Lukasz Lipinski is dead. “The chemistry did its job, but he didn’t give up. As always.”

“So what, are we going to slander Poland again?” -We greeted each other with laughter in September last year. An international mission of journalists examined Poland’s media market ahead of the parliamentary elections. It would seem that talking about partisan media and intimidating journalists and editorial offices with lawsuits is the simplest thing in the world, but only Lukasz Lipinski from our group came up with a laptop with specific data: about the market, quotes, etc. Most of us also talked, although it was clear that he tired quickly – the chemo had done its job. But he didn’t give up. as always.

We’ve bumped into each other on various occasions over the years, after all, the media world isn’t that big. Even if we only had time to exchange a few words while running, it was always like meeting old friends.

We have worked together for several years in the editorial office of “Gazeta Wyborcza”. And although preparing newspaper pages for printing, especially right before a deadline, is no task for a Zen lover and a lotus on the smooth surface of a lake, I must admit that I have never seen Lukasz so mad or even angry. Like any experienced editor, he was able to plan ahead and knew how to quickly shorten the text or fill the space left by material unsuitable for printing. Everything was fast, calm and professional. When I became managing editor of the economics department, Lucas taught me how to plan the publication – everything happened on a real whiteboard, which was repeatedly struck with colored pencils and wiped away with a sponge. It was Lucas who once told me about his promotion to Deputy Chief of Department. It was like getting a knighthood. At least for me.

Nearly a decade ago, our editorial paths diverged. I went to Newsweek and Lukacs – to Polityka Insight, then to Polityka itself. Although both weekly magazines competed directly in the market, we were still colleagues in the editorial office of “Gazeta Wyborcza”.

Five years ago, fate took us on a joint trip to Israel. Together with a group of Polish journalists, we learned about the local startup market. The trip was extraordinary: we visited Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, bathed in the December sun, talked to young people who wanted to automate construction cranes and Mobileye heads, which the Israelis had just sold to Intel for a billion dollars. And all this in exactly 49.5 hours, as proven by the stamps in the passport. We’ve got this mix of exotic and futuristic in every sense of the word. We were amazed when one of our caregivers turned out to be the granddaughter of the “The Wolf and the Rabbit” screenwriter who immigrated to Israel.

It may not have been The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – it was one of Łukasz’s favorite books, which he liked to quote at every opportunity – but that trip was also full of humor and surprising plot twists that won’t happen to us anymore, but a nightly beer on the beach in Tel Aviv You will remain in our memories.

“Hey, thanks for the fish.”