In The Revenge (Zemsta) by Aleksander Fredro — one of the best-known Polish comedies, written in the 19th century and still frequently performed today — the role of Wacław was played by Wojciech Duryasz (born 1940). He was an actor primarily associated with the theatre, although he also appeared in film and television. While he was not among the most widely recognized screen stars, his stage work and solid acting craft earned him respect within the theatrical community.
 |
| Wojciech Duryasz (Teatr Dramatyczny, Warsaw, 1975) |
There is also a tragic and deeply moving story connected with his life. His wife,
Alicja Duryasz, was a flight attendant — in fact, the chief purser — for LOT Polish Airlines, the national carrier of Poland. She was on board the Ilyushin Il-62 aircraft named “
Mikołaj Kopernik” (Nicolaus Copernicus), which crashed on
March 14, 1980, while approaching Warsaw’s Okęcie Airport after a flight from New York.
 |
The Ilyushin Il-62 aircraft named “Mikołaj Kopernik”, involved in the March, 1980 disaster
Source: Wikimedia Commons |
This disaster was one of the deadliest in the history of Polish civil aviation and shocked the entire country. All 77 passengers and 10 crew on board were killed, including 14 boxers and 8 staff members of the U.S. boxing team, and Polish pop singer Anna Jantar. At the time, such tragedies were especially traumatic for Polish society, where international travel was relatively rare and events of this scale left a deep national impact.
Knowing this adds a more personal and reflective dimension to Wojciech Duryasz’s story — a reminder that behind the names of actors and public figures there are often private tragedies that remain largely unknown to the wider public.
 |
| Source: www.themoviedb.org |
🏊🏻♂️🏊🏻♀️🏊🏻♂️
Following the crash, sporting events and competitions across Poland were cancelled. One exception was the Polish Winter Swimming Championships, held from March 14 to 16 at the swimming pool in the Youth Palace, inside Warsaw’s Palace of Culture and Science.
News of the disaster reached the swimming pool on March 14, during the first day of competition. Despite the announcement of national mourning, the Polish Swimming Association and the officials decided to continue the championships. One important consideration was the approaching 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Cancelling the competition could have jeopardized months of preparation by swimmers from across the country, for whom the championships represented an important stage in the Olympic qualification process.
From that moment on, the competition proceeded in an unusually discreet atmosphere. Spectators were asked to leave the stands, the public-address system was switched off, no music or national anthems were played, and the announcer read out the results in a subdued voice. No reports from the competition at the Palace of Culture and Science swimming pool appeared in the press. Nor were the results tables or the names of the winners published, even though some swimmers achieved personal bests and Olympic qualifying standards.
It is reasonable to assume that publicizing a sporting competition taking place in the very heart of Warsaw, barely a dozen hours after 87 people had lost their lives—including American athletes—might have been considered inappropriate and could have provoked controversy during the period of national mourning.
Interestingly, I believe I learned that the championships were continuing while they were still in progress. I had already been working as a swimming official for some time; perhaps I had been asked to officiate at this particular event (of course, as a very junior official), yet I was going to school on Friday and probably on Saturday. However, I was aware of the competition and quickly contacted a friend who was a swimming referee/umpire and he updated me on its status. I also followed various swimming competitions quite closely at the time, so the news of the unusual circumstances surrounding these championships made a lasting impression on me.
🏊🏻♂️🏊🏻♀️🏊🏻♂️
────────────────────────
NEXT POST!
────────────────────────
Since 1994, I have attended annual weekend Ignatian silent retreats at the Jesuit retreat centre near Toronto. Soon, I’ll be returning for my 35th retreat!
To mark the occasion, I’ve prepared a two-part blog about this special place. The first part will be posted soon. It will explore the centre’s history and the nature and structure of its retreats. The second will introduce some of the Jesuits I’ve met there, along with several other fascinating people whose paths unexpectedly crossed mine in Austria.
*****
Blogi są również dostępne w języku polskim/blogs are also available in the Polish language
No comments:
Post a Comment