Świdnik 2013-01-02
Lublin Airport.
Geographic coordinates: 51.241N 22.714E.
The city of Swidnik. 1950.
Together with the construction of the WSK PZL Świdnik plant and its subsequent development, the City of Świdnik was established. For the builders and later employees of the Plant, brick residential barracks were built. The first were built near the railway tracks and in Franciszkanów.
New people who wanted to work in the plant were constantly arriving. These people had to be provided with the possibility to buy basic food and household products. Therefore, in 1952, the Provincial Enterprise of Municipal Retail Trade in Lublin established a branch in Świdnik. The communists were afraid that this area of life would be taken over by private initiative, i.e. small traders, and they wanted to avoid that. The first trading posts were located in barracks and kiosks. In addition, a staff canteen was opened. The number of state trading points (shops) quickly grew to nine. In the shops you could buy basic food products, cleaning products, tobacco products and, above all, communist press. However, the main place where the inhabitants bought basic articles was (and still is) the market near the railway tracks.
The market is located between the city of Świdnik and the PZL-Świdnik plant, i.e. on the route used by thousands of employees and residents every day. The problem was that we had to cross the railway line No. 7 Warsaw – Dorohusk, which was dangerous. Therefore, in 1973, an underground passage was put into use.
In 1954, the town of Świdnik already had 7,000 inhabitants. The authorities in Warsaw decided to grant it city rights. This allowed the establishment of the Municipal National Council and the Municipal Committee of the Polish United Workers’ Party. In 1955, the Public Library was opened.
The development of the city was carried out on the Soviet model. In many aspects, Świdnik resembles Nowa Huta. The current Constitution Square of May 3 with the government and party administration buildings located next to it became the center of the city.
New kindergartens and schools were built in the city. Along with the activities of WSK in Świdnik, there was a need to educate highly qualified employees for the Plant. Therefore, on September 1, 1959, the Basic Vocational School was opened. In 1969, the students of ZSZ moved to a new school building with a spacious gymnasium and a large sports field. On October 8, 1970, the Youth Mechanical Technical Secondary School was established, followed by the Extramural Mechanical Technical Secondary School and the Mechanical Technical Secondary School for Working People. Therefore, in May 1971, the Team of Technical Schools named after Zygmunt Puławski. Today (2012) the school functions as a Poviat Center for Vocational Education.
In 1960, the population reached 11,000 people. In 1970, the population was already 20,000 inhabitants.
Świdnik, as a communist city, was supposed to be secular. Despite this, the population clung to the faith of their fathers and used the temple in nearby Mełgiewo or went to Lublin. In the 1960s (after religion had been banned from schools), catechesis was taught in classrooms in private homes. It was not until 1975 that the communists issued the first permission to build a Roman Catholic temple. The square for the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, was consecrated in June 1977 (ul. Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego 32). By the way, the church was located far north of the city center and even further from the Plant.
In 1979, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of granting city rights to Świdnik, a PZL SM-1 helicopter was placed on a pedestal at what was then Przodownik Pracy Street. Currently, it is the intersection of Lotników Polskich and Racławicka. The last renovation of the helicopter was carried out in 2021 and on July 26, 2021, it was placed on the pedestal again.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman