Krzysztof Kononowicz

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Krzysztof Kononowicz
Krzysztof Kononowicz w 2000.jpg
Krzysztof Kononowicz in 2000
Born (1963-01-21) January 21, 1963 (age 58)
Kętrzyn, Polish People's Republic
NationalityPolish
Known forVideoblogging, Streaming, Political activity
Signature
Podpis Krzysztofa Kononowicza.jpg

Krzysztof Kononowicz (born January 21, 1963 in Kętrzyn) is a Polish YouTuber and social activist. He was a 2006 candidate for the office of mayor of Białystok during the local elections in Poland. He attracted some notoriety for his purposely unsophisticated political advertisement, first aired on local TV and featured heavily on YouTube.[1]

Biography[]

He comes from a family of Belarusian origin. His parents lived in Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, part of Soviet Union. They came to Poland in 1958.[2][3] They lived in the village Wilkowo.[2]

In 2006, Krzysztof Kononowicz, a 43-year-old driver-mechanic living with his widowed mother Leonarda, became a candidate of the electoral committee Podlachia of the 21st Century (Podlasie XXI Wieku). Several weeks before the elections, Adam Czeczetkowicz, an activist of the fringe far-right Polish National Party (supported by the party leader Leszek Bubel),[4] convinced him to run for mayor and make the advertisement. Within several days, over 3 million Internet users had seen the commercial on YouTube, posted by Kononowicz's electoral committee. The video also made it to Polish national TV. Soon merchandise (including the characteristic sweater supposedly belonging to Kononowicz) were being sold on the Internet.[1]

Kononowicz won only 1,676 votes (1.9%), but became by far the most remembered person of the 2006 elections, featured as a guest in several television shows. He became a popular Internet meme in Poland in the late 2006 and early 2007. He was also voted "personality of the year" in the poll by the Polish web portal Onet.pl. In several interviews, he stated that he wants to be a candidate for the President of Poland at the next election, while Czeczetkowicz's representatives said they wanted him to be a candidate for the post of mayor of Warsaw.[4]

It is unclear if Kononowicz himself was aware, in the beginning, that his newly established "popularity" was highly derogatory. The leading Polish politician Donald Tusk called him "an unfortunate man". Foreign commentators said he was "like Borat, except not acting but the real thing".[1][5]

In March 2007, Kononowicz was accused by his neighbours of abusing his elderly mother. Both mother and the son denied the accusations, but the police investigated.[4] The investigation ended two months later and Kononowicz was cleared of all charges.[6]

He had a small role as a prosecutor in the 2010 movie directed by .

In December 2018, Kononowicz announced his candidacy for President of Poland.[7]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c The sweater that has Poland in stitches, The Age, November 15, 2006
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Redakcja (2006-11-17). "Kim pan jest, panie Kononowicz?". Gdańsk Nasze Miasto (in Polish). Retrieved 2020-08-19.
  3. ^ "KRZYSZTOF KONONOWICZ: Czuję się Warmiakiem". Olsztyn24 (in Polish). Retrieved 2020-08-19.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c (in Polish) Kononowicz wykorzystywał seksualnie matkę?, Dziennik Polska-Europa-Świat, 14 March 2007
  5. ^ (in German) Polen-Borat im Proll-Pulli, Der Spiegel, November 17, 2006
  6. ^ (in Polish) Ktoś wrabiał Kononowicza Archived 2009-02-21 at the Wayback Machine, Dziennik Polska-Europa-Świat, 22 May 2007
  7. ^ https://nczas.com/2018/12/22/kononowicz-wystartuje-w-wyborach-na-prezydenta-polski-to-nie-jest-zart-video/
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