Poland - Nova Huta - Children playing near dirty industrial puddle

Children play near a puddle in the town of Nova Huta. In filthy industrial streets, the kids look undernourished in this scene of impoverished, Communist dereliction. It is horribly depressing and unhealthy place to grow up and these children are pale and yet seem happy, with smiles on their faces. The famous steel works can be seen reflected in the puddle before them. After the war, Stalin decided to build an industrial Communist fantasy just outside Krakow: a model town and immense steelworks of the future. The steelworks was named after Lenin and the town would be called Nowa Huta - or, the new steel mill. At its peak, 27,000 people worked at the Lenin Steelworks. But Solidarity grew strong forcing strikes over pay and recognition over their union. Today, it is an economic and ecological disaster area.

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Filename: nova_huta_puddle01-20-06-1990.jpg
Copyright: Richard Baker
Image Size: 4096x2720 / 1.4MB; Europe European EU Eastern Europe Poland environment industrial industry largest Polish Nova Huta children health build construction building grim squalor poverty poor disadvantaged impoverished playing outdoors pollution blackened street factory outdoor lifestyle poland communist Stalinist fantasy happy unhealthy depressing steel works puddle roadside road Silesia youthful youth young lads boys kids cycling bicycle bike cart portrait sad sadness dejected social steelworks history past era bygone repressed citizens production childhood boyhood
Contained in galleries: Richard Baker - All pics

Children play near a puddle in the town of Nova Huta. In filthy industrial streets, the kids look undernourished in this scene of impoverished, Communist dereliction. It is horribly depressing and unhealthy place to grow up and these children are pale and yet seem happy, with smiles on their faces. The famous steel works can be seen reflected in the puddle before them. After the war, Stalin decided to build an industrial Communist fantasy just outside Krakow: a model town and immense steelworks of the future. The steelworks was named after Lenin and the town would be called Nowa Huta - or, the new steel mill. At its peak, 27,000 people worked at the Lenin Steelworks. But Solidarity grew strong forcing strikes over pay and recognition over their union. Today, it is an economic and ecological disaster area.