site. Nevertheless I believed the local history had some unexplored areas and hence signed up for an open-air seminar on the history of Moczydło, which took part last Saturday.

Areas of Ursynów until 1970s were countryside and then, while plans of building a huge housing estate came into effect, development brutally took over, depriving the rural areas its character. I must here remind boundaries of Warsaw were enlarged in 1951 and most of contemporary Ursynów was incorporated into the capital back then. Yet in spite of being formally a city area, in practice until mid-1970 those were purely rural zones. 

Close to there I live for many decades until late 1940s there was a folwark (a grange), which in the early years of the communist era was converted into a PGR (a state-owned farm) and then torn down in late 1970s, as construction of Natolin housing estate was drawing near.

An old stable by ul. Moczydłowska serves as  remnant of the bygone farm infrastructure. The only building left is rundown, its windows and doors are bricked over to protect its interior from unwanted guests. Its roof was replaced after a fire in late 1990s. The building is under care of a konserwator zabytków (a heritage conservationist), its future fate remains as a puzzle, but on a grapevine it can be heard one day it might be converted into a community centre.

West of ul. Moczydłowska one can still spot three run-down houses, two of which have not been inhabited for years, the last one was emptied some two years ago. Oddly enough, in the area where properties cost zillions, that house lacked running water and sewage until its last days in use, its dwellers brought water from a well and used a portable loo put up on their backyard. During the walk I learnt there was a seasonal shop in the 1980s and early 1990s and a private garage, where pioneer dwellers of Ursynów could have their cars repaired.

The houses in the distance are a part of posh Kabacki Zakątek estate, built just on the verge of forest. As the construction was completed in 2016, they do not categorise as part of historical development. I bring them up here, since one of those houses is currently up for sale, at asking price of whopping PLN 14.5 million.

Ul. Wełniana used to serve as a backbone of the village. Most of old houses have been torn down to give way to new developments, but not the house to the right which used to be set on fire by locals vandals many times, until 2022 when all door and window holes were bricked over. During the seminar I learnt (from a man who was born and brought up here) the property is an inheritance three sister argued about and eventually did not dispose of it. The plot is worth some three to four millions of Polish zloty and frankly speaking quarrelling about it goes beyond my comprehension.

North of ul. Wełniana one can come across arable fields which remain cultivated by a local farmer and have not been sold. Someone's determination to grow vegetables on a land which could be sold for an 8-digit amount of PLN is remarkable, but mind-boggling. Passing it by, I consider myself lucky to have been able to buy a flat in this area when properties were relatively more affordable. At that time I had 8 years of professional experience and my net-of-tax salary (average over a year) could buy 0.8 sqm of a flat. These days, after 16 years of well-developing career and on a managerial stool, my net-of-tax salary can buy around 1.0 sqm of a flat (in the same standard as I bought) here. And note property prices have not gone up, or even marginally fell over last two years, so in 2024 properties were even less affordable.

Not a winter (wonderland) we have got used to

One of the goals of my annual winter timelines, written since 2010/11 season, is keeping track of day-to-day weather changes in one of two periods of a year most affected by climate changes. The sixteenth one is hence in the making. Winters generally tend to be warmer, wetter, with more rainfall and less snow. But as the atmosphere gets warmer, the risk of extreme events rises. As some regions of the world are facing unprecedented for this time of year heat (such is the case for most of the USA since around Christmas), others must counterbalance this with periods of abnormal cold.

Temperature-wise, we have been far from record-breaking chill. In the first days of January temperatures were close to long-term average for the period. Just recently it got markedly colder, yet even with temperature decreasing to –15.4C yesterday morning, Warszawa Okęcie weather station readouts have barely hits their 5-year lows (–20.6C was measured here on 18 January 2021) and are still well above twenty-first century records (–27.1C on 23 January 2006) or low officially reported in post-war period (–30.7C on 8 January 1987).

Snow-wise, after a series of snow-sparse winters, recent conditions are what we are no longer accustomed to. One must also say precipitation of 50 centimetres daily as reported in several places across northern Poland are not what we capable of combating. Such amounts of snowfalls have statistically been witnessed around twice in a century and were not, unlike some claim, typical several decades ago. In Warsaw snow cover got higher than 40 centimetres only three times after 1951:
- in 1970: between 22 February and 5 March (the 1969/70 winter was all-in-all the harshest in post-war history of Poland),
- in 1979: between 6 January and 8 January, between 18 January and 20 January, then between 30 January and 27 February,
- in 2010: between 13 February and 19 February.

This year, hitting such mark is not particularly likely. The snow fallen in late December and early January has already subsided, brining snow cover below 20 centimetres. The current forecasts suggest we may count on some snow top-up, but in a few days it will begin to melt. I keep fingers crossed for a thaw setting in.

I am not one of those fond of proper winter. I do not feel sorry for motorists (including myself, as roads are salted too well in comparison to slippery pavements), but this is a nuisance for people having to move about in general, pedestrians (who again, appear to be second-class citizens), all workers doing their jobs in the open air, elderly and disabled people often stuck at home due to the weather. I also feel sorry for those who cannot afford to heat their dwellings properly and to protect themselves from frostbites recourse to lousy incineration inputs. Many folks do so and you need no sensor to deteck awful air quality. On Friday I ran some 30 metres to catch a bus and I could feel the smell of hells knows what shit burnts in my lungs. Costs and inconvenience of harsh winter is hence borne by everyone, while few benefit or cherish it. On the other hand, harsh conditions shape tough people, so let’s cope with winter with fortitude!

Besides, once snow ceases to fall and sun brightens up short days, winter has its charm. Snaps dated 5 January 2026, from my first, post-flu short amble.

To the right, ul. Moczydłowska, serving mostly as a pedestrian precinct running towards Las Kabacki. Such standard of keeping non-major roads is absolutely sufficient. Other local roads kept in similar standard, with no salt in use.

The cabbage field between ul. Perkalowa and ul. Ziemska is a fascinating phenomenon. If sold for zillions, it could accommodate an estate of splendid terraced or semi-detached houses. But a local farmer prefers to grow vegetables here (note the spot is less than 15 minutes on foot from Metro Natolin).

The Kazurka hill was not chock full of children sliding down. Note benches and other objects downhill are covered with hay to prevent deadly incidents. I felt like scrambling up the hill, yet such effort could thwart my post-flu recovery.

The track running to Warsaw underground depot seems to have been out of use in early January, with snow trampled by walkers only. I still await the moment I catch a railcar on the infrequently used track.

The Oczko wodne Moczydełko pond has frozen over and is capped with snow. I would not hazard, however walking on it. Three days after the last thaw and with no double-digit frost since then, stepping on its icy surface seemed premature.

Out on another field, a man-made snowman, with eyes fallen off below nose. Plenty of other snow crafting works of art were erected in Ursynów during early days of the month, yet I felt still too weak to venture for a longer walk. Hope I catch up soon.

Szlachetna Paczka 2025 before the dust has settled

To be precise, it has not fully settled. One of families under my care stills awaits a sofa bed (delivery delayed), another one I have looked after waits for bedside lamps and a chair assembly which I will do myself. Four families' donators have buggered up and we (volunteers from Ursynów area) will need to fix up money from an "emergency fund" to meet their needs. Yesterday I belatedly purchased and delivered a shower booth for a family I picked up as a donator on 8 December. Well, the Yuletide celebration has not yet commenced.

My sixth edition is the first one when I am not in a relationship. The other person close to me used to be a counterbalance and kept by involvement at bay. This year I had decided to dedicate more energy to Szlachetna Paczka and now feel drained of it, yet not on account if my relationship status, but due to organisational errors made all along.

The recruitment process has been screwed up. Far too many people on managerial positions and as rank-and-file volunteers should have never found themselves in their roles. The absence of black lists (of people with negative feedback from previous editions) has definitely contributed to this.

In the very area of Ursynów we onboarded 64 families to receive aid (vs. previous record of 54) and had around 35 volunteers (10 more than in previous years on average). Quantity of staff has not translated into quality. Although we have had some outstanding newcomers, the number of insufficiently involved (or disappearing along the way) volunteers was appallingly high. Needless to say duties they had undertaken had to be taken over.

In the run-up to the final weekend there has been a massive problem of families not picked by any donators. Volumes could be spoken of reasons why it happened like this, but since there is no proof any of my theories is right, I will keep them for myself. In social media the most common notion was putting it down to some families' sky-high needs, which even if justified, are hard to be fulfilled by ordinary people (may a costly leaking roof repair serve as an example).

No reliable statistics will show how many Paczkas (neither "box" nor "parcel" renders well what a Paczka in Szlachetna context is) have eventually been prepared by the volunteers and their companions. In Ursynów area 4 out of 64 families have been picked by us. Additional time and money spent on saving families from being left out in the cold are the biggest cost hidden in joyful celebration of the recent edition.

I would hazard a guess Szlachetna Paczka is one of the most demanding forms of volunteering which can be taken up in Poland. It is not just about coping with horrific stories of o people's penury, but also about time dedicated to do it properly and having to arrange a lot on one's, frequently making extensive use of one's multiple resources.

I believe past this edition Szlachetna Paczka's relationship with donators and volunteers will be under strain and lots of effort will have to be put to rebuild them.

Will Stowarzyszenie Wiosna face criticism it ought receive? Each year it seems those in charge of the initiative are learning from mistakes made in a previous years. But once a new edition kicks off for good, it turns out history repeats itself, but the price paid by the most responsible volunteers goes up.

Early December snaps

More than preoccupied with overload at work and Szlachetna Paczka, hence not feeling like writing up a lofty essay. Instead – some snaps from the neighbourhood, taken on my way to my parents and back, by bike, yesterday.

The old house (being a remnant of the bygone Moczydło village), whose dwellers used a portable toilet put up on a backyard, is no longer inhabited. The plot of land parallel to ul. Moczydłowska most likely has been sold. I wonder if the buyer will be intent to erect here a row of terraced houses, each priced at zillions.

Ul. Leśna connecting ul. Moczydłowska to ul. Puławska is nearly empty. Despite warm, autumnal weather (+7C today, but windy), the forest was anything, but full of walkers, cyclists, nor runners.

Birch trees are the last to shed leaves. The one snapped still retained leftovers of its yellow dressing. If winds continue to blow as strongly as today, by the end of the first decade of December all leaves will be on the ground.

Fancy buying a Christmas Tree? In several spots you can already do so. I am not fond of starting celebrations early and prefer to kick off the festive season as the old tradition proscribes, i.e. on 24 December. People with small children, however, tend to decorate the Christmas trees in early December to create the atmosphere indoors. Outdoors it does not feel like Christmas at all. Judging by long-term forecasts, December 2025 stands a chance to the warmest since records began in Warsaw.

Close to my parents’ house, in Mysiadło, I come across a little flooding which makes ul. Łabędzia impassable for motor vehicles. It brings to mind the effect of downpours in early June 2010 when this very spot was under water too.

The street is waterlogged, I make it by bike, but water slightly plays havoc with brakes. This looks like waterworks breakdown. Fortunately, at my parents’ the water supply was not cut off.

On my way home I stopped over to snap the intersection of ul. Puławska and ul. Jagielska being rebuilt. Local newspapers say ul. Jagielska will be connected to the Piaseczno-bound lanes of ul. Puławska and a new set of traffic lights will be put up here. Not feeling sorry for drivers wasting their lives in traffic jams here.

Not a new post in a week, as Szlachetna Paczka final weekend is due.

Szlachetna Paczka – my sixth participation

My track record of volunteering in Szlachetna Paczka is getting longer, though not broader. I have deliberately chosen not to go beyond what affects the area of Ursynów, but while aiding some locals in need, I have gone through roles of area leader, deputy leader and logistics co-ordinator. This year I am one of two deputy leaders and again, I am in charge of logistics.

I keep recalling the 2024 edition as a moderate cock-up, not as massive as in 2020, but proving a mediocre, conceited leader can screw it up all the way. Fortunately, the ex-post evaluation procedure worked properly and the guy has been ousted from the charity, but what has been squandered last year needs to be restored and lessons from what went wrong must be learnt.

This year, as I am single (over the last five editions, I was in relationships), I have decided to devote more of my time to undertakings which matter and where my deeds have impact. For work-related reasons, I have not filed my candidacy for the position of the area leader, which I definitely not regret. This position carries so many development opportunities that it ought to “change hands” each year. This year’s leader is a reasonable guy, yet badly lacks self-confidence and drive to move things forward, skills which are essential in this role. I try to buoy him up as much as possible and hope he spreads his wings by mid-December.

My first visits to a family being a potential beneficiary this year was on 16 September, a record-early onset. So far, I have been in process of visiting six families and my plan is to see the back of it by the end of October. The reality will likely put paid to my plans. A crucial element of my role of an experienced volunteer is onboarding newcomers and sharing tricks of the trade with them. This year we have a record-high number of volunteers in the area, with some of the freshmen being outstanding, while with some might give a rough ride.

Histories of hardships our potential beneficiaries encounter seem tougher this year. As a seasoned volunteer I know how to tackle them, but I also spot sings of burnout. The primary reason for this is being confronted with my parents senescence. This means I prefer to work with younger families, whose stories do not prevail in the circle of households we reach.  

There are moments I would opt for sticking to logistics-related tasks and giving up on family visits. I perish such thoughts, since working with the disadvantaged directly is the essence of Szlachetna Paczka. Besides, if am to be a team member, I must not be out of touch by not experiencing what fellows volunteers face up to.

The place where I belong, episode 2025, vol. 2

Making up for the July trip thus keeping my promise to deliver some missing photos of one of the most adorable cycling trip destinations in the vicinity.

All snaps dated 22 August 2025. The late Friday afternoon was cooler than usual at this time of year and lacked sunshine, which took the gloss off the scenery.

An hour or so before sunset, the path running parallel to the Natolin nature reservoir’s eastern fence was already plunging into darkness. With trees and shrubs on its both sides not pruned, the place seemed creepy.

As one approaches the spot where the path turns west towards Kabaty, one can stare at the fields and meadows of southern Wilanów. Far in the distance are the developments of Powsin.

Not much closer to Kabaty one can come across this allotment, nearly in the middle of nowhere, yet with electricity connection, water from a well, not reachable by motor vehicles. I wonder if its users (it definitely is not forsaken) have a legal title for it. As I take the picture, a CCTV camera keeps an eye on.

Heading towards Kabaty, I pass by a cabbage field, no idea if reachable by a tractor. Sunflowers from a nearby field are gone. In the distance - fenced off Natolin nature reservoir. Trespassing strictly forbidden.

Neo Natolin is an estate of fancy detached houses. Construction started in early 2023, so first dwellers have already moved in. Asking prices in late 2022 ranged from PLN 2.3 million to I don't remember how much, meaning a fully furnished house involved an expense of at least PLN 3 million. I wonder who had hatched the idea of putting up a billboard advertising the estate in the middle of nowhere.

Are we at the back of beyond in provincial Poland? Nope. We are in rural Wilanów, one mile from Metro Kabaty. The outpost has been closed for a while, but looks like a typical rural grocery shop. Only a bench for local drunk addicts was missing.

Clouds roll by as I am back in Ursynów, near entrance to Warsaw underground depot. Yellow leaves on trees are not a pure signal of imminent autumn, but indicate a drought. Trees devoid of water offload a burden, shedding leaves. Note a disparity in size of a 25-year-old Renault Clio and an ugly SUV, both basically serving the same purpose of moving around.