Phalanx is a magazine and online service on broadly understood cultural & social topics, made by a few young people, which origins reach 1998. Our aim is the popularization of valuable cultural phenomena and its creators.
Phalanx is not a medium of any political party or organization but a forum of expression for different individuals.
The idea of Phalanx came as a result of critical judgement of contemporary culture in Poland and other european countries. We are disgusted and alarmed with its nihilism, egoism, hedonism, egalitarism, materialism, globalism, political correctness and cosmopolitism. We would like our magazine to be the voice of all these artists/authors and the receivers of art who share these feelings.
Phalanx does not express its preference to any ideology or doctrine, it has however its own worldview which we could put shortly in two assertions: that the culture of Poland and Europe was shaped on the foundation of christianity, and that the diversity of national cultures is priceless for humanity. Phalanx wants to protect the priceless heritage. This is the source of our critical attitude towards cosmopolitism and chauvinism -two popular radical positions for the phenomenon of nation. We find both chauvinism (hatred towards nations other than someone`s own) and cosmopolitism (hatred towards someone`s own nation) morally abominable.
Phalanx does not escape to a false apoliticality and is not afraid of jugding various ideas. We openly condemn and fight against any false and criminal ideologies and political movements, especially communism, nazism, rasism, democratic liberalism.
Phalanx does not limit its interests to some specified forms of art. We are interested in the whole range of artistic forms of human expression, especially in the contemporary art as long as it is not turning into kitsch or anti-art.
Phalanx is a space of free thinking, without cenzorship, political correctness or 'badly seen' topics.
We understand that this kind of openness might become a reason of various accusations in our address, and we are ready to pay the price for the sake of freedom of speech.
Phalanx is aware that polish culture apart from negative trends common in whole Europe suffers from its own very specific sickness: polish inferiority complex. It is a set of myths and stereotypes saying that polish culture and history are something worse and less precious than other nations` heritage. Out of this there is also taken a quasi-scientific theory saying that Polish people are more stupid and inferior to other nations and that being Polish should be a reason of shame rather than pride. Phalanx rejects this very rasist opinion as well as any other form of rasism. Phalanx wants to popularize knowledge about polish culture, history and its beautiful diversity of art and thought.
We assume that knowing your own national heritage is essential in the process of personal development and defining one`s own identity.
Phalanx critically evaluates the dominance of cultural trends coming from anglo-saxon countries and its huge influx into Poland and other central&east european countries which results in americanization of morals and anglicisation of languages. We would like to overcome these trends by spreading knowledge about national cultures of central&east european origin and its contemporary authors. Phalanx wants to present also phenomena and enterprises from other countries if only they can be a positive example of modern 'rooted culture'.
Phalanx is a zone of independant and authentic culture unwelcome in commercial media and not having influential sponsors but culture which will always be alive. It is a zone of culture which is itself an answer for universal human needs of love, beauty, truth and roots. We do not tolerate falsehood and stupidity of quasi-rebels promoted by mass-media and quasi-independant underground.
The name of our magazine comes from latin and means the same as 'phalange'. It refers to classic greek-romanian roots of Europe and Poland. During history 'phalanx' has had many different meanings and still might have many interpretations. In Poland 'phalanx' is nowadays associated with our magazine.
(editors)
