Łukasz Wojnarowicz
Archaeologist, Weinakademiker, Friend
It is hard to write about Łukasz in the past tense. He could not be confined to a single role, a single community or a single passion.
He was an archaeologist and a pioneer of Polish archaeological research in the Persian Gulf. He blazed trails where the Polish archaeological community had not yet ventured.
He had been associated with the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology of the University of Warsaw since his student days. He was a PCMA scholarship holder and took part in numerous research projects led by the Centre. He participated in the work of the archaeological expedition at Tell Arbid in Syria between 2005 and 2009, initially as a student. He also took part in excavations in Alexandria during the 2008/2009 season, in projects in Kuwait – at As-Sabbiya between 2007 and 2010 and the Tumuli Project in 2010 – and in work at Berenike in Egypt in 2010.
Over time, winemaking became his second passion. He combined his archaeological knowledge with an outstanding understanding of both ancient and modern winemaking. He was a Weinakademiker, a graduate of the Weinakademie Österreich in Rust, and held a Diploma in Wines and Spirits with distinction from the Hochschule Geisenheim. He was a certified WSET tutor and examiner, a lecturer at Collegium Civitas, a journalist for *Czas Wina*, a judge at international wine competitions, and an import manager at Wine And You.
But Łukasz was not just a list of titles, roles and achievements. For many of us, he was, above all, a Friend. Someone you could rely on. He had his own rituals, his own routes, his own tastes, his own tunes and his own favourite spots.
He was a loyal listener to the old Friday Chart on Polish Radio Three. He would put together his own playlists for various occasions, seasons and moods, and then share them with others. He loved the railways, cycling trips, kayaking, the Mazovia region, and holidays in Łyna and Gardno. He liked places you return to, roads you get to know better and better, and the tranquillity of ordinary days. Pizzas on Barska Street. He was a yogi, a fan of basset hounds and a collector of hippopotamus figurines. He couldn’t stand museums or shopping for clothes. But he loved shopping at the nearby bazaar.
It is hard to come to terms with his passing, for with him went an entire, unique way of being in the world: attentive, true to his passions, somewhat aloof, deeply loyal. What remains is the memory of a Man who could bridge distant worlds: archaeology and wine, travel and domestic rituals, knowledge and everyday kindness.
- The farewell ceremony of Łukasz will take place on 3 July 2026 at 11:30 am near the Old Catholic Mariavite Church in Błonie, 4 Polna Street
- Practical details of the farewell (in Polish) – link
Ula, Zuza and Friends from PCMA UW