Around Russia

The dead end of the orthodox

February 2, 2012 Alexey Makarkin

The article by Jadwigi Khmelevskaya with criticism of the experience of the “round table” in Poland vividly represents the position of those people from the “solidarity” who perceived a compromise with the authority as a betrayal of ideals. Among these people there were many “iconic” figures of the fight against communism - for example, one of the leaders of the “solidarity” of Andrzej Gvizda and the charismatic worker Anna Valentinovich, who tragically died along with Lech Kachinsky during the catastrophe of the presidential plane over Smolensk.
The opponents of the "round table" were honest and sincere people. It was morally unthinkable for them to be at the same table with communist leaders involved in violation of human rights, or even led by repressive bodies. The priest of the hedgehog Popelushko, who was killed by the special services and recently reckoned with the Catholic Church to the form of blessed, was only one person from a considerable list of victims of the regime. The fate of an even larger number of people were crippled by the years of persecution, taking different forms - from imprisonment to prohibitions on the profession.
Any compromise with a repressive regime is vulnerable from a moral point of view, and its supporters are inevitably criticized from the sinter -minded part of the opposition. It is difficult for her representatives to see their opponents not in the bench of the defendants, but in the offices of banks and owners of firms, parliamentary offices, or even in ministerial offices, and in the presidential palace. This is relevant not only for Poland. In Spain, Pact Monkloa, which has become a classic example of a successful political compromise, is now sharply criticized by many supporters of the left idea, who believed that he allowed the Francists to evade responsibility. Now in Spain they are judged by the famous judge Balthasar Garson, who, in violation of national legislation, began to investigate crimes committed under Franco against his political opponents. He appeals to international law, and the International Criminal Court in The Hague took him to work as an adviser. In Spain itself, there were many thousands of demonstrations of the left forces advocating for the actual revision of the compromise of the 70s. At the same time, outside of Spain, the experience of Pact Monkloa is still considered important and worthy of attention. Many Spaniards adhere to the same opinion.
And yet. It was compromises that allowed the countries in which they took place, to pass the transition period without tragic upheavals. Let's calmly consider the results of the 1989 political compromise in Poland. The political conditions recorded in a compromise agreement were fulfilled. The country quickly and bloodlessly switched from totalitarianism to democracy. If the first parliamentary elections after the “round table” were partially free, but all subsequent were held in conditions of full competitive democracy. In Poland, there are a normal multi -party system, political and ideological pluralism, a market economy and guarantees of property rights. The country is a member of the European Union and NATO, the former Polish Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek was elected chairman of the European Parliament. The Polish example of a peaceful refusal of socialism was a model for a number of countries, pushing the “velvet revolutions” in Czechoslovakia and the GDR. After the Prime Minister became the prime minister, Catholic Tadeusz Mazovetsky, and the Soviet Union did not introduce troops into the country, it was difficult to explain why dogmatic communists should remain in neighboring countries in power. In Bulgaria, a dialogue was carried out between power and the opposition, which led to the dismantling of the communist regime.
Is it a lot or little? It is not enough for the Rigorists, because General Yaruzelsky does not sit in prison, although he was under investigation and court for a long time (the process was not completed due to the poor health state of an 87-year-old person). Or because the ideal economic system has not been created in the country (and where is it?). But honest and sincere supporters of opposition orthodoxy in this regard resemble the equally honest and sincere revolutionaries who intended to cleanse the world from the filth of the old regime. At best, they call their opponents among the opposition “obedient opportunists” (for reference - this refers to Yatsek Kuroni, Bronislava Gereemek, Adam Mikhnik) and suspect of cooperation with the communist special services. When President Bronislav Komorovsky decided to give Mikhnik the highest award of Poland - the Order of the White Eagle - then the Gvizda and two other members of the capital of this order defiantly resigned.
For many years, Orthodox accused Lech Valens of being an agent of state security. There is no serious evidence, but there is reason to believe that the accusations against Valensa are an old provocation of the special services, which the Orthodox willingly bought (by analogy with the campaign, which the KGB expanded against Alexander Solzhenitsyn). It is interesting that the Polish intelligence agencies, as part of another discredit campaign, reproached Professor Geremek that in the 50s he was a convinced communist-then he was 20-25 years old. And similar accusations (together with suspicions of cooperation with state security authorities) sounded from the mouth of the Orthodox, who did not recognize people the right to evolution views. Invalid extremes sometimes converge.
It is not surprising that Ms. Khmelevskaya so highly appreciates the presidency of Kachinsky, in which Poland almost swept a muddy wave of “showdowns” and mutual accusations, which was demonstratively opposed by Geremek, publicly refused again to submit a humiliating declaration that he was not an agent. The European community sided with Geremyk, who created a precedent who contributed to the stop of a lustration campaign recognized by the court of unconstitutional. The wording “When Leh Kachinsky wanted to break with the agreements of the“ round table ”, a disaster under Smolensk” took place only on the conspiracy consciousness. By the time of his death, the Polish president completed the term of his authority without real chances of being re -elected for a second term (the popularity of Yaroslav Kacinsky grew only after his brother’s tragic death).
“Orthodoxs” can be personally respected - for fundamental and resistance to defending their own beliefs. But their path is deadly - unlike the path of reasonable compromises, which should not be confused with servility.

PS When this text has already been written, I have not yet familiarized myself with the commentary of Alexei memorable on the Echo of Moscow website. It contains interesting information about the position of Polish courts and the Institute of National Memory regarding the accusations against Lech Valensa. Of course, they will not convince Orthodox, but they can be useful to readers who want to understand the details of modern Polish history.

Author-First Vice President of the Center for Political Technology

Photography - hedgehog