Konstantynów, Płock County

The Warsaw Radio Mast (Polish: Maszt radiowy w Konstantynowie) was a radio mast located near Gąbin, Poland, and the world's tallest structure at 2,120 ft (646.38 m) from 1974 until its collapse on 8 August 1991. The mast was designed for extreme height in order to broadcast Communist propaganda around the world, including to the remotest areas such as Antarctica. As of 2023, it was the third-tallest structure ever built, after the Burj Khalifa tower in the United Arab Emirates in 2009, and Merdeka 118 tower in Malaysia in 2022.Designed by Jan Polak, its construction started with earthworks for the foundations on 5 July 1969, while the tower itself started construction on 18 October 1972 with a ceremony, and on 18 May 1974 it was completed. Its transmitter, whose installation started in October 1973, entered regular service on 22 July 1974. The opening of the mast was met with extensive celebration and news coverage by the Polish Film Chronicle. The tower was used by Warsaw Radio-Television (Centrum Radiowo-Telewizyjne) for longwave radio broadcasting on a frequency of AM-LW (long wave) 227 kHz before 1 February 1988 and 225 kHz (1332m) afterwards. Its base was 115.2 metres (378 ft) above sea level. Because there was a potential difference of 120 kV between the mast and ground, it stood on a 2-metre (6.6 ft)-high insulator. It operated as a mast radiator (half-wave radiator), so its height was half of its 1332m broadcasting wavelength. The signals from its 2 MW transmitters could be received across essentially the entire globe. The Warsaw Radio Mast's weight was debated; Polish sources claimed 420 tonnes (930,000 lb).The mast was designed for national pride, mainly because of the height of the mast, which made it the tallest structure in the world at the time, surpassing the KVLY-TV mast in Blanchard, North Dakota, US. It was also designed to broadcast the "propaganda of the successes." However, an unintended effect of the mast's height was that the "officially non-existent Poles of the east" could tune in to Polish radio broadcasts, including those in remote places such as Antarctica.The official name of the facility was Radiofoniczny Ośrodek Nadawczy w Konstantynowie (Radiophonic Transmission Centre Konstantynów), Radiowe Centrum Nadawcze w Konstantynowie (Radio Transmission Centre Konstantynów; RCN Konstantynów) or Warszawska Radiostacja Centralna (WRC) w Gąbinie (Warsaw Central Radio Station Gąbin). It broadcast Polskie Radio's Program I (unofficially referred to as "Jedynka"). The transmitter was so powerful that Program I could be received in parts of Canada and the United States.

Topólno [tɔˈpulnɔ] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Gąbin, within Płock County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately 4 kilometres (2 mi) south-east of Gąbin, 20 km (12 mi) south of Płock, and 85 km (53 mi) west of Warsaw.

Jadwigów [jadˈviɡuf] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Gąbin, within Płock County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately 5 kilometres (3 mi) south-east of Gąbin, 21 km (13 mi) south of Płock, and 86 km (53 mi) west of Warsaw.

Nowy Barcik [ˈnɔvɨ ˈbart͡ɕik] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Sanniki, within Gostynin County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately 7 kilometres (4 mi) north-west of Sanniki, 25 km (16 mi) east of Gostynin, and 82 km (51 mi) west of Warsaw.

Stary Barcik [ˈstarɨ ˈbart͡ɕik] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Sanniki, within Gostynin County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland.

Czermno [ˈt͡ʂɛrmnɔ] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Gąbin, within Płock County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately 4 kilometres (2 mi) east of Gąbin, 18 km (11 mi) south of Płock, and 86 km (53 mi) west of Warsaw.

Czyżew [ˈt͡ʂɨʐɛf] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Sanniki, within Gostynin County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) north-west of Sanniki, 27 km (17 mi) east of Gostynin, and 81 km (50 mi) west of Warsaw.

Przemysłów [pʂɛˈmɨswuf] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Gąbin, within Płock County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately 7 kilometres (4 mi) east of Gąbin, 19 km (12 mi) south-east of Płock, and 82 km (51 mi) west of Warsaw.

Kępina [kɛmˈpina] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Gąbin, within Płock County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) east of Gąbin, 18 km (11 mi) south of Płock, and 87 km (54 mi) west of Warsaw.

Strzemeszno [stʂɛˈmɛʂnɔ] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Gąbin, within Płock County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately 5 kilometres (3 mi) east of Gąbin, 17 km (11 mi) south-east of Płock, and 85 km (53 mi) west of Warsaw.

Budy [ˈbudɨ] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Słubice, within Płock County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately 7 kilometres (4 mi) west of Słubice, 22 km (14 mi) south-east of Płock, and 81 km (50 mi) west of Warsaw.

Plebanka [plɛˈbaŋka] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Gąbin, within Płock County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It is located approximately 4 kilometres (2 mi) north-east of Gąbin, 16 km (10 mi) south of Płock, and 86 km (53 mi) west of Warsaw.