“My father was a Vilnius patriot”- Tadeusz Bujnicki

Literary Vilnius does not result in Miłosz or Konwicki. In the interwar period, on the “artistic salons” held court Teodor Bujnicki as well. Latterly murdered and actually also unjustly forgotten poet, one of the founders of the  literal group “Żagary”.

A son of the poet, Tadeusz Bujnicki, a professor, a historian of Polish Literature, decided to give his father the rightful place back. Yesterday, in the Polish Institute in Vilnius took place a presentation of Tadeusz Bujnicki’s book- “Teodor Bujnicki. The last bard of The Grand Duchy of Lithuania”.

„ I immediately would like to say, that it is not my public oratory. I’d prefer to hide myself and discuss my person at the very least. I wanted to primarily talk about my book, dedicated to my father. The volume, which first and foremost hasn’t been led to publication only by myself. I must thank my acquaintances and friends”- Prof. Tadeusz Bujnicki modestly began his public appearance.

The idea of book’s coming into being started in 2008 in Vilnius, during the one of sessions of Institute of Lithuanian Culture and Folklore, which was dedicated to 100- year anniversary of poet’s birthday. Finally, the book was published in 2012.

“ I can’t judge the book, because I have been personally involved in its development. Hence, it is good when somebody from the outside can look at it(…). This book presents not only the Bujnicki poet, but also the Vilnius poet. Father was the Vilnius patriot, that’s indisputable. He was devoted to a city”- one of the co-authors of the book admitted honestly enough. In opinion of the son of the poet, Bujnicki always considered Vilnius as a multicultural and multinational place, where nationalisms should not appear. Tadeusz Bujnicki reminded also a family anecdote, that yet in a sandpit, small Teodor used to play with friends future president of Lithuania-Antanas Smetona.

During a meeting, the question about poet’s death has been posed. In 1940, during the first Soviet occupation, Teodor Bujnicki was an editor of collaborative journal “ The Vilnius Truth”, which was later renewed in 1944. The Domestic Army had passed death penalty on Bujnicki, which was done in November, 1944,

“ It’s hard for me to answer the question, because I  am not able to formulate unambiguous response. A sharp, satirical verse about Muscovite cases  was published in 1937(…) My father has always been leftist. It doesn’t mean that he was orthodox in this rigorous meaning. On the other hand he was a human, whom wasn’t able to deal with situation of peril. He had 3 children. I don’t want to justify anything, these verses published in 1940-41 were poor and conformist towards authority the old days. However, I believe they were reasoned of shroud, which caused the death of my father”- said T. Bujnicki.

The son of the poet emphasised, that there are great premises saying that it was the NKVD’s provocation to start new repressions. On the other hand, the people of National Democracy ( known as Endecja), who had a bone to pick with pre-war, left-wing intelligentsia, have been working in the underground. Teodor Bujnicki was a person commonly known and a symbol of a sentence as a lesson for others.

Source: http://zw.lt/kultura/tadeusz-bujnicki-moj-ojciec-byl-wilenskim-patriota/

Tłumaczenie by Paulina Sulowska w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Paulina Sulowska within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.