Warsaw winters are chilly to saw the least. The bite of the cold was palpable and unforgiving to a suburban boy from the Bay Area. But there I was nonetheless, January 1991, riding a public bus to the Mokotow section of Warsaw after an exhausting Sunday of meetings and knocking doors – the typical life of a Mormon missionary.
My fellow companion noticed the oddity immediately. The bus was packed, awkwardly crowded for a Sunday evening. As we arrived on Spacerowa Street the crowd emptied. My friend was curious and motioned for me to follow him off the bus. As missionaries we were advised to avoid such efforts but we couldn’t resist.
We followed the crowd, watching them disperse into a mass of people gathering up and down the street. Tens of thousands of Poles, gathering for one single purpose – to make a statement with their new found freedoms.
Lech Walesa had been President for only two months but the change in attitudes and opportunities seemed abundant and powerful – Poland was officially a democracy. Earlier that day, January 13, 1991, the Red Guard had taken over the TV Tower and Parliament in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. The Gulf War, which would begin operations in just 4 days, provided the perfect media cover as Moscow tried to grasp onto the last of the satellite countries.
At one time, Lithuania and Poland were one country. Czeslaw Milosz, the famous dissident and Polish poet was born there. The people had strong roots together. The Poles would not stand by idly as their neighbors were harangued in a last stand by the Commies.
As we approached the spot of contention that night (the Russian Embassy) we hear the chants of “Wolna Litwa!” (“Free Lithuania”). The crowd was holding candles, shaking the gates, demonstrating their ire and stretching their new democracy-born sea legs. It was thrilling. And it worked. The Red Army eventually relented and “Litwa” was free.
Today, President Bush took part in the unveiling of a memorial in DC dedicated to the victims of Communism. This is a subject close to my heart and it was my privilege to be there. Special thanks to Robert Bluey for the invite!
Justin - it was good to read about your experience in Poland. I served a mission there as well, about 9 years after you. I don't know if you ever served in Katowice, but there are plans to erect a statue of Ronald Reagn in the rynek. Cool, huh.
Warsaw winters are chilly to saw the least. The bite of the cold was palpable and unforgiving to a suburban boy from the Bay Area. But there I was nonetheless, January 1991, riding a public bus to the Mokotow section of Warsaw after an exhausting Sunday of meetings and knocking doors – the typical life of a Mormon missionary.
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