Swidnik
Encyclopedia
Świdnik ' is a town in eastern Poland
with 42,797 inhabitants (2004), situated in the Lublin Voivodeship
, very near the city of Lublin
. It is the capital of Świdnik County
.
, due to its good location and climate.
Before World War II
an airfield was built, which probably influenced the postwar decision of Poland's Communist government to locate a factory there. This factory, created in 1951 under the name Wytwórnia Sprzętu Komunikacyjnego (WSK for short, Transportation Equipment Factory in English), became one of the main centres of helicopter production both in the Eastern bloc
and Europe. The workers arriving to work in the factory created the modern town, which formally received its charter in 1954. In 1957 the factory was formally renamed WSK "PZL-Świdnik".
The first helicopter produced in Świdnik, the Soviet-designed SM-1 (Mil Mi-1
), flew in 1956 - around 1800 were produced in Świdnik. In 1965 production switched to the Mil Mi-2
, of which 5,450 were produced over the next three decades. The factory was its exclusive manufacturer. In the 1980s the factory started producing helicopters of Polish design - PZL W-3 Sokół and PZL SW-4 Puszczyk.
On July 8, 1980 a strike
started in the WSK factory, which quickly spread to other factories in the Lublin region and essentially brought its economy to a standstill. The Communist government eventually managed to quell these mass strikes by granting the workers many of their demands. However, the pressure for change generated by these strikes in turn led to the August strikes in Gdańsk and elsewhere on Poland's Baltic Coast, which shortly after led to the emergence of the Solidarity movement.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
with 42,797 inhabitants (2004), situated in the Lublin Voivodeship
Lublin Voivodeship
- Administrative division :Lublin Voivodeship is divided into 24 counties : 4 city counties and 20 land counties. These are further divided into 213 gminas....
, very near the city of Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
. It is the capital of Świdnik County
Swidnik County
Świdnik County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Lublin Voivodeship, eastern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Świdnik, which lies east of the...
.
History
The village of Świdnik is first mentioned in historical records from 1392. It remained a village until the end of the 19th century when it began to develop as a spaDestination spa
A destination spa is a short term residential/lodging facility with the primary purpose of providing individual services for spa-goers to develop healthy habits. Historically many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or sources of mineral waters...
, due to its good location and climate.
Before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
an airfield was built, which probably influenced the postwar decision of Poland's Communist government to locate a factory there. This factory, created in 1951 under the name Wytwórnia Sprzętu Komunikacyjnego (WSK for short, Transportation Equipment Factory in English), became one of the main centres of helicopter production both in the Eastern bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
and Europe. The workers arriving to work in the factory created the modern town, which formally received its charter in 1954. In 1957 the factory was formally renamed WSK "PZL-Świdnik".
The first helicopter produced in Świdnik, the Soviet-designed SM-1 (Mil Mi-1
Mil Mi-1
The Mil Mi-1 The Mil Mi-1 The Mil Mi-1 ( (USAF/DoD reporting name "Type 32", NATO reporting name "Hare") was a Soviet three- or four-seat light utility helicopter. It was the first Soviet helicopter to enter serial production. It is powered by one 575 hp Ivchenko AI-26V radial. It entered...
), flew in 1956 - around 1800 were produced in Świdnik. In 1965 production switched to the Mil Mi-2
Mil Mi-2
The Mil Mi-2 is a small, lightly armored transport helicopter that could also provide close air support when armed with 57 mm rockets and a 23 mm cannon.-Design and development:...
, of which 5,450 were produced over the next three decades. The factory was its exclusive manufacturer. In the 1980s the factory started producing helicopters of Polish design - PZL W-3 Sokół and PZL SW-4 Puszczyk.
On July 8, 1980 a strike
Lublin 1980 strikes
The Lublin 1980 strikes were the series of workers’ strikes in the area of the eastern city of Lublin , demanding better salaries and lower prices of food products. They began on July 8, 1980, at the State Aviation Works in Świdnik, a town located on the outskirts of Lublin...
started in the WSK factory, which quickly spread to other factories in the Lublin region and essentially brought its economy to a standstill. The Communist government eventually managed to quell these mass strikes by granting the workers many of their demands. However, the pressure for change generated by these strikes in turn led to the August strikes in Gdańsk and elsewhere on Poland's Baltic Coast, which shortly after led to the emergence of the Solidarity movement.
External links
- Official Website of the town (Polish, English)
- English page of the PZL-Świdnik company
- Large photo gallery