Purée with jam in the dingy Apis Bar. A toddler falling apart after a solid passenger sneeze. Brown water flowing from taps. Thanks to Bareja's films, the People's Republic of Poland is now associated with dirt, trash, fluff and greyness. Yet the word "luxury" was not erased from the dictionary at the time.
In the proletarian homeland, luxury existed, but, like almost everything, it was highly rationed. Only a select few could feel it. And they exercised their privileges without inhibitions.
Equality? Complete fiction
According to the Orwellian maxim about "equal and more equal", some citizens of People's Poland deserved a little more. Although official propaganda stigmatized the pre-war rule of lords and compared the lavish life of the elites to the poverty of the oppressed people, some decision-makers of the time had no qualms about taking advantage of the benefits of important state positions.
In Kołysanka Stalinowska, Staszek Staszewski sang about the popular Scotch Whiskey, for which bakers, shoemakers and stove fitters had to work. But if it was just a bottle of a noble drink ...
Millions of workers in the times of the so-called People's Poland had to work to ensure that the narrow elite could enjoy luxury. Photos from the book "Like in cabaret" (photo:Zbyszko Siemaszko; source:National Digital Archives).
Comrade Cyrano
Józef Cyrankiewicz is considered a symbol of the decadence of the communist tops of the two post-war decades of the People's Republic of Poland , the longtime prime minister of the communist government. In the book by Andrzej Klim entitled 'Like in cabaret. Pictures from the life of the PRL ”we read that:
He was the king of life, a lover of beautiful women, fast cars and good food. That is, everything that, as understood by Gomułka, was synonymous with the capitalist rotten West
Interestingly, Cyrankiewicz, with his preferences, was not too bad under the wings of Władysław Gomułka, who happened to be known for his ascetic lifestyle. In my opinion, Cyrankiewicz broke the camp - explained the charge, Comrade "Wiesław" - Cyrankiewicz left Oświęcim with a broken moral and political backbone , with only one desire:to live, to use - he added.
He was right. Józef Cyrankiewicz, a former prisoner of the Auschwitz camp, led a riotous life, directly reminiscent of the greatest pre-war burbots. He loved cafes, he was hitting on women, he was drawn to the people of the theater - where he seduced his second wife, an outstanding actress of the Polish Theater, Nina Andrycz. To live up to the expectations of the capricious diva, he moved to a luxurious government villa on Aleja Róż.
Władysław Gomułka (on the right) believed that Cyrankiewicz (on the left) had "broken the camp" and hence he had a weakness for luxuries. A photo from the book Jak w kabaretcie. Life in the People's Republic of Poland "(photo:Zbyszko Siemaszko; source:National Digital Archives).
Black pudding instead of caviar
Cyrankiewicz, however, had to hide his love of lavish life, fearing Gomułka's anger. This is proven by the history quoted in the aforementioned book by Andrzej Klim:
Apparently, during one of Cyrankiewicz's stays at the government center in Łańsk, Gomułka also came there. Cyrankiewicz immediately ordered that the delicacies be hidden:caviar, salmon and French cognac disappeared, and black pudding, cheese and grain coffee appeared . And this is not the only case when the prime minister masked his Sybaritic preferences from the first secretary.
The speeches in the Seym of Józef Cyrankiewicz were famous for their length. The prime minister used to drink a tonic during them, which was considered eccentric behavior in the People's Republic of Poland. Photo and caption from the book “Jak w kabaretcie. Life in the People's Republic of Poland "(photo:Zbyszko Siemaszko; source:National Digital Archives).
The long-time prime minister could often be found at the Hotel Europejski, where the greatest stars of the Polish stage fell for a cup of black ambrosia. During parliamentary speeches, he would gargle not with ordinary water, but with a glass of Schweppes, which was then unavailable, which was then perceived as an exaggerated luxury.
Cyrankiewicz would probably be called a celebrity today. Although his eccentric lifestyle could irritate many a citizen living in modest conditions, stood out from the others, heavy on reason, surly party fellow with charm and intelligence . For quite a long time he managed to maintain the reputation of a "human communist". He did not arouse such aversion and envy as the next described party losers.
Unique Minister of Culture
A long-nosed gravedigger of Polish culture with the fox face of a country cobbler - this is how Leopold Tyrmand wrote about him. Opportunist, absolutely unprincipled - He was characterized by Mieczysław Rakowski.
Włodzimierz Sokorski (in the hat on the right) was considered one of the greatest playboys of the Polish People's Republic. He was married four times, and his chosen ones were rarely over 18 (source:Bundesarchiv; lic. CC-BY-SA 3.0).
Włodzimierz Sokorski, the long-time Minister of Culture and Art of the People's Republic of Poland, eulogist and promoter of socialist realism, was a colorful figure against the background of a thousand completely transparent and nondescript officials of the government. However, it was given more color by quite controversial tastes. In many frivolous popular science rankings, Sokorski takes first place in the "greatest playboy of the Polish People's Republic" category .
He especially likes young girls. His numerous wives (four!) And lovers rarely crossed the magical age limit of eighteen. He had a simple method - when girls turned into women, he just changed them into a younger model. He even married his daughter's friend, forty years his junior. He used to say about one of his wives that she had grown two more centimeters.
He was not an exceptionally beautiful man. There is no doubt that his effectiveness in his love conquests was due to his position, influence, and material goods , unavailable to the common masses.
When, in the 1970s, he lost influence and was taken from his government car, he was forced to travel by public transport for some time. Imagine I was driving in such crowds and stench that I almost threw up - he confided to his friend after colliding with the gray reality of crowded trams, dirty shops and rude shop assistants - How could you survive over half a century?
After losing influence, Sokorski (second from right), accustomed to luxuries, could not understand how ordinary citizens of People's Poland could live in such difficult conditions (source:Bundesarchiv; lic. CC-BY-SA 3.0).
The loser of the Gierek era
That Poland would grow in strength and people could live more prosperously! - the flagship motto of Edward Gierek's team was to win the sympathy of citizens by building a mock-up of prosperity and increasing consumerism . Naturally, the representatives of the technocratic Gierek authorities most willingly took advantage of the opening and apparent liberalization.
Andrzej Jaroszewicz was the son of Piotr, the prime minister of the People's Republic of Poland in the 1970s and one of Gierek's closest associates. He loved fast cars, had a wayward, rebellious and rebellious nature and an eccentric, for the conditions of contemporary Poland, style. He was also eager to take advantage of the many opportunities offered to him by the position of his father - which is why he was commonly known as the "Red Prince".
Andrzej Jaroszewicz loved fast cars. Above, a frame from an amateur film from 1979, showing Jaroszewicz sitting in the cockpit before the show drive of a Formula 1 car (photo:Stiopa; license CC-BY-SA 3.0).
Thanks to his father's support, he was able to pursue his greatest passion - car racing. He quickly became a recognizable rally driver all over Europe. According to colleagues and rivals from the tours - quite gifted, but not very hardworking.
I don't know if he was the best Polish driver back then, but he was undoubtedly the most talented. Except that was a complete laze - assessed him Ryszard Żyszkowski, rally pilot. A similar opinion was expressed by the famous Sobiesław Zasada, about which we can read in the book " Like in a cabaret. Pictures from the life of the PRL ” : Andrzej Jaroszewicz believed that he would only win with talent. He did not really apply himself to training.
His character, as well as special treatment by his father, were certainly influenced by events from the childhood of little Andrzej. As a son from Jaroszewicz's first relationship, he was hated by his stepmother, journalist Alicja Solska. The former housekeeper of the Jaroszewicz family, Marianna Oleszczuk, recalls:
The Prime Minister and Mrs. Solska were not married. It was a woman beyond life. She didn't like Andrzej. She wanted to liquidate him. She said this puppy is not needed here .
Jaroszewicz had great talent, but he lacked a passion for training. This is what the famous rally driver Sobiesław Zasada thinks so (photo:Jzdzarski; license CC BY-SA 4.0).
Due to his stepmother's ostentatious reluctance, Jaroszewicz sent his first son to his friends in the Kashubian countryside. Andrzej grew up in very Spartan conditions and the father probably wanted to compensate his son for his hard and traumatic childhood.
A scandalist in languages
Andrzej Jaroszewicz undoubtedly aroused great reluctance among his countrymen and - as befits a real celebrity - he was the hero of countless rumors that increased this reluctance. Here and there people were whispering that he was overshooting the casino property, and many fights and fights were mentioned, after which his father rescued him from oppression. Many compatriots lived his short romance with Maryla Rodowicz and a fight with Daniel Olbrychski.
Andrzej Jaroszewicz admits that he was not quite able to play the role of the prime minister's son. The fact that I was the prime minister's son meant that I had no barriers! - he once admitted. Andrzej Klim is also writing about his sense of impunity:
There were times when he ordered the restaurant to close, to ask guests to leave, and musicians (in those years there were live bands in good restaurants) to play Elvis Presley's songs, which he himself sang in an empty room .
Luxury a la 'PRL
There was much and willingly gossip about the prominent figures. Few - like Władysław Gomułka, who split cigarettes in half and despised the habit of lapping coffee - were able to resist the undoubted privileges granted by the authorities.
The ascetic Władysław Gomułka was definitely an exception among the communist tops who loved the splendor. Photo from the book "Like in cabaret" (photo:Zbyszko Siemaszko; source:National Digital Archives).
The black legend surrounding the lavish life of Edward Gierek, and his wife in particular, was efficiently built by the enemy team of Wojciech Jaruzelski. Rumors about villas in Skaryszew or Ustroń dripping with gold and frosting turned out to be greatly exaggerated.
Nowadays, when we read about cognacs, fast cars, southern fruit, or special treatment of prominent representatives of the government, many younger readers will probably smile under their breaths. However, in the times of the Polish People's Republic, when most citizens could only afford to visit Bar Apis, even the aforementioned Scotch Whiskey could arouse anger, anger and frustration of the society. It was a luxury equal to the power of the Polish People's Republic. However, the current representatives of the elite have many more opportunities to fulfill their own and their loved ones' eccentric whims.
Bibliography:
- Andrzej Klim, Like in a cabaret. Pictures from life in the People's Republic of Poland , Polish Scientific Publishers PWN 2016.
- Sławomir Koper, Women of PRL Power , Red and Black 2012.
- Aleksandra Szarłat, Celebrities of those years, private life of the great stars of the People's Republic of Poland , Character of Literanova 2014.
- Stefan Kisielewski, Kisiel's Alphabet , Oficyna Wydawnicza Interim 1990.