History remembered Maria Wojciechowska as the first Polish president. Previously, however, she was an independence activist and quite a cunning. How did she escape the spy of the tsarist security?
It was the mid 1890s, and Maria she was about twenty-five. Her surname was not Wojciechowska yet, but Kiersnowska. She did not even know Stanisław Wojciechowski personally who will become her husband in the future. Instead, she was an active activist of the Polish Socialist Party, fighting not only for the rights of workers, but also for an independent Poland. It was thanks to the underground party activity that she met her first fiancé.
Little is known about that partner Maria. She called him "The Doctor" herself, but it is difficult to say whether the word was a nickname, a conspiratorial nickname, or just a profession. One can only guess that young Kiersnowska's fiancé was a doctor, or possibly a medical student.
Few details are revealed in an interview with Maria, conducted by her relatives when she was already an old woman and devoted to the youth of the future president. I had the opportunity to learn the content of this written conversation thanks to Professor Maciej Grabski - today the late grandson of Maria Wojciechowska, who supported me in the work on the book "First ladies of the Second Republic" .
The arrest of a propagandist. A painting by Ilya Riepin from the end of the 19th century
"I had a fiance, a certain Doctor"
Maria spoke briefly about the first candidate for a husband:“Before I met Staś, I had a fiancé, a certain doctor. He worked in the Party. " It is even a mystery how well and how long they knew each other. Admittedly, in the party, in the face of constant risk, relationships were formed quickly, and couples would reach the wedding carpet sometimes after a few weeks, but in this case it could not be so.
Marysia became a socialist, but she was also a landowner and heiress of part of the family estate. If she got engaged, it was only after the tradition had been fulfilled! Her parents had to know the Doctor well and give them their blessing. So it was necessarily a very serious relationship - lasting months, maybe even longer.
More is known about why Marysia and the Doctor did not live happily ever after:
They arrested him. I knew when he would be transported to prison. I was sending him signs as he was led away. We smiled and waved our hands.
"The brothers and me would drive me to Siberia"
Waving to a political prisoner, sending smiles and making strange gestures. It couldn't have ended well. Of course, the transport was watched by the appropriate services, and Maria was immediately trapped. After a moment of indiscretion, which she allowed herself under the influence of feelings, she almost ended up behind the Urals herself:
On my way back, I noticed a spike following me. I was very scared because in the house where I lived with my brothers I had suitcases with blotting paper. I couldn't go home because my brothers and I would be taken to Siberia. I walked the streets for about 10 hours and he followed me.
The situation was deadlocked. She wandered aimlessly around the city all day, he would not let go at any cost. On the contrary, the ten-hour walk only aroused his curiosity. In the end, exhausted, barely able to stand on her feet, Mary entered the first fruit shop that was available. She hadn't had anything in her mouth since this morning, and she was terribly cold. It was the middle of winter, and she by no means envisaged a similar escapade. Now she was counting on at least a bite of something. Spitz, surprisingly, did not wait discreetly in the street.
No photo of Maria's youth has survived. This one is one of the earliest:Marysia with her husband, Stanisław Wojciechowski, during her stay in England.
He went inside and accosted the girl:“He was fed up with walking too, apparently. He asked why I was saying goodbye to the prisoner. I replied that I was his fiancée. He asked who I am and where I live. I said the name and address. ”
The tsarist agent's triumph was only apparent. A brief conversation was enough to lull him to sleep. Of course, the address was false. The name must be too. As soon as Marysia - shoulder to shoulder with the spy - left the store, she started looking for a way to escape.
A horse-drawn carriage was passing through the street:"Before he noticed, I jumped in and drove away." Only now the chase has started for good! Maria gained a slight advantage. She put everything on one card and jumped out in front of her own house. She knew that in a minute or two, her tormentor would also appear:“I have entered my apartment. I didn't tell my brothers anything. A sledge from the village has just arrived with provisions. I sent the coachman to the city, I changed into a scarf, valances. ”
The Arrest of a Revolutionary
She probably also took the suitcases of the socialist newspapers with her. She quickly sat down on the sled and chased the horses as if nothing had happened. As I drove away, “I saw my spy looking around the tenement houses. He didn't even know who was passing him. And he didn't find me. ”
"A girl has to be raised like this"
As you can see, Maria really did keep a cool head. After such an adventure, everyone would like to hide at home for a while, soothe their nerves and wait for the police to give up. But not her. As soon as she lost her stubborn spy, she started getting ready… to leave.
Maciej Grabski recalls that there was a certain sacred rule in the Kiersnowski family. The mother passed her on to Maria, and later Maria to her own daughter - Zofia:"a girl must be brought up in such a way that she can follow her man to Siberia and bring him back!".
Maria Kiersnowska (and then Wojciechowska) with children in the photo from 1908.
Marysia, there was no lack of upbringing (understood in a very specific way) and determination. She got on the train once more:this time straight to St. Petersburg, where, according to the information obtained, her fiancé was imprisoned. It's hard to say how, but she wanted to get her beloved out of the bars before they took him further east. On the spot, however, she was met with a severe disappointment.
The doctor could not withstand the situation mentally and broke down completely. The sight of the beloved in a state of complete confusion of senses must have been a powerful blow for Mary:
And this fiance of mine went crazy before going to Siberia. He wrote my name on the walls of the cell. He wrote everywhere:Maria ... Maria ... I have never seen him again in my life and I have not heard of him.
Marysia she came home empty-handed. But she did not lose her determination. She immediately threw herself back into the vortex of work for the party and the great idea.
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Meet the bestseller that has already been bought by almost 50,000 people. "The First Ladies of the Second Polish Republic" is a unique story about pre-war presidents. Kamil Janicki discovers the stories of forgotten and downplayed figures from the social candlestick of pre-war Poland. Chic, scandals, the life of the elite and the forgotten fight for Polish freedom. Click here to learn more.
Source:
The article was based on materials collected by the author during the work on the publication "First ladies of the Second Republic of Poland" (Wydawnictwo Znak, 2012) . The family illustrations come from the collection of Maciej Grabski, made available for the book.