Zofia Samul

Personal information:

Born in 1936

Patrimony is sacred

Since her youngest days, when she attended elementary school she made several metres long Easter palms alone or with her friends, to be presented at the competition in Łyse, and wreaths for the annual Harvest Festival in Autumn. Nowadays, Zofia Samul prefers to make cut-outs, rolled flowers and her masterfully created kierec decorations on commission. Since her childhood she developed her talent under the eye of her mother, Aniela Kobus, whom she owes her passion for handiwork and the skills she acquired.

She was born in Dęby, a small Kurpian village located near Myszyniec, and she’s been living there ever since. The scope of her artistic abilities is very broad: she makes rolled-paper flowers, makes Easter palms and kierec decorations made of peas and beans, adorned with flowers, as well as traditional Kurpian bouquets for the sacred corner. She also creates Christmas tree decorations (baubles, angels and chains), bakes cookies in the shapes of farm animals, baked for New Year’s Eve and Epiphany (byśki), embroiders, crochets and decorates Christmas tree baubles using the batik technique. Zofia approaches her creative work with meticulous attention to detail. Every single piece she makes is perfectly finished, and the selection of flowers is well thought out – everything is done according to Kurpian patterns. When she works, she remains fully focussed, sitting in the “sacred corner” in the main room of her home. On the centrally-located table, she has placed a shrine, inherited after her parents, decorated with flowers she has made. The memories, the devotion to the soil, to patrimony, to the tradition and living in harmony with God – these things are sacred for her.

She has always been involved in the social life of her village and municipality: she was a member of the municipal council, the head of the Regional Women’s Council in Ostrołęka and the head of the Country Women’s Association in Dęby. She also takes care of the traditional Kurpian decoration in schools in Dęby and Łyse. At the beginning of the 1970s she founded the 20-person Regional Song and Dance Ensemble, which had much successful in reviews and festivals at the local and voivodeship level, and which had its performances recorded by the TVP television network. She was also involved in activities of the “Myszyniec” ensemble, where she sung and presented monologues (“gadki”).

Even today, Zofia still participates in new initiatives – she organises workshops for children and youth. She presents her creations at fairs and during local events, such as the Kurpian Palm Sunday in Łyse, Kurpian Honey Harvest, the Kadzidło Sunday in Kadzidło, Open-Air Museum Meetings in Nowogród and at fairs organised by the Cepelia foundation, as well as in museums throughout the country. She cooperates with the Museum of Kurpian Culture in Ostrołęka. Zofia Samul was distinguished with the “Meritorious to Polish Culture” decoration of honour, awarded by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.