Charcoal is one of the oldest substances used by humans. In Poland, until the second half of the 20th century, it was produced using traditional earth kilns, known as "grinders"—stacks of wood burned under a cover of soil, turf, or clay. In 1980, a method of producing charcoal in steel retorts was developed, and these became a characteristic feature of the Bieszczady landscape for many years. Today, they are fading into history, being replaced by industrial methods of charcoal production.

This publication contains my photographs, taken between 2017 and 2024, of several sites in the Bieszczady region where charcoal was and still is occasionally produced.