Ambassador Victor Ashe

Greetings from Warsaw!

Despite the quieter summer season, we’ve been quite busy with new cultural programs, exhibit openings, and anniversary celebrations. During the official opening of the “American Dream” exhibition at the National Museum in Kraków on July 1, Consul General Anne Hall and I were joined by a large crowd. I’m sure the exhibit’s popularity will continue through the summer and fall before it closes on October 4th. The “American Dream” – created together with Jagiellonian University – is a unique opportunity for museum visitors in Poland to experience a panorama of American culture. It features photos and paintings, artistic projects, and multimedia presentations. Kraków and San Francisco became “Sister Cities” on July 2, after Kraków Mayor Jacek Majchrowski and San Francisco City and County Supervisor Bevan Dufty formally signed a sister city agreement.

In July, Warsaw hosted a series of fascinating events promoting jazz as one of America’s most important cultural legacies. The Embassy presented the exhibit “Jam Session: America’s Jazz Ambassadors Embrace the World,” an exceptional collection of photographs and documents which chronicle the tours of American jazz legends as they traveled the globe. In August, the exhibit moves to Kraków. The accompanying series of documentary films showing American “Jazz Icons” in concert began with films two Ella Fitzgerald concerts. To promote these events, Tomasz Stańko, world-famous trumpeter, composer, and Polish jazz ambassador, gave a special performance in Warsaw’s Hoover Square.

On July 20, together with the United States and the rest of the world, we celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing Mission. I spoke at a conference organized by the Institute of Aviation in Warsaw entitled: “The Biggest Step in the History of Mankind: 40th Anniversary of Man’s Landing on the Moon.” Warsaw Electronic Festival artists are currently working on a special audio presentation to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing. The project will feature the sound sample of Neil Armstrong’s famous line: “That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

On July 8, Ambassador Stephen Mull, Special Adviser at the U.S. Department of State, visited Warsaw and briefed Polish leaders on President Obama’s just-concluded summit in Moscow. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) negotiations continued in Washington this month as U.S. and Polish delegations met July 14-16 for the eighth plenary round of negotiations.

I continued my public diplomacy visits by meeting with local government officials in the Sopot and Szczecin areas. I also addressed airport professionals, government officials and airport industry companies from around Poland and Europe at an aviation conference in Poznań organized by the American Association of Airport Executives and the International Association of Airport Executives.

We learned the sad news that Professor Leszek Kołakowski, famous Polish philosopher, historian, writer, and prominent member of Poland’s intelligentsia, who was not afraid to expose the shortcomings of the Communist rule, passed away on Friday, July 17. He was 82 years old. Kołakowski was best known for his critical analyses of Marxist thought, especially his acclaimed three-volume history, Main Currents of Marxism, which considered by some to be one of the most important books on political theory of the 20th century.

On August 1, I took part in a wreath-laying ceremony commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising. It was an honor to participate in this event, a tribute to the courageous and brave residents of Warsaw who took part in the fight to free the city from Nazi rule.

Many officers assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw concluded their assignments this month and transitioned to their new posts, where they’ll take on new challenges. The U.S. Embassy in Warsaw bid farewell to Public Affairs Officer Andrew Schilling and Press Attaché Jim Wolfe, who supervised the Public Affairs section. John McCaslin, who was the Senior Commercial Officer in Warsaw for the past three years, left Poland on July 14. Consul General Anne Hall, Public Affairs Officer Susan Parker-Burns, and Consular Section Chief Steve Barneby concluded three-year assignments in Kraków and departed Poland in mid-July. They were all very able and are missed. We look forward to welcoming our new team throughout the summer.

As some of you may already know, on July 20, President Obama nominated Lee A. Feinstein as the next U.S. Ambassador to Poland. Ambassador-designate Feinstein is an expert on international law, national security, foreign policy, and international institutions. He was National Security Director to Hillary Rodham Clinton during her 2008 presidential campaign. I congratulate Ambassador-designate Feinstein on his nomination and wish him and his family the very best. He will do well. President Obama made an excellent choice.

My family and I plan on concluding our service in a few weeks after five plus incredible years in Poland. I will send out a final report with personal reflections prior to departure. In the meantime, I can tell you we will return to our home in Knoxville, Tennessee, and reconnect with old friends and colleagues. My permanent address is:

3709 Kingston Pike
Knoxville, TN, 37919

I can also be reached on my personal email at vhashe@aol.com and our permanent phone number is 865-523-6573.

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions about the newsletter and hope to continue to receive your thoughts. Please don’t forget to check our homepage for the latest news, events, and updates. I will respond to all emails personally if you send me a message at: AsheVH@state.gov or vhashe@aol.com. The U.S. Embassy website now features links to photo galleries and slide shows from many Embassy events, which I encourage you to visit. You can also check out Consulate General Kraków’s website at: http://krakow.usconsulate.gov/

Sincerely yours,

Victor Ashe

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