Wanda Wasilewska
Encyclopedia
Wanda Wasilewska (ˈvanda vaɕiˈlɛfska; 21 January 1905 – 29 July 1964) was a Polish
and Soviet novelist and communist political activist who played an important role in the creation of a Polish division of the Soviet Red Army
during World War II
and the formation of the Polish People's Republic.
She had fled the German attack on Warsaw
in September 1939 and taken up residence in Soviet-occupied Lviv
and eventually the Soviet Union
.
, Austria-Hungary
. Her father was Leon Wasilewski
, a Polish Socialist Party
politician. She studied philosophy at the Warsaw University and Polish language
and Polish literature
at the Jagiellonian University
in Kraków
. After she graduated she remained at her alma mater
and passed her doctorate
exams in 1927. While studying she started cooperation with the Union of Socialist Youth and Society of Workers' Universities.
Soon after she finished her studies she started working as a school teacher and a journalist for various left-wing newspapers, among them "Naprzód", "Robotnik
", "Dziennik Popularny" and "Oblicze Dnia
". She also became the chairperson of the "Płomyk" and "Płomyczek" monthlies for children, where she introduced Soviet propaganda. Although she was often criticised for her radical left-wing opinions, she joined the PPS
instead of the communist party, where she was soon promoted to a member of the main party council. In her early political career she supported an alliance of all the left-wing parties with the communists against the ruling Sanacja
. She was also an active supporter of many strikes in Poland. During one of the demonstrations in Kraków
she met Marian Bogatko, whom she later married.
After the Polish defeat in the Polish Defensive War
of 1939 and the partition
of Poland into Soviet and German occupied zones, she moved to Lviv where she automatically became a Soviet citizen. She became a member of various communist organisations uniting local Polish and Ukrainian communists. She was also a journalist for the Czerwony Sztandar (Red Banner), a Soviet propaganda newspaper printed in Polish language
. In early 1940, Joseph Stalin
awarded her a seat in the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. She also became the chair of the Dramatic Theatre in Lviv
. The German and Soviet police helped to transfer her daughter and her furniture from Warsaw to Lviv. After the German invasion of the Soviet Union
Wasilewska fled advancing Nazi army and joined the Red Army
as a war correspondent
and a functionary of the Political Commandment (Politupravleniye) of the Red Army. She held the military rank of a colonel
. She was also one of the founders (together with Jerzy Putrament
) of the "Nowe Widnokręgi
" monthly.
After consultations with Stalin (and most probably by his direct order) she became the head of the newly formed Związek Patriotów Polskich (Society of Polish Patriots), a Soviet-created provisional government that was to control Poland. In 1944 she also became the deputy chief of the PKWN (Polish Committee of National Liberation), another provisional government which was also sponsored by the Soviet Union and opposing the Polish government in exile
as the legal government of Poland. She favoured the incorporation of Poland as a republic of the Soviet Union.
After most of Poland was occupied by the Red Army she decided to stay in the Soviet Union. She also became involved in a relationship with Ukrainian playwright Oleksandr Korniychuk, with whom she moved to Kiev
.
Although both her Russian
and Ukrainian language
abilities were very limited, she remained a member of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union for several decades. She did not return to public life, however. She died on July 29, 1964 in Kiev
. She is buried in the Baikove Cemetery.
She was triple recipient of the Stalin prize for literature (1943, 1946, 1952). During the life of Joseph Stalin
she was considered a classic writer of Soviet literature and her works were included into the school curriculum throughout the Soviet Union
, but she was almost completely forgotten after his death http://www.hrono.ru/biograf/vasilevska.html.
. She wrote several novels and a handful of poems. The communist government in Poland named countless streets and schools after her and she was one of the most notable figures in the communist society. Some of her books were obligatory at school after the war.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Soviet novelist and communist political activist who played an important role in the creation of a Polish division of the Soviet Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the formation of the Polish People's Republic.
She had fled the German attack on Warsaw
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
in September 1939 and taken up residence in Soviet-occupied Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
and eventually the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Biography
Wasilewska was born on 25 January 1905 in KrakówKraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. Her father was Leon Wasilewski
Leon Wasilewski
Leon Wasilewski was an activist of the Polish Socialist Party , a coworker of Józef Piłsudski, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, designer of much of Second Polish Republic policy towards the East, historian and father of Wanda Wasilewska....
, a Polish Socialist Party
Polish Socialist Party
The Polish Socialist Party was one of the most important Polish left-wing political parties from its inception in 1892 until 1948...
politician. She studied philosophy at the Warsaw University and Polish language
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
and Polish literature
Polish literature
Polish literature is the literary tradition of Poland. Most Polish literature has been written in the Polish language, though other languages, used in Poland over the centuries, have also contributed to Polish literary traditions, including Yiddish, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, German and...
at the Jagiellonian University
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. After she graduated she remained at her alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
and passed her doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
exams in 1927. While studying she started cooperation with the Union of Socialist Youth and Society of Workers' Universities.
Soon after she finished her studies she started working as a school teacher and a journalist for various left-wing newspapers, among them "Naprzód", "Robotnik
Robotnik
Robotnik can refer to:* a newspaper of the Polish Socialist Party, published in various places and times, with breaks, from 1894 to 2003. Most known versions include:** Robotnik , a newspaper of Piłsudski's Polish Socialist Party...
", "Dziennik Popularny" and "Oblicze Dnia
Oblicze Dnia
Oblicze Dnia was a Polish weekly literary and political newspaper published from Warsaw. The periodical was launched in and published during 1936. It was directed towards the intelligentsia and was inspired by the Popular Front victories in Spain and France. For a short period of time, the...
". She also became the chairperson of the "Płomyk" and "Płomyczek" monthlies for children, where she introduced Soviet propaganda. Although she was often criticised for her radical left-wing opinions, she joined the PPS
Polish Socialist Party
The Polish Socialist Party was one of the most important Polish left-wing political parties from its inception in 1892 until 1948...
instead of the communist party, where she was soon promoted to a member of the main party council. In her early political career she supported an alliance of all the left-wing parties with the communists against the ruling Sanacja
Sanacja
Sanation was a Polish political movement that came to power after Józef Piłsudski's May 1926 Coup d'État. Sanation took its name from his watchword—the moral "sanation" of the Polish body politic...
. She was also an active supporter of many strikes in Poland. During one of the demonstrations in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
she met Marian Bogatko, whom she later married.
After the Polish defeat in the Polish Defensive War
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
of 1939 and the partition
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
of Poland into Soviet and German occupied zones, she moved to Lviv where she automatically became a Soviet citizen. She became a member of various communist organisations uniting local Polish and Ukrainian communists. She was also a journalist for the Czerwony Sztandar (Red Banner), a Soviet propaganda newspaper printed in Polish language
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
. In early 1940, Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
awarded her a seat in the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. She also became the chair of the Dramatic Theatre in Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
. The German and Soviet police helped to transfer her daughter and her furniture from Warsaw to Lviv. After the German invasion of the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
Wasilewska fled advancing Nazi army and joined the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
as a war correspondent
War correspondent
A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories firsthand from a war zone. In the 19th century they were also called Special Correspondents.-Methods:...
and a functionary of the Political Commandment (Politupravleniye) of the Red Army. She held the military rank of a colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
. She was also one of the founders (together with Jerzy Putrament
Jerzy Putrament
Jerzy Putrament was a Polish writer, poet, editor, publicist and politician.-Biography:Jerzy Putrament was born into a family with patriotic traditions...
) of the "Nowe Widnokręgi
Nowe Widnokręgi
Nowe Widnokręgi was a Polish language magazine initially published monthly, later once every two weeks and served as the official organ of the communist Union of Soviet Writers. It was published from February till June 1941 in Soviet-occupied Lwów...
" monthly.
After consultations with Stalin (and most probably by his direct order) she became the head of the newly formed Związek Patriotów Polskich (Society of Polish Patriots), a Soviet-created provisional government that was to control Poland. In 1944 she also became the deputy chief of the PKWN (Polish Committee of National Liberation), another provisional government which was also sponsored by the Soviet Union and opposing the Polish government in exile
Polish government in Exile
The Polish government-in-exile, formally known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in Exile , was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Poland of September 1939, and the subsequent occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, which...
as the legal government of Poland. She favoured the incorporation of Poland as a republic of the Soviet Union.
After most of Poland was occupied by the Red Army she decided to stay in the Soviet Union. She also became involved in a relationship with Ukrainian playwright Oleksandr Korniychuk, with whom she moved to Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
.
Although both her Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and Ukrainian language
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
abilities were very limited, she remained a member of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union for several decades. She did not return to public life, however. She died on July 29, 1964 in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
. She is buried in the Baikove Cemetery.
She was triple recipient of the Stalin prize for literature (1943, 1946, 1952). During the life of Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
she was considered a classic writer of Soviet literature and her works were included into the school curriculum throughout the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, but she was almost completely forgotten after his death http://www.hrono.ru/biograf/vasilevska.html.
Works
Wanda Wasilewska was one of the first Polish writers to follow the rules of Socialist RealismSocialist realism
Socialist realism is a style of realistic art which was developed in the Soviet Union and became a dominant style in other communist countries. Socialist realism is a teleologically-oriented style having its purpose the furtherance of the goals of socialism and communism...
. She wrote several novels and a handful of poems. The communist government in Poland named countless streets and schools after her and she was one of the most notable figures in the communist society. Some of her books were obligatory at school after the war.
- "Królewski syn" (1933)
- "Oblicze dniaOblicze DniaOblicze Dnia was a Polish weekly literary and political newspaper published from Warsaw. The periodical was launched in and published during 1936. It was directed towards the intelligentsia and was inspired by the Popular Front victories in Spain and France. For a short period of time, the...
" (1934) - "Kryształowa Kula Krzysztofa Kolumba" (1934)
- "Ojczyzna" (1935)
- "Legenda o Janie z Kolna" (1936)
- "Płomień na bagnach" (1940)
- "Pieśń nad Wodami" (a trilogy: 1940, 1950, 1952)
- "Tęcza" (1944)
- "Po prostu miłość" (1945)
- "Gwiazdy w jeziorze" (1950)
- "Rzeki płoną" (1952)
- "Pokój na poddaszu" (1954)
- "Że padliście w boju" (1958)