THERE WAS SUCH SOMEBODY
ALINA CZERNIAKOWSKA
When on 17 September 2014, on the 75th anniversary of the disgraceful invasion of the Soviets into Poland, fighting with the enemy of the West, Germany, at that time, I was standing at the monument of the Killed in the East – a wagon full of crosses, I was thinking about Wojciech Ziembinski, an initiator and creator of this meaningful place in the inner city of Warsaw. All ceremonies, manifestations connected with destroying Poland by its neighbouring country in the East, take place just here, in front of the Soviet wagon, known from archival photos, showing transportations of Poles to deep Russia. The wagon-monument filled with crosses, symbols of multinational Poland before war. Rails, and writings on them, names of towns, events, history about which it is still difficult to speak with one voice. Lvov, Grodno, Kozielsk, Starobielsk, Kolyma...the whole long painful list of the Polish nation and disgrace of enemies. People come here every 17 September, who know what this date means for us, Poles – it concerns over 2 million Poles, transported, tortured and killed with a shot at the back of their heads! Who and when will count them, who and when will take responsibility for it?! The enemy knew who to murder, destroy and humiliate and took away such people from Poland for ever. Those who built, created, fought and testified about Poland in as meaningful and beautiful way as possible. We were being destroyed in such a way for the whole future years, for our today and tomorrow. Today every thinking man must notice and evaluate in a proper way.
This year, on 17 September there are also white and red flags around the wagon with crosses, on rails, next to the writings of every town dear for us, there are grave candles, reminding the elderly and teaching the young generation about history, truth without which it is impossible to understand the current situation or think properly, make suitable choices. Here, under the wagon with crosses, I always remember about Wojciech Ziembinski, a man living for Poland, whom I could not compare with anybody else, known to me as a warrior for independence. When I was making documentaries, I was talking, recording memories of many excellent Poles, but Wojciech Ziembinski was the only one! Effective, strong, stubborn in acting for Poland, unusually brave, uncompromising in the fight for the truth. At that time, he was an example and a leader for us, young people, he impressed everyone with his courage – he was not scared of ZOMO, militia or arrests, the Security Office, the authority. He was at the helm of every independent manifestation, he was a strong and real man. He laid flowers, celebrated forbidden feasts, we followed him as faithfully as dust! On 11 November, 1 August, 15 August, 3 May he hang flags, decorated forgotten graves of inconvenient heroes, made a lot of effort to gain hundreds of boards, epitaphs informing about people and events, excluded by the authorities of People's Polish Republic about inconvenient successors for them. Jozef Pilsudski was an example for Wojciech Ziembinski, and now- John Paul II, as he said, twice JP 'kings of the spirit'.
Stefan Kisielewski in his journals wrote about Wojciech Ziembinski: 'An extremely useful crazy man, laid flowers on the tomb of an Unknown Soldier on 11 November, was arrested for it, but soon Henry Jablonski also started laying flowers on 11 November...' The supreme authorities of People's Polish Republic and post-communist Poland respected him, some witnesses of various events even say that they were scared of him. Effectiveness and strength in the fight for the sake of Poland! Today there is lack of such people. I managed to record an unusual interview last minute, with lethally ill Wojciech Ziembinski. I encourage you to see the documentary – 'There was such somebody', which, I hope, will be presented by 'Niedziela'.
AA
„Niedziela” 39/2014