"Rescued from the Deluge" - there is a PISF grant for the film!

Browsing through various nooks and crannies of the Internet, I dusted off the profiles of actions and projects about which there had been no news for some time. With all the more joy I welcomed the news about the project “Rescued from the Deluge” or, if you prefer, “Wisła 1655-1906-2009”, informing about receiving a grant from the National Film Institute to make a film!

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On official profile on one of the social networks, we can read the following message:

“Arkana Studio is happy to announce that the Polish Film Institute has awarded a grant for the production of the film “Rescued from the Flood”. The modern historical adventure film directed by Marcin Jamkowski and Konstanty Kulik will be based on documentary footage from search expeditions and treasure hunts in the Vistula River. It will show historical events from the 17th century reconstructed through costume design and computer animation”.

This news is sure to please all diving and history enthusiasts. The whole action is a beautiful example of how, step by step, you can carry out an interesting project, passing from the stage of exploration to the excavation, identification and classification of finds, conservation, as well as the production of photo and video materials for research purposes, but also aimed at popularising the entire project and the history of Poland at the same time.

More about the Wisła 1655-1906-2009 project

During the Swedish Deluge, Scandinavian invaders plundered everything they could in our country. They floated all the loot down the Vistula to the sea, using river barges, which were an excellent means of transport at the time. Some of the vessels ended up at the bottom of the river as a result of overloading, and with them all the cargo they carried. After almost 350 years, researchers from the University of Warsaw have managed to excavate 5 tonnes of looted Polish cultural heritage.

The recovered objects are the fruit of arduous three-year work under the Wisła 1655-1906-2009 project, led by Hubert Kowalski, PhD, of the Institute of Archaeology at the University of Warsaw, Justyna Jasiewicz, PhD, of the Institute of Scientific Information and Biological Studies at the University of Warsaw, and Marcin Jamkowski, an explorer and well-known journalist and author of the book Duchy z głębin Bałtyku [Ghosts from the Baltic Sea Depths]. Driven by curiosity, so characteristic of people of science, they decided to find out how much truth there is in stories about sunken treasures from the end of the 17th century.

Already in 1906 it was reported that a group of Warsaw sandblasters were lucky enough to fish out some of the sunken artefacts. Interestingly, one of the sculptures found at that time came from the Kazimierzowski Palace, the current seat of the University of Warsaw authorities.

The strangest thing about the whole story from the early 20th century was that despite the sandmen’s assurances that the treasures fished out were only a part of what was at the bottom, no further attempts were made to find the lost treasures. Their account also mentioned a magnificent marble sculpture of an eagle that was so heavy that it broke the ropes and disappeared back into the depths.

Once a suitable location on the river was identified, the bottom was analysed and measured using modern equipment. In this way a map was created, on the basis of which elements whose origin was questionable and required additional visual inspection were selected.

Unfortunately, one flood wave after another prevented a more thorough analysis, covering everything with a thick layer of sediment every now and then. This situation also had its advantages. When the water level remained high for a longer period of time, it was possible to establish that the objects selected for examination, despite the action of large masses of water, did not change their position.

The next stage of the works required the participation of divers. Thanks to the works carried out, it was possible to bring to the surface the monuments, in the form of a collection of marble elements of sculptural and architectural decoration.

Photo: adventurepictures.eu