Różyckiego Market (Różyc) is the oldest market in Warsaw. During Communism it was the most popular market in Poland and it’s a centre of the specific culture of Praga district: dialect, food, music, games and a way of being.
In the morning you can eat a typical Pragian delicacy -‘pyzy’ (potato balls). The old ladies with ‘pyzy’ in their little trolleys have been coming here for years and serve this dish in jars. If we’re talking about music from here, isn’t it perfect that this place has got its own band? The Różyc Orchestra plays old songs and wears a typical outfit from here.
If you go to Różyc you should know one word. “Cwaniak” is such a typical character for this district. This word describes a person who is clever, proud and self confident. Cwaniak knows everybody, can talk to anyone, arrange everything and make a good living without much work. Różyc is full of cwaniaks. People were losing money trying to win from cwaniaks in typical Pragian 3 cups and 3 cards which are actually more like tricks than games and are almost impossible to win.
As long Praga is still a crime district, “it’s said” somewhere in the stands with wedding dresses you can buy illegal cigarettes and alcohol from Russia, as well as fake driving licenses, passport or diplomas. Besides all these beautiful myths, this place is unfortunately starting to become a memory of the legends. Young people prefer to shop in the supermarkets, leaving Różyc almost empty.
