Does the smell of coffee, drunk at the monument “liberation 1945,” the smell of coffee in a cafe, which does not poison the proximity of the Soviet monument? If the trees in the Park near the square named after Soviet thug, less cool on a hot day? According to Zbigniew Herbert (Zbigniew Herbert) (Polish poet, playwright and essayist, approx.TRANS.), Yes. It is, in fact, a matter of taste…
Is 2017. Red heads, specific warlords, who ruled the Soviet Barak called the people’s Poland, becomes smaller. Those who are still alive, more afraid of justice, and of ill health. Wore dark glasses most loyal servant of Moscow masters (Wojciech Jaruzelski — approx.TRANS.) even won our country a solemn state funeral. The names of figures who were involved in Sovietization of Poland in various fields, continue to be seen here and there, desecrating the public space and emitting a red mist. However, “changing for good” (the program slogan of the party “law and justice” that came to power in 2015 — approx.TRANS.) gradually catch up with them.
Odyssey decommunization
In September last year entered into force the law on decommunization. On the renaming of streets, squares and parks to local authorities were given 12 months. Now it is forbidden to perpetuate the memory of people, organizations and events that symbolize communism or other totalitarian regimes, as well as in any way promoting them. Under the new law, to promote communism are also the names associated with people, organizations and events that are reminiscent of the repressive, authoritarian and non-sovereign system of government that existed in Poland in the years 1944-1989. If the local authorities in the above-mentioned term does not fulfill the prescribed by law, the head of the province for three months will issue a decree on renaming itself.
Residents of streets whose names change, don’t have to change the documents because you can use them before the end of term. When the law went into effect, according to the Institute of national remembrance, renaming would be affected from 1300 to 1500 streets. This figure is reduced, however, not all cities with the same zeal, undertook the purification of public space from the red layers of the past. Well, the poles remains of the Bolshevik spirit.
Polonia Christiana got down to business
To cleanse our environment from the Communist patrons actively involved in the independent Internet portals and local media. The indomitable spirit of the anti-Communist members of these editions (the media associated with the previous establishment, often referred to as its “animal”) became the engine of the process of decommunization of public space. A particularly important role he played in places where cameras are rarely national TV channels, and leadership positions continue to occupy representatives are not interested in changing the status quo of the clique, whose roots go back to the era of the NDP.
Its humble but significant contribution in this difficult struggle with red backers also made the portal PCh24.pl. Through publications and illuminating discussions on this subject we were able to assist “retired” from the position of patrons of the public institutions of those who were engaged in the consolidation of the Moscow dictatorship on the Vistula. These cases deserve special attention because most often it was about educational institutions. It is difficult to imagine that schools can carry the names of the people who left in the history of our Fatherland such a grim mark. It is people like Ian krasitskiy (Janek Krasicki) or Hannah Savicka (Hanna Sawicka). What an example to follow they can give pupils and pedagogical collective? How to educate young people under the auspices of the traitors who sold out to the Kremlin masters? To serve two masters is impossible…
Why did we have to wait so long of the law on decommunization of public space? The answer seems simple: because too much of our society about the subject of cleansing his entourage from the red heritage, to put it mildly, with indifference. It is difficult to say whether in this respect progress, but it is important that the country party was ready to take on the task of elimination of the traces of the era, which is deservedly gone.
On de-communization, however, it is necessary to look not only from a legal or historical perspective. It is primarily a matter of moral imperative. People who served a bad cause, can not be put on a par with those who served good. One cannot praise the nurse “Inka” — Jezikovno Danuta (Danuta Siedzikówna) and the Communist activist Savitsky, who wanted Poland to repaint the red on the orders of Moscow. This situation perpetuates the very dangerous phenomenon of moral relativism. In turn, the rejection of Communist patrons will return to the axiological order which is based on the triad of “truth — goodness — beauty”.
We must pass on to future generations, who will have to face many ethical issues — perhaps not yet known to us free from the Communist heritage of the country. Free at least in the symbolic sphere that serves as a refuge values. A separate problem, hope for the solution of which, perhaps, no, is the presence in our public and political life of the living “monuments” of the Communist era. Among them there are still quite cheerful former employees of the security services, the Communist generals, the judiciary, the so-called artists and so on. Their long shadows continue to reach for us. The fact that we did not break with the Communist past, making historical, political and legal trial of former leaders, and not banned at the legislative level red apparatchiks from holding public office, continues to create problems in the country (it is, however, a topic for another article). It is hoped that after decommunization of public space, at least some of them will not feel so freely as now.
Really expensive
Of course, stem from the law the necessity of changing labels, seals and similar items will incur costs. Perhaps it would be right to impose them on local authorities, for example, on the principle of solidarity of the more affluent areas with less prosperous. It is worth to note that the topic of “evaluation” decommunization often raise the circles are vitally interested in the preservation of the red version of the history of our country. Disguising itself in the clothes of the defenders of our wallets or the state Treasury, they are ruthless game, seeking to weaken the anti-Communist ardor. Unfortunately, they reach in this field progress.
But really the truth is not worthy of sacrifice? Sometimes it is necessary to take a step, which was said to detective Bednarski (hero of the Polish television series — approx.TRANS.), will reduce the amount of evil in the world. Back to Herbert. He is absolutely right: it’s a matter of taste, which is not only an aesthetic category, but primarily a reference pointing to the truth and prescribing to fight evil.
Let as an example us will be noble and exemplary men, who were in our history a lot, and not servants of the Communist oppressor, whose place in the gallery with a short caption: “Caution, danger!”
