Welcome to the blog 50wdrodze (50ontheway). Yes, you read it right, the title of the site refers to the number of years I have spent traversing both near and far corners of our planet.
Professionally, I work at a university, where I am engaged in macroeconomic analyses and writing scientific papers. And – surprisingly enough – I enjoy doing this. However, what brings me the greatest joy is closely and vividly observing the world. On the blog 50wdrodze.pl, I aim to combine mandatory duties with enjoyable pleasures by presenting a subjective vision of the world, which I diligently strive to know. I will invite you to visit places that have fascinated me. You can also count on descriptions and interpretations of the social, cultural, and economic changes taking place there.
…I will throw into consideration the Russian Far East and the northern part of this largest country in the world. The northern and eastern frontiers of Russia fascinate many, but few have been there. It’s a pity because, as the Siberian song goes, “if you fall in love with the North even once, you will never stop loving it”.
Perhaps, like me, you will also be fascinated by the Russian Far East and someday – when it becomes possible again – you will start looking for a way to see for yourself what this country is like and who inhabits it. You will set off on the Trans-Siberian Railway to Vladivostok, wait anxiously on the ferry to cross the Arctic Circle, or simply land at the airport in Ulan-Ude and take a minibus to the sacred sea of the Buryats – Lake Baikal.
Today, the Russian Far East is essentially inaccessible, much like the entire post-Soviet empire. But note that the Far East is inhabited by people who were conquered by Moscow and who do not hold any love for it. Therefore, we will jointly discuss this fascinating world, as well as the former Soviet republics in the Caucasus.
I will talk (or at least that is my plan) about interesting places in Europe. There will be no shortage of ultra-peripheral areas, such as the volcanic archipelagos of Macaronesia. There will be a place for the Balkan countries. I will mention the stagnation of the Southern European Union, and we will also talk about the Scandinavian countries.
You are more interested in the hot climates of the South than the snowy Far East? If so, you’ve come to the right place. I plan to invite you on a journey to other regions of our fascinating world as well.
I will seek answers to questions about extreme poverty in Haiti, or why the Dominican Republic is famous for 5* resorts, yet 90% of the population lives in poverty. I will bring closer the countries of Africa and Latin America, which today fascinate me the most. There will be no shortage of space for Asia and Oceania, and the remaining foundations of the development of the former British Empire.
Feel free to join me,
Jakub Piecuch
