Polish Song Goes to War Hashtag (topic) #Artists in Arms #music #heritage Nagłówek super artykułu Title on page in header Polish Song Goes to War Image or video collage_tehran_rtwork_by_rzeczyobrazkowepng.jpg Podpis dla multimediów ‘Tehran’ collage for the Artists in Arms project, photo: artwork by rzeczyobrazkowe / Adam Mickiewicz Institute Header text color rgb(255, 255, 255) Enable audio for video Off Negative header audio button Wyłączony Negative side audio button Wyłączony Zawartość (treść strony Super Artykułu) Tekst Even though their new surroundings were a far cry from the glitzy, ambitious environment of interwar theatrical and musical life – not to mention that many were battling hunger, exhaustion and disease – these musicians were still able to keep Polish song and performance alive throughout Anders’ Army’s odyssey across Asia and into Italy. In doing so, they provided entertainment for a variety of audiences, gaining renown amongst Polish and foreign troops alike. Text size standard fonts size Columns style both columns static Left column The survival of Polish song The musicians of Anders’ Army had been keeping Polish song alive even before the armed forces had officially formed. Right column Artur Gold & Jerzy Petersburski, photo: www.audiovis.nac.gov.pl (NAC) Tekst The musicians’ talents – often at a higher level of maturity than those of Soviet artists – as well as a sparkling repertoire of popular pre-war hits meant the artists could, for the time being, being feel comparatively more secure than if they had remained in Nazi-occupied Poland. Text size standard fonts size They had stolen the hearts of Polish audiences; now the Soviet public had adopted the artists as their new darlings, applauding them in Moscow, Odesa, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Baku, Tbilisi, Batumi, and Sochi. Signature From ‘Courage and Fear’ by Aleksandra Hnatiuk Text size standard fonts size Video Eugeniusz Bodo & Tea-Jazz Orchestra, 1940: Nichevo nie znaju (Nic o tobie nie wiem) 1940 Autoplay video On Play video in loop Off Video without audio Off Tekst Hnatiuk writes that the first tour to Odessa occurred in 1940, just as mass deportations of Poles – many of whom were family of officers or policemen, or the elite – began in Lviv. She notes that although the names of musicians from the Tea-Jazz Orchestra did not appear on Soviet theatre administration lists which would save them from deportation, Soviet colleagues may have tipped off the band to leave Lviv – or the journey to Odessa may have been a coincidence. Text size standard fonts size The Russian audience welcomed us enthusiastically. These were the only bright moments in their gray, gloomy life under a Stalinist regime that also did not spare its citizens. Signature Gwidon Borucki, trans. JB Text size standard fonts size Tekst Despite popularity and some security, the band still had to endure difficult conditions when touring, including hunger and abysmal transport conditions. Text size standard fonts size Fullscreen gallery items Text One of the most successful jazz orchestras in Interwar Poland was founded by Jerzy Petersburski and Artur Gold. Upon the outbreak of World War II, Petersburski managed to flee to the USSR, and he later joined Anders’ Army. Artur Gold later found himself in the Warsaw ghetto. He died in 1943, in Treblinka. Podpis obrazka Performance of Artur Gold & Jerzy Petersburski's dance music ensemble, 1922-1939, photo: www.audiovis.nac.gov.pl (NAC) Text position left top Text To our surprise, the Russians, unlike the Germans, allowed the Polish artists to perform – but they organised us into theatre groups which were subject to the administration of the so-called Philharmonic, although this name had nothing to do with the philharmonic, as we understood it. [...] Each of these theatres had two Russian administrators, one of which was always with the troupe, while the other went to other cities in advance to arrange performance halls and hotels. It was an amazing fact that all while the Soviets were transporting thousands of people deep into Russia, to Siberia, they never moved the actors or musicians, or their families. And so we had a choice: either perform in the theatre, or be taken away. These were the only bright moments in their gray, gloomy lives under the Stalinist regime, which did not spare its own citizens. [...] During the first tour, Eugeniusz Bodo, who knew Russian, served as our announcer. Trans. LD Text position left top Columns style both columns static Left column The journey of Polish song In those early years of war, the musicians drew from a wealthy repertoire of the Polish hits of yesteryear – but, as Hnatiuk notes, the songs were translated and the lyrics re-written for Russian Right column Irena Jarosewycz (aka Renata Bogdanska, aka Irena Anders), before 1939, photo: Wikipedia.org Video Polish Swing 1941: Henryk Wars Tea-Jazz Orch. & Renata Jarosevych - Pervyi Znak, 1941 Autoplay video On Play video in loop Off Video without audio Off Columns style both columns static Left column Other songs were also written at that time – including Karpacka Brygada (Carpathian Brigade), penned by fellow Lvivian Marian Hemar, which has since become a classic Polish World War II song. Right column Eugeniusz Bodo, arrested by Soviet NKVD after Soviet aggression on Poland, died in Gulag concentration camp, 1941, photo: NKVD / Wikipedia.org Columns style both columns static Left column The creation of the Anders troupe For some time, our theatre went out into the field, playing in various cities, until we found ourselves in the Urals, in Sverdlovsk. It was June 1941. Right column Adam Aston with his wife Lucyna, photo: The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum in London Columns style both columns static Left column But all changed when they stumbled across a soldier in Polish military uniform, who told them of the creation of Anders’ Army. Right column Guy Borucki, photo: public domain via Stare melodie Tekst With the outbreak of the German-Soviet War in the summer of 1941, and the andvancement of Nazi forces, for many Polish Jewish artists, joining Anders’ Army was a way to escape to relative safety. Text size standard fonts size Fullscreen gallery items Text Inmates orchestra of Janowska Nazi German concentration camp in Lwów (today's Lviv, west Ukraine), the site of the extermination of many Lwów Jews, 1941-1943, the orchestra played when the inmates departed for work and on their return, the orchestra was established by the Nazi Germans, who amused themselves by mocking and humiliating the inmates Podpis obrazka photo: public domain Text position left top Columns style both columns static Left column Polish song in the Middle East After arriving in the port of Pahlevi (now Anzali), the musicians were thoroughly disinfected and received uniforms, before being accommodated in a former German machine-gun factory. Right column Polish Parade in Tehran, 1942, photo: public domain Video SIK 036 - Polish Parade performing at Teheran (rehearsal) Autoplay video On Play video in loop Off Video without audio Off Tekst The Polish Parade then began to travel with Anders’ Army across the Middle East – living in lice-infested quarters and often suffering from hunger, though continuously performing folk songs, marches and patriotic melodies to troops and civilians. Along the way, the band also adopted a dog, Bobek, who stayed with them throughout the Middle East, and later into Italy – although, writes Borucki, he ‘died like a soldier’ when hit by shrapnel at the Battle of Monte Cassino. When they reached Iraq in November 1942, they slept in the desert in Kyzyl-Arvat (now Serdar): Text size standard fonts size It was extremely hot there – 50 degrees of heat! In the tents, it was hard to breathe because it was stuffy. At night we usually slept outside, surrounding our half of the bed with a mosquito net. We felt sorry for the soldiers who had to train despite the heat. We were very careful with spiders called tarantulas, as well as galangas [another kind of spider] and scorpions, all of which often crept under our tents. Signature Gwidon Borucki, trans. JB Text size standard fonts size Tekst In Iraq, the band also performed for the then six-year-old King Faisal II. In an interview with Joanna Sokołowska-Gwizdek, Jasia Jasińska recalled performing to soldiers who had just returned from the front: Text size standard fonts size It’s a dark night, you can’t see anything – only stars in the sky, a wooden stage, a microphone, a harmonica, one light bulb... and a voice, heard in complete silence. It’s me, singing for them. Signature From https://www.cultureave.com/zycie-piosenka-uslane, trans. JB Text size standard fonts size Tekst The musicians followed the trail of war. According to Anna Mieszkowska, the group left Iraq – spending six days crossing the desert to reach Palestine in August 1943, where they played in theatres in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Text size standard fonts size Amongst the audience were Polish Jews who left in the 1920s and 1930s. The Warsaw orchestra and Zosia Terne’s performances with Ludwik Lawiński and Lopek-Krukowski, who were still remembered from Warsaw, were very successful. We often got passes to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem or Haifa. We were delighted to hear many people speaking Polish in the streets. We walked to cafes and restaurants that belonged to Jews from Poland. After a few years, we could eat Polish sour rye soup, dumplings with cheese and potatoes, borscht with dumplings and other delicacies. We could even go to the beach from time to time. I sat on hot sand a few times with Hanka Ordonówna and her husband. We remembered Warsaw, our former friends. Signature From ‘Jego Serce Zostało we Lwowie : Wspomnienie o Gwidonie Boruckim (1912-2009)’ (His Heart Stayed in Lviv: Memories of Gwidon Borucki) by Anna Mieszkowska, trans. JB Text size standard fonts size Columns style both columns static Left column In April 1943, the Polish Parade arrived in Cairo. According to the magazine Parada (Parade), the fortnightly revue of the Polish army in the East, the troupe were growing increasingly popular: Right column Polish Parade in Cairo, photo: The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum Tekst Then in 1944, as Borucki wrote, the Polish 2nd Corps and the military theatres travelled on the Batory to Italy: Text size standard fonts size In Poland, I had often heard stories about sunny Italy; the song ‘O Sole Mio’ (O my Sun) was known all over the world. Unfortunately, this time, the sun was not shining – it was pouring with rain. It was cold and... rotten. On the shore, trucks were waiting that transported us to the huge camp surrounded by barbed wire, away from Taranto. It turned out we had been placed in quarantine. We were told that some New Zealand soldier had symptoms of smallpox on the Batory, so as a precaution, several thousand troops had to sit in the mud for two weeks in small tents and take various injections. Only after a long time did we find out that it wasn't smallpox at all, but some kind of venereal disease. Signature Gwidon Borucki, trans. JB Text size standard fonts size Tekst On the ship, notes Mieszkowska, Borucki also met the Polish film actor Mieczysław Cybulski and guitarist Wiktor Tychowski. The beginning of their Italian experiences may have been disappointing, but the Polish Parade were quickly welcomed with open arms, with some musicians developing close friendships and relationships with Italians. They were also allocated local theatres in which they could rehearse, with some musicians – like Alfred Schutz – also given pianos. Text size standard fonts size After two years of camping in tents in the deserts of Iraq, Palestine and Egypt, now sleeping in a bed, bathing in a real bathroom, and using light and electricity in the evenings was a real comfort for us. Signature Gwidon Borucki, trans. JB Text size standard fonts size Tekst The troupe were transported to the front once or twice a day to give shows to troops – although these trips sometimes posed a danger to the performers: Text size standard fonts size The road to the troops led through the mountains, so we moved slowly, stopping frequently to let the military columns pass. Cannons and huge Sherman tanks passed by, manned with Polish soldiers, as well as caravans of mules laden with boxes of ammunition for the front. We had to move away from these transports, taking care not to crash into a possible mine on the roadside. Performances were usually held at the foot of some mountain that protected us and viewers from the fire of German missiles. However, at Pietrobondante, a German cannon shell fired just 50 meters from our stage, right in the middle of Nina Oleńska’s performance [...] Nina later said that the soldiers had laughed too loudly at her monologue! Signature Gwidon Borucki, trans. JB Text size standard fonts size Tekst Later, the legendary Red Poppies on Monte Cassino would be written and performed, as the troops and musicians made it to Monte Cassino. Also fighting in Italy alongside the Polish 2nd Corps was Aleksander Żabczyński, one of the most popular Interwar actors, who had initially been evacuated to Great Britain. Text size standard fonts size Simple Gallery Items Podpis obrazka Henryk Wars, Guy Borucki, Bol Kersen, 1942, Tehran, Iran, photo: The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum Fullscreen gallery items Text Henryk Wars, Guy Borucki, Bolesław Kersen, 1942, Tehran, Iran Podpis obrazka photo: The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum Text position left top Text Performance of the Revue Vanguard (Czołówka Rewiowa) of Feliks Konarski (Ref-Ren), photo: The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum in London Podpis obrazka photo: The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum in London Text position left top Text Gwidon Borucki perfoporming for the fist time “Czerwone maki na Monte Cassino” (Red poppy flowers at the Monte Cassino) Podpis obrazka fot. Wikimedia Commons Text position left top Video IDĄC ZA ARMIĄ ANDERSA… Autoplay video On Play video in loop Off Video without audio Off Columns style both columns static Left column The wartime legacy of Polish song Though the musicians battled conflict, disease and starvation as they followed Anders’ Army through the Middle East and into Right column Jerzy Petersburski, fot. www.audiovis.nac.gov.pl / Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe Tekst Henryk Wars ended up in Hollywood, where – after a slow start to his post-war musical career – he began working with John Wayne, writing music for westerns. He also penned the theme tune for Flipper. Jerzy Petersburski, the composer of Tango Milonga, lived in Brazil and Argentina after the war – where he collaborated with Astor Piazzola, amongst others. In 1967 he returned to Poland, where he died in 1979. Hanka Ordonówna settled in Beirut post-war, but, suffering long-term health effects from tuberculosis, she died in 1950 at the age of only 47. Text size standard fonts size Columns style both columns static Left column Marian Hemar was sent to the UK during the war, and later became instrumental in the post-war Polish émigré theatre in London. Right column Marian Hemar with unknown singer in London, 1944-45, performance in the White Eagle Club, 1944-1945, photo: www.audiovis.nac.gov.pl / Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe Tekst Feliks Konarski (Ref-Ren), the author of the lyrics of Red Poppies on Monte Cassino, settled in London, where he became a close collaborator of Hemar. In 1965 he moved to Chicago, where he died in 1991. Gwidon Borucki settled in Australia post-war, performing for the Polish community in the country. Żabczyński returned to Poland after the war, where he gave a few performances on the radio and in theatres; he died suddenly of a heart attack in 1958. Written by Juliette Bretan, Apr 2021 Text size standard fonts size Tekst Click the image below to return to the Artists in Arms multimedia guide: Promo art for Artists in Arms, photo: rzeczyobrazkowe / Adam Mickiewicz Institute Text size standard fonts size More Super Articles Title Writers & Deserters: The Polish Experience in the Promised Land URL https://culture.pl/en/feature/writers-deserters-the-polish-experience-in-the-pr… Thumbnail Image URLhttps://api.culture.pl/sites/default/files/2021-08/7-palestyna-fin1.png Hashtag (topic) #Artists in Arms Title Humour in a Miserable Time: Cabaret Artists on the War Trail URL https://culture.pl/en/feature/humour-in-a-miserable-time-cabaret-artists-on-the… Thumbnail Image URLhttps://api.culture.pl/sites/default/files/2021-06/6-beirut_kopia-1.png Hashtag (topic) #Artists in Arms Title Soldiers, Artists: The Exhibitions of Anders’ Army URL https://culture.pl/en/feature/soldiers-artists-the-exhibitions-of-anders-army Thumbnail Image URLhttps://api.culture.pl/sites/default/files/2021-07/bagdad_kolaz.jpg Hashtag (topic) #Artists in Arms Introduction As Anders’ Army formed and travelled from the USSR towards the Middle East, it was joined by Poles from a variety of different backgrounds, eager to escape Soviet territory and support the war effort. Amongst them were some of the musicians, artists and singers of pre-war Poland, now wearied by war. Not standard color version On Series label Begin reading Summary As Anders’ Army formed and travelled from the USSR towards the Middle East, it was joined by Poles from a variety of different backgrounds, eager to escape Soviet territory and support the war effort. Amongst them were some of the musicians, artists and singers of pre-war Poland, now wearied by war. Cover Thumbnail size default [360 px] Thumbnail collage_tehran_rtwork_by_rzeczyobrazkowepng.jpg
