Maksym Rudnik - Sluzewiec Racetrack

Maksym Rudnik’s series is a visual story about the Sluzewiec Racetrack in Warsaw- Poland’s main racetrack. I caught Maksym during a spare moment away from his current project in Athens (stay tuned!) After a quick email exchange, I was lucky enough to find out more about the racetrack’s significance to Poland, its history and the relationship between animal rights and sport.

The country, Maksym notes, has a long history of horse racing which can be dated back to 1777. However, during the communist era, Polish horse racing became severely limited, when gambling and large social gatherings were made illegal. Despite these sanctions, the Sluzewiec Racetrack (the only long-term running racetrack in communist Poland) continued to operate, it was called by racegoers an ‘icon of freedom’ – distant from the everyday reality and rules of communism. Maksym’s photographic narrations reveal a post-communist nostalgia, reflected by the faces of elderly man who have been coloured by their histories. Although the betting pools have since slowed, the ritualized gathering of regular racegoers within the Warsaw racetrack recreates the same camaraderie of times long past.

- Alexa Fahlman

Can you tell us more about the racetrack?

Back in the day it was a huge entertainment for many people. The grand opening and main race held in the middle of the summer is very popular among Warsaw citizens. Yet, during ordinary race weekends there are not that many visitors. The people attending are mainly older people who take a chance and bet on small amounts of money in order to hopefully win some. I visited this place during a couple of race weekends to document the races. During the week in the early morning hours I went to the stables and barns which are nearby to portrait some of the people working there with horses and the jockeys taking their time to practice with their horses. It is a magnificent place surrounded with trees yet it is almost in the very centre of Warsaw.

What do you think it is about the racetrack that people love?

Horse racing is spectacular; whether through the visual subtleties of the jockey’s uniforms, or through the horses themselves - monumental, tall and very beautiful.. There is a gambling aspect as well - it seems exciting to bet and have a chance of winning even if it’s a small amount of money. When it comes to older people, this excitement is historic. In Poland during Soviet Union occupation, there were not many entertaining activities and people were very limited in different aspects of their lives. This particular racetrack acted as a kind of icon of freedom during occupation. People were able to gather during race weekends which was not legal (people gathering) back then and they were able to decide how to spend their money - win some, or loose some. 

Is there a lot of controversy over the racetracks in regards to animal rights, etc? Do many people believe that racing should be banned?

There were some controversies but really minor. I really enjoy horse racing and am amazed by race horses - the way they look, their movements and their grace . On the other hand, I’ve been a vegetarian for many years and am aware of how harmful these races can be for them. It remains a long discussion when debating about the current state of animal freedoms. Personally, the best would be to see wild herds of horses somewhere in the mountains, but as far as I know these horses couldn’t be taken into the wild after having lived as a race horse.

The photos in your series all feel very nostalgic, as if they were taken decades ago. Did you create this mood on purpose, or is it simply a result of the racetrack’s history coming out in the photos?

Most of my work is nostalgic, the colours, the subjects I choose. I think the fact that it’s analog from the beginning to the end makes it nostalgic too. This particular subject came along perfectly when it came to fitting my aesthetic. Old spectators, kind of retro jockeys uniforms, barns where the horses live - they are all a little bit of the past, I was just lucky enough to capture it.