> In that photo with the wicker-basket love seats on the beach — which I'm guessing is Sopot — we still have those.

Amish also still exist. The issue is, this portrays a country that was by then very diverse, through a very specific perspective, that, through a rather suspicious coincidence, happens to match western stereotypes about the country, instead of challenging it.

Doesn't change the fact those are good photos, but while there might be true in their literal content, as a whole they provide a false narrative.

Not sure what are you trying to prove. Those photos show what's quaint. Big cities and places where things look more western seem less unique or interesting.

The choice of photos serves a function, build a certain narrative, and they're not just "huh, look at the bunch of pretty pictures I made". Disavowing that is, to put it bluntly, dishonest to the conversation.

What narrative do you think the photos are trying to build? To make Poland in the 80's appear more quaint? Your paranoia seems. . . unwarranted.

I'm not sure you understand what a narrative is. Furthermore, you should learn punctuation before trying to use an ellipsis for dramatic effect, especially if you're trying to insult their intellectual abilities.

I love how poland embraces their history. Those beach baskets in Sopot are just typical of here and my wife’s grandparents have pictures in the same basket chairs that are out there today (kinda).

Many farm pictures can be seen with a 1 hour drive from Sopot today. There are some really remote places where people have horses, yet they have near gigabit LTE service. Borzestowo for example.

Coming from America where we have no single ancestor except “freedom” it’s hard to imagine why people would want to hang out there like that. However, it’s just part of the culture. We are lucky to be part of it.

Wow. It's uncanny that you mentioned Borzestowo of all places. It's tiny, and I used to own a house there. My mother was buying the house from my uncle — in my name — when I was a child. My uncle still owns the house. It's one of the three wooden A-frame holiday homes right by the lake.

I spent many summers there as a kid.

Is there a reason why the seats are facing away from the water?

Wind from the Baltic sea can be pretty cold, and the sunshine comes from the South.

Hmm, masses of concrete and falling apart houses are still in most cities, even today. Even some bigger towns.