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NEXT STORY

My father's political views

RELATED STORIES

After the war
Jacek Kuroń Social activist
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No i pewnego dnia jeździliśmy na nartach tam w tych górach – ojciec przyjechał sporo wcześniej i jeździliśmy na nartach po tych górach i nagle okazało się, że jeździmy na nartach przez front. Ale to bardzo krótko trwało, bo moment, bo to, tu Rosjanie i za chwileczkę przyszli do naszego przysiółka Rosjanie, których ludność przyjęła wódką, którą ktoś wyjął, słoniną, no i w ogóle z wielkim entuzjazmem. Poszedłem sprawdzić – dalej karabin mieli na sznurku, co mnie absolutnie zaskoczyło. Ponieważ pamiętałem, że nosili karabiny na sznurku, ale później tatuś mi mówił, miał taki pomysł, że to Stalin zrobił komedię, pokazał tą źle uzbrojoną armię – wiesz, żeby potem wyjąć tę lepszą. Się nagle okazało karabiny dalej mają na sznurku. No i to by było tyle wojny. I wtedy przeczytałem po raz pierwszy Manifest PKWN z taty mojego komentarzami i wiem, że miałem absolutnie mieszane uczucia. Ponieważ z jednej strony miałem... rozumiem, że takie musiały być taty komentarze, ja ich nie bardzo pamiętam. Ponieważ z jednej strony byłem za, a z drugiej strony byłem przeciw. I tak to się bardzo długo ciągnęło. Z jednej strony śpiewałem z chłopakami": "Przyjechali z Moskwy grandą z pepeszkami, propagandą, wszystko zjedli i wypili, zamiast płacić w mordę bili". Z drugiej strony niesłychana fala antysemityzmu, który współwystępował z tym polskim patriotyzmem i z tym takim odrzuceniem – "Przyjechali z Moskwy grandą z propagandą", że mianowicie niby Żydzi właśnie rządzą, z pozycji mojej czwartej klasy, bo do czwartej klasy poszedłem, niesłychanie tak straszny antysemityzm, przerażający zupełnie, właśnie taki ku chwale Hitlera. I wtedy już się bardzo kłóciłem, biłem w ogóle i to mnie zsuwało na lewicę. A poza tym ojciec miał najwyraźniej ambiwalentny stosunek do nowej władzy. Bo z jednej strony – ha, ha, ja znam historię WKP(b) i tak dalej i tak dalej, ale pamiętam świetnie, że przeczytałem w domu gazetkę, gdzie było napisane, że harcerstwo i wszystko tam tego trzeba bojkotować bo są fałszywe – i ja się zapytałem, czy mam wstąpić do zuchów. Tata powiedział tak, że mam wstąpić do zuchów.

One day - we used to go skiing up there in those mountains - my father had arrived a good deal earlier, and we were skiing in those mountains when it suddenly turned out that we'd crossed the front line. This only lasted a moment because the Russians were soon there, and shortly after that they came to our hamlet and the people welcomed them with vodka which someone got from somewhere, and dripping, and altogether there was great enthusiasm. I went to check - they still had their guns hanging on bits of string which completely astounded me because I remembered that they used to carry their guns on bits of string but then my dad had this idea and he said that Stalin was playing a joke by first showing this badly equipped army so that later on he could show the better one. But suddenly, it turned out that they were still carrying their guns on bits of string. So that's it as far as the war goes. That's when I read the PKWN Manifesto for the first time with my father's commentaries and I know that I had very mixed feelings. On the one hand, I had... I understand that my dad's commentaries had to be like that but I don't remember them very well. One the one hand I was in favour but on the other, I was against. And it went on like this for a very long time.

First, I'd be singing with the boys, 'They came from Moscow with their guns and propaganda, ate and drunk their fill but refused to pay the bill', but then there was this awful wave of anti-Semitism which came with this Polish patriotism and this kind of rejection. 'They came from Moscow with their guns and propaganda' meaning that it was the Jews who were governing. That's how it seemed in the 4th grade because that's where I was then. The anti-Semitsm was unbelievable, terrifying, in praise of Hitler. That's when I started to argue fiercely, to even fight and this pushed me towards the left-wing. On top of that, my father had a decidedly ambivalent approach towards the new authorities. On the one hand, I know the story of the WKB(p) and so on and so on, but I remember very well reading a pamphlet at home where it said that the scouts and all those other things need to be boycotted because they are false - and I asked should I join the cubs and my dad said that yes, I should join the cubs.

The late Polish activist, Jacek Kuroń (1934-2004), had an influential but turbulent political career, helping transform the political landscape of Poland. He was expelled from the communist party, arrested and incarcerated. He was also instrumental in setting up the Workers' Defence Committee (KOR) and later became a Minister of Labour and Social Policy.

Listeners: Jacek Petrycki Marcel Łoziński

Cinematographer Jacek Petrycki was born in Poznań, Poland in 1948. He has worked extensively in Poland and throughout the world. His credits include, for Agniezka Holland, Provincial Actors (1979), Europe, Europe (1990), Shot in the Heart (2001) and Julie Walking Home (2002), for Krysztof Kieslowski numerous short films including Camera Buff (1980) and No End (1985). Other credits include Journey to the Sun (1998), directed by Jesim Ustaoglu, which won the Golden Camera 300 award at the International Film Camera Festival, Shooters (2000) and The Valley (1999), both directed by Dan Reed, Unforgiving (1993) and Betrayed (1995) by Clive Gordon both of which won the BAFTA for best factual photography. Jacek Petrycki is also a teacher and a filmmaker.

Film director Marcel Łoziński was born in Paris in 1940. He graduated from the Film Directing Department of the National School of Film, Television and Theatre in Łódź in 1971. In 1994, he was nominated for an American Academy Award and a European Film Academy Award for the documentary, 89 mm from Europe. Since 1995, he has been a member of the American Academy of Motion Picture Art and Science awarding Oscars. He lectured at the FEMIS film school and the School of Polish Culture of Warsaw University. He ran documentary film workshops in Marseilles. Marcel Łoziński currently lectures at Andrzej Wajda’s Master School for Film Directors. He also runs the Dragon Forum, a European documentary film workshop.

Tags: Russians, PKWN Manifest, Polish patriotism, Stalin

Duration: 2 minutes, 51 seconds

Date story recorded: 1987

Date story went live: 12 June 2008