- September 25, 2013
- 221
Danuta Nazarenko-Lipska: 1988 was a year of the Polish revival in Lithuania
– “When we were coming back from Poland, we illegally carried photocopiers along with us. On the border, there were Soviet border guards. I told a girl just to sit steady, without any movement, because under the clothes there was the equipment” – Danuta Nazarenko-Lipska, one of the founders of the Social and Cultural Association of the Poles in Lithuania, shares her memories with zw.lt. On Sunday (29th September) in the House of Polish Culture in Vilnius, there will take place the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Association establishment.
What can people expect from the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of Branches of Polish Social-Cultural Associations in Lithuania [Oddziały Społeczno-Kulturalnych Stowarzyszeń Polaków na Litwie (OSSKPL)], as it was the first independent Polish organization in the whole Soviet Union?
1988 was a year of the Polish revival in Lithuania. It refers mostly to the Vilnius Fuel apparatus plant. We owed all of this to Mr. Jan Andrzejowski, who united us all. At that time, I worked in the Department of Architecture and Decorative Arts, so I was responsible for the whole advertisement campaign. All the possible invitations, thanks, different leaflets and newspapers were written by me. The first announcements were hung at the front gate. People who read about the 200 birthday`s anniversary of Adam Mickiewicz were simply crying, since it was written in their native language. They prayed. It was really moving.
How did it look from the organizational point of view? For example, the information flow – there was no Internet, how did people get to know about assemblies…?
This is precisely what we owe to Mr. Andrzejewski. He is the person who united us. We gathered in different places. There, we talked through some current issues: what we needed to do, how we were to behave. Already at that time we wanted Lithuania to be free, we fought for the freedom of our country. At that time no one talked about that. Perhaps someone just thought.
Sąjūdis, as far as I remember, came into being a little bit later than the Association. How did the relations with the Lithuanian activists look like?
Yes, we were talking with the Lithuanians. Sąjūdis was coming into being in connection with the Vilnius Fuel apparatus plant as well, but it was not that strong at that time.
The branch of the plant was called…
This branch was called in the name of Władysław Syrokomla. It was the first troop in Lithuania and, overall, in the whole Soviet Union. It was only natural for us to scared. I even lost my job.
What was the cause of your dismissal?
It was a punishment for the Polishness, for the job I used to perform. I would do this social job after my normal job. We would stay there till the late evening. It was a half legal activity.
Later the Association was transformed into the Association of Poles in Lithuania, and ways of some of the activists diverged…
Right, it was later. Their ways diverged because of a whole variety of political, as well as economic reasons.
And between 1988-89, were there any disputes, disagreements among the Polish?
No, there were no disputes. We had just one goal. We all though in a similar way. We were simply coming to life again. Jointly, we were looking for the way to freedom.
And what were the first, official assumptions of the Association? In the beginning, for what we know, Sąjūdis did not officially demanded the independence.
We wanted to revive the Vilnius traditions. Our fathers` traditions. Earlier it was forbidden. We organized different soirées, festivals.
What do you think about the number of guests – how many of them will arrive at the Sunday`s event?
We invite all the sympathizers, and those who have actively helped with the organization. So we are waiting on Sunday 29 October, perhaps someone will bring some additional materials. No one will be omitted.
Do you plan publishing a book or album devoted to that events?
We have more than charts A1. All these are authentic materials. There is everything: pictures, documents, inscriptions. We invite to the House of Polish Culture to see it. The exhibition will be available over some time. It is a really extensive material. At that time we had protection personnel that had their own armbands. And Mr. Andrzejewski kept it. It is unbelievable.
Can you point to the differences between the past and the present generations of the Poles in Lithuania?
Obviously, these differences are really significant. For the time being, everyone has everything. We are free. We live as free people in our own country.
At the Sundays meeting, there will also be present guests from Poland who supported you at that time. How did you start these contacts with Poland?
Yes, they supported us both financially, and psychologically. We once took our children to Poland for the Trybuny Ludu`s Days that were held in Warsaw, Cracow and Częstochowa. We were there as “Wilenka”. When we were coming back from Poland, we illegally carried photocopiers along with us. On the border, there were Soviet border guards. I told a girl just to sit steady, without any movement, because under the clothes there was the equipment. We were stressed because those photocopiers were big and heavy. Anyway, we managed to transport different things in different ways.
Mr. Anrzejewski in the interview with zw.It mentioned that after the official part there will be a sentimental discussion. Will you be able to revive that old climate? Will the divisions that have appeared later be visible ?
I hope we will be able to do this. When they will see each other, they will also see the work we have done. I think that then all of them will understand it. In this manner, they will get back to the roots.
Tłumaczenie by Barbara Toczek w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Barbara Toczek within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.
