Walentyna Dermacka Regional Museum in Piecki

In Piecki in the Mrągowo district of Masuria operates a museum built around the collection of an extraordinary woman. Walentyna Dermacka née Sapieha (born 7 August 1922 in Nowogródek), after wartime wandering that included forced labour in East Prussia, lived from 1958 in Piecki, gathering folk art for years. The Regional Museum bearing her name was created in May 2012, and care for the collections passed to her daughter Maria Dermacka.

The “prucnalki”

The core of the collection consists of clay figurines by Władysława Prucnal of Medynia Głogowska, jokingly called “prucnalki” by locals. The scenes were designed by Walentyna Dermacka herself — friendship linked the two artists. Among the series you will see cycles “Adam and Eve”, “Madonnas”, “Saints”, “The Rosary” and “From a Grain to a Loaf”, as well as “Great Poles” and threads from Reymont’s “The Peasants”, Gałczyński’s “Green Goose”, with Mickiewicz and Tolstoy at the fore.

Not only figurines

Beyond sculpture, the museum holds furniture, everyday objects and a rich book collection on the region and the folk art of Warmia and Masuria, plus works by other folk artists and the founder’s manuscripts. The institution operates within the Commune Centre of Culture, Sport and Recreation.

In practice

The museum is at 48 Zwycięstwa Street. Visiting is possible Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 am–6:00 pm (closed Mondays); check the museum’s profile for current hours before your visit, as the institution is sometimes seasonal. Nearby awaits a kayak trip on the Krutynia (about 10 km), the palace in Sorkwity and Lake Mikołajskie (about 16 km).