Sergiusz Piasecki
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Sergiusz Piasecki (1901–1964), was one of the most renowned Polish language writers of the 20th century. His most famous work, Kochanek Wielkiej Niedzwiedzicy (The lover of Ursa Major), published in 1937, was the third most popular book of the interbellum Poland. After World War Two, Piasecki's books were banned by the communist government of Poland. In the first Kochanek Wielkiej Niedzwiedzicy was again one of the most sold book in the country, according to the Rzeczpospolita daily. Another Piasecki's book, anti-Soviet satire The memoirs of a Red Army officer (Zapiski oficera Armii Czerwonej), has been reprinted several times.
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[edit] Childhood
Piasecki was born on April 1, 1901 in Lachowicze, Northwestern Krai of the Russian Empire (now Lyakhavichy, Brest Province, Belarus). It is interesting that on his tomb, located in Hastings, England, a different date is given - June 1, 1899. This date was officially presented by Piasecki on several occasions, probably because he deliberately wanted to mislead the police.
He was the illegitimate son of a russifed Polish nobleman Michal Piasecki and a Belarusian mother Klaudia Kukalowicz, who was a servant, working for the Piasecki family. As a child, he was looked after by a stepmother, who openly disliked him. His childhood was very difficult, also because kids at school would mock him, calling him "Lach" (which, in loose translation, is the equivalent of Polack). On the other hand, Piasecki, as he later admitted, hated Russian school, and in the seventh grade, armed with a pistol, he attacked a teacher. Incarcerated, he escaped from prison, and thus his formal education ended.
[edit] Beginning of career
At the time of the Bolshevik takeover in November 1917, the sixteen year old found himself in Moscow. He saw with his own eyes barbarity of the Bolsheviks, and from then on, he became an avid anti-Communist. Some time in 1918 or 1919, he returned to Belarus, joining the Belarusian anti-Soviet units called "Green Oak", led by ataman Wiaczeslaw Adamowicz. When in 1919 Polish Army troops captured Minsk, Adamowicz decided to cooperate with them. Thus, Belarusian units under Polish command were created and Piasecki was transferred to Warsaw's school of infantry cadets. In the summer of 1920, during Polish-Soviet War, Piasecki fought in the Battle of Radzymin, and this experience tied him with Poland for the rest of his life. Soon afterwards, he was asked to join Polish intelligence, as his language skills (he spoke Russian and Belarussian fluently) were highly regarded.
[edit] Intelligence
In early 1920s, Piasecki skillfully organized whole web of Polish agents, covering the area of Soviet Belarus. His supervisors were very pleased with his work, but they did not have enough money to cover all expenses of Piasecki and the growing number of his men. So, the enterprising agent found another source of income - smuggling. Moreover, it was not only about the money. Spies were as a rule killed by the Soviets, smugglers were only incarcerated for a few years. As he later wrote - he smuggled cocaine to the USSR, taking back to Poland furs. This provided him with a fortune, but Piasecki did not keep the money to himself. He needed it to bribe Soviet prison guards, as his men were frequently caught and incarcerated. These events were later described in Kochanek Wielkiej Niedzwiedzicy.
[edit] Incarceration
In February 1926 Piasecki was fired from Polish intelligence. It is not known why this happened, allegedly, he discovered connections between Soviets and some Polish V.I.P.'s. Also, he was at odds with his fellow smugglers. Destitute, he found himself in a desperate situation. All that he possessed was a revolver.
In late July 1926, Piasecki was wandering in the forests south of Wilno. Armed, he decided to rob two Jews, Jodel Boryszanski and Morduch Drazlin, who were crossing the forest in a cart. He stole from them 1054 zlotys, a gold watch and other items. Later, it was established that Piasecki was under the influence of cocaine, and he needed the money to cover bail for his friend, Antoni Niewiarowicz. A few days later, Piasecki and Niewiarowicz robbed a suburban train near Wilno, and, due to Niewiarowicz's lover confessions, they were caught and put in jail in Lida.
As his trial took place in the border area, the Lida court was merciless and sentenced Piasecki to death. Fortunately, his former supervisors from the intelligence did not forget about their agent, and instead of being killed, Piasecki ended up with 15 years behind bars. His stay in the Lida prison was short. As a leader of a rebellion, he was moved to Rawicz. There, he incited another riot, and was moved to Koronowo and later to Wronki. Finally, Piasecki was transferred to the hardest prison in Poland, located in Łysa Góra near Kielce. As he was regarded a troublesome prisoner, he was often kept in isolation ward, where he got sick with tuberculosis.
[edit] Writing
Piasecki became a writer by chance. Later, he confessed that many prisoners in Wronki would write, so he decided to emulate them. As his knowledge of standard Polish was poor, he would learn from a school book of Polish grammar. Some time in either 1935 or 1936, his prison prose came to the attention of a famous novelist and journalist, Melchior Wańkowicz, who toured Polish prisons as a reporter. After reading a manuscript of Kochanek Wielkiej Niedzwiedzicy, Wańkowicz encouraged Piasecki to continue his writing efforts and helped him to publish the book. The publication and resulting popularity of the book became the catalyst for getting Piasecki out of prison. The book was published while Piasecki was still in prison, and its copy was delivered to his cell. The book sold out within a month, it was the third most popular publication of interwar Poland.
Due to popularity of the book, Wańkowicz's efforts to release Piasecki were supported by other writers and lawyers. Finally, in 1937 president Ignacy Moscicki pardoned him. The day of his release was sensational, crowds of journalists were waiting at a gate, and Piasecki himself was shocked at technical novelties, such as radio, which had became common since 1926.
In late 1937 and early 1938, Piasecki went to Otwock and Zakopane, to recuperate. Among others, he met Stanislaw Witkiewicz, who painted his portrait. Being a celebrity, he avoided meeting with numerous readers, neither did he like signing of books.
[edit] World War Two
In the summer of 1939 Piasecki went to Wilno, and he stayed there during the war. In September 1939, he volunteered to the Border Defence Corps, to fight the Soviets. After capitulation, he was offered a chance to move to France, but refused and decided to stay in occupied Poland. Even though he had never been a member of the Home Army, he had cooperated with Polish resistance, becoming in 1943 an executioner, and carrying out capital punishment sentences handed down by underground Polish courts. His wartime noms de guerre were "Sucz", "Kira" and "Konrad". Later, he wrote two books about his war activities. These are Wieza Babel (The Toewr of Babel) and Adam i Ewa (Adam and Eve). Among those who he was ordered to execute, was Melchior Wankowicz, falsely accused of cooperating with the Germans. However, Piasecki refused to kill him, and later it was revealed that Wankowicz's accusations had been made up by the Soviets.
[edit] Living in exile
After the war, Piasecki hid from Communists for a year. Finally, in April 1946, he escaped to Italy, where he found Italian translation of Kochanek Wielkiej Niedzwiedzicy. Soon, he got in touch with Polish writers living in exile, including Jerzy Giedroyc. In 1947, Piasecki moved to England, his name can be found on a resolution of Union of Polish Writers in Exile, which urged all concerned to stop publishing in the Communist-occupied country. He once publicly declared that he would gladly take any job that would result in erasing Communism.
Living abroad, Piasecki did not stop writing. In late 1940s he came to the conclusion that humor is the best weapon to fight the Communists. So, he wrote a satire The memoirs of a Red Army officer, which presents a made-up diary of Mishka Zubov - an officer of the Red Army, who, together with his unit enters Poland on September 17, 1939. Zubov claims in his "diary" that his only purpose is to kill all the bourgeoisie who possess watches and bicycles.
Polish was not Piasecki's first language - he was native in Belarusian and Russian. Piasecki became fluent in Polish as an adult. Sergiusz Piasecki died in 1964 in London.
