Founded in 1943 by engineer Antoni Zębik in a shed near Częstochowa, 'Błyskawica' was named after the Polish Navy destroyer ORP 'Błyskawica,' which had been moved to England to escape early wartime destruction.
While it had a 200-watt output, its claimed range to the United States may be overstated.
The first broadcast, delivered by Zbigniew Świętochowski, highlighted the courage of those participating in the uprising.
The station began broadcasting on August 8, 1944. It was initially housed in the PKO (Post Savings Bank) building at 9 Jasna Street in Warsaw.
On August 25, 1944, it relocated to the "Adria" café at 10 Moniuszki Street. By September 4, it had moved to the former Soviet Embassy at 15 Poznańska Street and was later transferred to the Public Library at 26 Koszykowa Street.
'Błyskawica' was the first Polish radio station to break the silence of the German occupation and continued to operate throughout the uprising despite challenging conditions and several relocations.
Although the original "Błyskawica" has not survived to the present day, a faithful replica can be seen at the Warsaw Uprising Museum. Notably, this replica was constructed in 2004 by the same person who created the original device - engineer Antoni Zębik, also known as Biegły.
Replica of the insurgent radio station "Błyskawica" at the Warsaw Uprising Museum
A photo from the past. Courier of the Home Army Jolanta Kolczyńska, codename "Klara" (1928-2022), Adam Drzewoski (1925-2020) soldier of the Zaremba-Piorun Unit and Jerzy Szawarski, President of the Warsaw Regional Branch of the Polish Amateur Radio Association, during a broadcast using a replica of the "Błyskawica" radio station. Warsaw, 2012.
Group Kampinos listens to a broadcast from the Błyskawica radio station on a captured receiver during the Warsaw Uprising, in the village of Wiersze, near Warsaw, Poland.
Source: IAR/Polskie Radio/Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego
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