Sergiusz Piasecki

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Sergiusz Piasecki (1901-1964), was one of the most interesting and popular Polish language writers of 20th century.

His prose was based on extremely adventurous life. Piasecki is perhaps the best known for his autobiographical book The lover of Ursa Major (Kochanek Wielkiej Niedzwiedzicy) and anti-soviet satire The memoirs of Red Army officer (Zapiski oficera Armii Czerwonej).

Piasecki was born in Lachowicze, Northwestern Krai (Lithuania) of Russian Empire (now Liakhavichy, Brest Province, Belarus) as a son of Belarusian mother and russifed Polish father. At the time of bolshevik takeover in November 1917 he found himself in Moscow. A few months later he returned to Belarus and joined Belarusian anti-Soviet forces and consequently Lithuanian-Belarusian Division of the Polish army. After the war he was working as an agent for the Polish intelligence. Later Piasecki committed some serious crimes and was sentenced for 15 years in prison.

He became a writer by chance. His prison prose came to the attention of the famous Polish novelist and journalist Melchior Wańkowicz. He encouraged him to continue his writing efforts and helped him to publish his first book - The lover of Ursa Major. The publication and extreme popularity of the book became a key which let him to leave the prison.

At the time of Soviet and German occupation of eastern Poland he became an executor working for Polish Home Army and carried out capital punishments delivered by underground Polish courts.

It is worth to point out that Polish was not Piasecki's first language - he was native in Belarusian and Russian and he became fluent in Polish as an adult. Sergiusz Piasecki died in 1964 in London.