One of #Poland’s megaprojects is nearing completion, and the #Russian invasion of #Ukraine has made it more crucial than initially imagined. A thread 🧵:
On the photo: Vistula Spit canal at night
The new canal that will cut across the Vistula Spit, giving ships access to the 🇵🇱 port of Elbląg without having to ask 🇷🇺 for permissioe. It will open 17 Sep. It is unlikely that the date, also the anniversary of the invasion of eastern 🇵🇱 in '39 by 🇷🇺, was chosen at random 😉
Moscow is not pleased with the development, arguing that it will allow #NATO warships to enter the Vistula Lagoon without passing by the watchful eyes of 🇷🇺 military facilities at Baltiysk. An entire campaign was carried out by 🇷🇺 to spread disinformation gov.pl/web/sluzby-spe…
The canal will make it possible for ships to sail across the Vistula Lagoon from the port of Elbląg straight to the Baltic Sea. Currently, they must sail around the spit via the Strait of Baltiysk, a part of 🇷🇺 territorial waters and which Moscow could deny access to on a whim.
Apart from the benefit of the Port of Elbląg gaining direct access to the Baltic Sea without being dependent on 🇷🇺 permissions, ships heading to and from the port will be spared the 100 km detour through Russian waters.
The canal will help companies save time and fuel costs, spurring economic development in the area. At the same time, there will also be advantages for the environment in the form of less greenhouse gas emissions and less pollution.
Check out this clip for an excellent overview of the topic as presented by @TVPWorld_com 's @michalrachon
Full version:
🎥 Incredible construction time-lapse video of the works carried out over the years 2019-2021 👇🏻
Since some Qs were raised re: the technical aspect, some key stats:
The channel will accommodate 🚢 with:
• a draft of up to 4.5 m
• a length of 100 m
• a width of up to 20 m
to pass thru and enter the port in Elbląg
For more please refer to: cutt.ly/uCAexaa 📄
And as @hschmalzl rightly noted, the current industrial design of the channel allows for possible future expansion👇🏻
The Palace, erected as a result of the expansion of the 17th-century palace of Jan Andrzej Morsztyn (a leading poet of the Polish Baroque), was rebuilt many times in the following centuries. During the Second Polish Republic, it was the seat of the General Staff of the 🇵🇱 Army.
After the destruction of the Palace by 🇩🇪, the only trace of it that remained was a fragment of the 3 central arcades with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier–a symbolic grave commemorating the nameless soldiers who died in the defense of 🇵🇱” #PolishHistory#WW2#ReparationsForPoland
Less than 4️⃣ years after the @BalticPipe_PL construction agreement was signed the #BalticPipe project is about to become operational on Oct 1 & will be filled with as much gas as is needed to make 🇵🇱 independent from 🇷🇺
#BalticPipe is a strategic #gas infrastructure project with the goal of creating a new supply corridor in 🇪🇺 market. The new pipeline will allow transport of gas from 🇳🇴 to the 🇩🇰 and 🇵🇱 markets, as well as to end users in neighboring countries.
Through the pipeline & the Świnoujście LNG port, 🇵🇱 would be able to bring in as much gas as the country currently requires – 17 billion cubic meters a year. As a result, #Poland will not be at mercy of possible blackmail from #Russia.
In 2003 the organizers of 🇨🇭Open gifted @rogerfederer with a 🐮 Julliette. "I'm going to learn how to milk it. I'll do anything for it" #Federer said back in the day. But what happened to the famous Moo thereafter? As a proud Permis B holder for years, let me give you the downlow
Roger #Federer quickly renamed his cow Ganga, and he soon became a proud bovine grandfather as Ganga gave birth to a calf. The calf was named Edelweiss. The duo, however, didn’t stay in the #Federer household for long. Ganga was sold at a livestock auction in Gstaad.
Unfortunately the fame didn't last long and in 2005 because of old age and lack of milk, Roger #Federer’s first cow was slaughtered.
Although much of the infrastructure within the borders of newly-independent 🇵🇱 had been destroyed during #WWI, 🇵🇱 was very quick to reestablish its railways. New lines sprang up allowing for economic development and integration.
The railways and their unification was not an easy task as some had to be rebuilt to standardise tracks across the lands of the former partitions. Finance was also a major issue: foreign capital was sought – to little avail.
The adoption of the Act of 23 Sept 1922 on the construction of Gdynia port by 🇵🇱 Parliament is considered the formal beginning of the port of Gdynia. The works on its establishment, however, commenced much earlier... 🧵
The favourable int'l situation, the signing of the Treaty of Versailles & the restoration of 🇵🇱 access to the sea constituted an incentive for the 🇵🇱 gov to take action. The needs of the 🇵🇱 trade were to be secured by the Free City of Gdańsk, located within the customs area of 🇵🇱
In 1920 there was a conflict regarding the blocking of shipment of arms to 🇵🇱 during war w/🇷🇺, calling 🇵🇱 warships at port. The need to build the own sea port became apparent. In 1920, Kazimierz Porębski appointed Mr Wenda, the engineer to choose the place to build a future port.
#OTD, Sept 23, 1939, due to heavy artillery fighting Polish Radio @thenews_PL stopped broadcasting. Before this happened, listeners could listen one last time to a #Chopin concert performed by Władysław Szpilman.
Broadcasting the program was no longer possible without electricity from the Powiśle Power Plant. The damage was too extensive to allow for ongoing repairs. The audience had to say goodbye to the radio.