A few days ago, I heard that we were celebrating a terrible trio: Fat Thursday, Friday the 13th, and Valentine's Day. I disagree with this theory. I love Valentine's Day, and for this occasion, we went to the cinema on Saturday, to see a movie of course. Unfortunately, a sign at the box office in the “Kultura” cinema saying "ALL TICKETS SOLD OUT" led to a change of plans. On our way back, we stopped by the History Meeting House for a moment. How delighted I was when, browsing through the album “There Was Such a Street - Marszałkowska”, compiled by Mr. Paweł Stala, I came across a photo of a beautiful postcard.

The postcard shows a column of soldiers with bags on their backs.
The army is not entirely well-organized, but is well-guarded by officers.
The inscription in German Scene von der Raumung Warschaus (Scene from the clearing of Warsaw) confirms my belief that these are Russians hastily leaving Warsaw.
The photo was taken on August 4, 1915, and the postcard was published as propaganda during the German occupation.

Of course, I have nothing against decent Russians, the poem "To My Muscovite Friends" remains one of my favorites, but I am strongly opposed to the stationing of Soviet, Russian, or any other foreign army in Warsaw.
As a side note, five years later, some of these soldiers probably tried to return to Warsaw
and got quite a beating.
But what's important now is not what happened in 1920, but an event that took place 43 years earlier.

In the spring of 1877, the city was sensationalized by an investment involving the installation of several kiosks for announcements, which were actually the first advertising media in Warsaw.
I'm referring to systematic (organized) advertising, because outdoor advertising has existed as long
as the city has existed.
The people who decided to start this business in Warsaw were Messrs. Brandel and Kruszel.
The entire press of that time wrote about this event. The idea wasn't original – this type of advertising
had already appeared in European cities in the first half of the 19th century.
The announcement kiosks were pillars that could be rented and used to run small shops selling newspapers or cigarettes inside, while the outside featured panels with advertisements. These panels could be illuminated at night (!).
In today's language: they were street furniture equipped with backlight-type advertising media.

I'll write more about advertising in Warsaw at the end of the 19th century soon.
And what connects the tsarist army and announcement kiosks?
Please, look carefully: behind the column of refugees, you can see a line of Warsaw residents,
no one is waving a handkerchief goodbye, and in the central point of the photo is precisely a kiosk
for announcements.
I even think I can see someone shopping at the kiosk, the last chance to buy a newspaper written in Cyrillic...
Ordinary life in a big city, while history is happening.

And what connects all this with Valentine's Day?
I'll be honest.
Pure coincidence.

Paweł Stala, “There Was Such a Street - Marszałkowska”. VEDA Publishing House, Warsaw 2013.