The Marshal of the Mazovian Voivodship Award is one of the most prestigious distinctions in the Mazovia Region, honoring the most valuable achievements of the region’s residents in the field of arts, promotion, and preservation of broadly understood culture and promotion of the area in these fields. This year, the award was presented to Professor Henryk Skarżyński for “invaluable contribution to the development and support of Mazovian tradition and culture, and for the effective promotion of our region in Poland and the world.”

In the congratulation letter, sent on this occasion by the Marshal of the Mazovian Voivodship Adam Struzik, we read: “Unfortunately, the current epidemiological situation in Poland has made it impossible for us to meet at the ceremonial gala and to present you and the other laureates with a statuette and a diploma. The time we found ourselves in requires responsible decisions. The number of people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus is still growing; therefore, for the sake of your safety, we have refrained from organizing the Gala Awards Ceremony of the Marshal of the Mazovian Voivodship this year. I do believe, however, that together we will manage to get through this difficult period, and soon I will be able to congratulate you personally”. Marshal Struzik further wished all the nominees that others, following their example, would pursue their life’s passions creatively and selflessly to make them a source of satisfaction and contribute to enriching the cultural offer of Mazovia.

Music and art hold a special place in Professor Henryk Skarżyński’s life. Since 2014 he has been the founder and main organizer of the International Festival for Children, Youths, and Adults with Hearing Disorders “Beats of Cochlea,” which every year gathers hundreds of musically talented hearing implant users from all over the world. He is also the author of the world’s first musical libretto with patients and hearing implant users entitled “Interrupted Silence,” which premiered on September 14, 2019, at the Warsaw Chamber Opera. The musical tells the stories, lives, and problems of authentic patients born deaf, with profound hearing loss, or lost hearing later in life and had other hearing problems. The musical was awarded the Warsaw’s Cultural Education Award 2020 of the City of Warsaw. Professor Henryk Skarżyński is also the author of a feature film screenplay under the working title “Beethoven’s Return, ” which is in production. The film will document the greatest, world’s pioneering, contemporary achievements of Polish science and medicine in the diagnostics, treatment, and rehabilitation of various sensory organ issues, especially total and partial deafness.

It is also worth adding that Professor Henryk Skarżyński’s efforts for the development and promotion of the Mazovia Region have been recognized many times. For example, distinction “Leaders of Changes 2019” in the “Internet Users’ Prize” category for the project “Program of Hearing Screening Tests for First-grade Students in the Mazovian Voivodship in 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 School Years”, the “Pro Masovia” diploma and medal – for outstanding merits and the overall contribution to the Mazovian Voivodship awarded by the Marshal of the Mazovian Voivodship, the title of “Professional of Forbes 2013” in the category “physician”, cited in the competition Professionals of Forbes 2013 from Mazovia Region, a distinction in the competition “Mazovian Company of the Year 2005” for the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, in the category of medicine – in-patient treatment facility, the “Asclepius 2001” award in the category of a specialist doctor of the Mazovian Voivodship, awarded in a nationwide poll by the National Medical Information Network and the Mazovian Branch of the National Health Fund, as well as, the title of “Citizen of Warsaw of 1992” awarded by readers of  the “Express Wieczorny” daily and viewers of “WOT” television.