„4 Seasons of the Year”
in The Museum of the Masovian Countryside in Sierpc
Despite the strong competition of Polish and foreign films, “4 Four Seasons of The Year” – a film promoting the Museum of the Masovian Countryside in Sierpc, won three awards in both competitions of the 17th FilmAT Festival -international and national – in the categories: Tourism Communication/Tourist Product/Cultural Tourism and in the Corporate Film/Marketing Communication. The International Jury appreciated the fact that the film was prepared with a great care, from the very first frames it strongly emphasizes the value of tradition, preserving in the memory of the jurors and every viewer a beautiful image of the Masovian Countryside.
The Museum of the Masovian Countryside in Sierpc celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021. Currently, together with the branch department – Museum of the Small Town in Bieżuń, it is one of the largest and most famous open-air museums in Poland. Throughout the year, it presents the traditions of Masovia, region located in the heart of Poland, to thousands of tourists.
From the beginning of its existence, the institution’s goal was to protect the most valuable monuments of rural and small-town architecture of north-western Masovia, which were brought here from various parts of the region.
Within the open-air museum there is a reconstructed linear village (The Zeilendorf) consisting of 9 peasant homesteads. This type of village is characterized by loose buildings along the road, usually on one side and perpendicular to the road, with wide strips of fields, the width of which corresponds to the width of the farm located on the other side of the road. This type of linear villages emerged in the Polish lands in the 19th century and were characteristic for Masovia. But it is not everything! The village is complemented by: a mill farm with an active windmill, a manor complex with a brick manor house surrounded by a park, a tavern complex with an inn, a smithy and a blacksmith’s cottage, a wooden church with a belfry and an 18th-century wooden manor house. And this is the whole world of the former Masovian countryside.
The space of the above-mentioned buildings is filled with fifteen thousand exhibits, representing all the elements of the world that surrounded the inhabitants of the Mazovian countryside from the end of the 19th to the mid-20th century. It consists of household items, furniture, textiles, toys, objects of religious worship, agricultural tools and machines, and craft workshops. They allow museum workers from Sierpc to tell a story about life and activities in different seasons of the year and in different versions of everyday life and holidays.
We can see all this in the film “4 Four Seasons of The Year”. Following the rhythm of the changing seasons, we get to know not only the collections of the Museum, but above all religious and folk traditions as well as ordinary, everyday farm work performed by the inhabitants of former villages from spring to winter.
So there is, among others, drowning Marzanna (a traditional ritual which celebrates the beginning of spring) , preparing traditional Święconka (the traditional Easter basket) , St. Andrew’s Day fortune telling, colorful caroling groups, but also spring sowing, cultivation and autumn harvest. Everything in the chronological order and in the authentic scenery of the former Mazovian village. The beautiful Mazovian landscape, in various seasonal versions, is also an excellent background for architectural objects and numerous museum exhibits. From spring green, through golden fields of ripening cereals, to Polish golden autumn and white, snow-covered winter.
The roles of the characters of “The 4 Seasons” were played by the employees of the Museum. Their naturalness in recreating all activities makes a unique atmosphere and is a great asset of this film.
That is why it is necessary to watch the film and then visit the Museum of the Masovian Countryside in Sierpc, especially since it invites you at any time of the year! In the Museum area you can also use an accommodation and catering services, thanks to which your stay in Sierpc will become an unforgettable experience!
Wojciech Jaworek
