Krzysztof Kononowicz also known as Konon, Mleczny Człowiek (the Milky Man), Kandydat na Kandydata (Candidate-to-be), Knur (Pig), Ostatni Chuj Polski (the Last Prick of Poland) (born 21 January 1963, in Kętrzyn) is a Polish Politician, internet celebrity and social activist. In 2006, he ran for mayor of

Białystok Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the tenth-largest city in Poland, second in terms of population density, and thirteenth in area. Białystok is located in the Białystok Up ...

during the

local elections In many parts of the world, local elections take place to select office-holders in local government, such as mayors and councillors. Elections to positions within a city or town are often known as "municipal elections". Their form and conduct vary ...

in Poland. He attracted notoriety for his purposely unsophisticated political advertisement, first aired on local TV and featured heavily on YouTube.

Biography

Krzysztof Kononowicz comes from a family of

Belarusian Belarusian may refer to: * Something of, or related to Belarus * Belarusians, people from Belarus, or of Belarusian descent * A citizen of Belarus, see Demographics of Belarus * Belarusian language * Belarusian culture * Belarusian cuisine * Byelor ...

origin. His parents lived in the

Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, or Byelorussian SSR; be, Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка, Bielaruskaja Savieckaja Sacyjalistyčnaja Respublika; russian: Белор� ...

, part of the Soviet Union. They came to Poland in 1958. They lived in the village of Wilkowo, near Kętrzyn. In 2006, Krzysztof Kononowicz, a 43-year-old driver-mechanic living with his widowed mother Leonarda (now deceased), 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 The Polish National Party ( pl, Polska Partia Narodowa) was a fringe nationalist and ultra-conservative political party in Poland led by Leszek Bubel. Its motto was: "I am Polish, therefore I have Polish obligations", as quoted after the Polish ...

(supported by the party leader Leszek Bubel), convinced him to run for mayor and make the advertisement. Within several days, over 3 million Internet users had seen the commercial on YouTube (English version), 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. Kononowicz got only 1,676 votes (1.9%), but became the most remembered person of the 2006 elections, featured as a guest in several television shows. He became a popular

Internet meme An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...

in Poland in 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. 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 press described him as "like Borat, except not acting but the real thing".The sweater that has Poland in stitches
'' The Age'', November 15, 2006 In March 2007, Kononowicz was accused by his neighbours of

abusing Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other t ...

his elderly mother. Both Kononowicz and his mother denied the accusations, but the police still decided to investigate.Kononowicz wykorzystywał seksualnie matkę?
''

Dziennik Polska-Europa-Świat ''Dziennik Polska-Europa-Świat'' ( en, Daily Poland-Europe-World) was a Polish nationwide daily newspaper published by Ringier Axel Springer, a joint venture between Germany's Axel Springer Verlag publishing company and Swiss media company Ringie ...

'', 14 March 2007 The investigation ended two months later and Kononowicz was cleared of all charges. He was featured in the 2010 movie '' Ciacho'' directed by Patryk Vega as a prosecutor, much to reviewers' acclaim, especially given the movie being a flop. In December 2018, Kononowicz announced his candidacy for President of Poland. A comprehensive crowdsourced resource is available in Polish, featuring a frequently updated newsfeed.
February, 2022

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kononowicz, Krzysztof People from Kętrzyn People from East Prussia People from Białystok Polish people of Belarusian descent Solidarity (Polish trade union) activists Internet memes Polish politicians Polish bloggers Male bloggers Polish YouTubers Living people 1963 births