Who's Robert Kostro?
Robert Kostro is simply a historian, publicist and writer who worked in the opposition Youth Movement of Poland in the 1980s. He graduated from the University of Warsaw in 1996. He was editor of the “Conservative Quartet” and published in specified titles as “Mark”, “Life”, “Rzeczpospolita”, “Gazeta Wyborcza” and “Political Review”.
In the 1990s, he served as manager of the abroad Affairs Department at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of the Council of Ministers in the government of Jerzy Buzek and the head of the political cabinet of the Minister of Culture Kazimierz Michał Ujazdowski.
In 2006, he was appointed manager of the Museum of past of Poland and was repeatedly elected for subsequent term. Although the institution was established in 2006, it was not until August 2023 that it obtained its permanent headquarters, although exhibitions and publications were previously regularly held at home and abroad.
Appeals
The Polish Radio portal 24 announces that Robert Kostro will be recalled from the position of manager of the Museum of past of Poland after 18 years of work. Previously, “Rzeczpospolita” reported that the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage is planning to remove Kostro, as are also directors of cultural institutions.
The hotel sent letters to respective organizations, specified as the Polish Museum Association and the Polish Historical Society, asking for opinions on Kostro's appeal. According to unofficial information, Kostro had previously received a proposal to take over as manager of the Pilecki Institute, but refused.
Cultural Purges
Robert Kostro has served as manager of the Museum of Polish past since 2006, which is inactive under the regulation of Donald Tusk and Ewa Kopacz. However, the museum began to build many years later. By that time, it was the Law and Justice. Kostro late reported that the permanent exhibition should be ready in the spring of 2026.
Purges in cultural institutions are very common nowadays. Positions in cultural institutions have already been lost, among others, by Magdalena Gavin (former manager of the Pilecki Institute), Piotr Bernatowicz (former manager of the CSW Castle Ujazdowski) and Prof. Jan Żaryn. After the release of Żaryn from the Institute of National thought Heritage, the institution was renamed the Gabriel Narutowicz Institute of Political thought and the fresh manager was Adam Leszczyński.
Former head of the MKiDN Piotr Gliński in the program “Guest of News in Poland24” assessed the situation very negatively:
Robert Kostro had a contract until 2027. due to the fact that he built specified a wonderful institution, specified a large building, despite many difficulties and tensions, I signed with him. Now it's thrown out due to the fact that it's uncomfortable because... I don't know, possibly due to the fact that he talked to me. He was never a associate of the political organization from which I came. He had previously worked with the Tusk and Mrs. Kopacz governments for 8 years. (...) We have achieved success, built this museum and Tusk is most likely just taking revenge. We built something he didn't build. Unfortunately, that is the current power. It's the primitive revenge of primitive men.
