REMINISCENCE OF A BOY FROM BOLONIA
ALINA CZERNIAKOWSKA
An Italian artist and graphics expert from Bolonia, Gianni Bortolotti, told me this story: ‘I was a little boy, we used to run onto an embankment, we used to climb in order to see those soldiers who had freed us. They used to give us chocolate, and cigarettes to the elderly….Oh, God, how beautiful they were! I remember everybody was kneeling for a prayer. My father was taking photos of them. Then we asked – where are you from? They answered that from Poland. I thought how beautiful and big Poland must be, a kind of a paradise on the earth and they winners - as angels. My dream was to go to Poland and see it’.
These words were said by an inhabitant of Bolonia, about soldiers of gen. Anders, who after a great victory at Monte Cassino, had been freeing Bolonia and other Italian cities. ‘They dashed away/ and they set off and the attack was successful/and a white and red flag/got stuck on rubbles among clouds’. They brought glory to Poland for next generations. How willingly they are referring to the Polish Republic II today, even those who are the most fervent opponents of all national Polish spurts. My Italian interlocutor asked me in the end: - ‘Why doesn’t Poland want to explain what happened with the airplane at Smoleńsk?’
Today we are perceived so by foreigners. We are not able to claim about those who flew on our behalf to tell the world what happened in Katyń and other places of the ‘inhuman land’. An unimaginable tragedy happened in our eyes. Commanders of all armies were killed at that time, as well as best- educated, appreciated economists, scientists, historians, chief of important institutions, priests, extraordinary people, intelligent people needed for Poland. The president of Poland and his beloved wife were killed. The professor of law, a man loving Poland, proud of its history, fighting for a place in Europe, belonging to us, a man who could claim for endangered independence of another country. And what is our government and its cooperators are doing? They are giving the investigation into the hands of the Russians! After all, even a child knows that it is against the interests of Poland. An objective observer of everything what is happening around the Smoleńsk catastrophe for over 3 years, cannot understand it. And young people are asking what is going on here? Because, how to explain this attack on everybody who is trying to look for the truth? A lie after a lie, scandals, mysterious deaths, opinions contradictory with one another, fooling the society and a great tragedy of the victims’ families. Aiming at the truth about Smoleńsk is being destroyed with implacability incomprehensible for a normal Pole.
After all, in the independent country, the prime minister, president, ministers should thank those who are aiming at the truth, and they should cooperate with the team of Antoni Macierewicz and explain together this big national tragedy. For the sake of our future, our independence, so that we would be respected by other nations. This is possible only when people who love Poland are ruling our country. Like those from Monte Cassino, Bolonia, from the hymn of Feliks Konarski from ‘Red poppies’, so admired and loved by the Italian friend of Poland.
(AA)
"Niedziela" 37/2013