"Red Plague" () is a Polish poem, written in 1944 by

Józef Szczepański Józef Szczepański (; 30 November 1922 in Łęczyca – 10 September 1944 in Warsaw) was a Polish poet who was a member of the Armia Krajowa Polish resistance. Commander of the Battalion Parasol during the Warsaw Uprising, known under his ...

, a

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

–era poet, who died during the

Warsaw Uprising The Warsaw Uprising (; ), sometimes referred to as the August Uprising (), or the Battle of Warsaw, was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance movement in World War II, Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from ...

. "Red Plague" inspired Polish

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

-winning film director

Andrzej Wajda Andrzej Witold Wajda (; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d'Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the "P ...

to create the movie ''

Kanał ''Kanał'' (, ''Sewer'') is a 1957 Polish film directed by Andrzej Wajda. It was the first film made about the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, telling the story of a company of Home Army resistance fighters escaping the Nazi onslaught through the city's ...

''. The poem, which described the dashed hopes of Warsaw insurgents that the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

would save them, was banned in the

People's Republic of Poland The Polish People's Republic (1952–1989), formerly the Republic of Poland (1947–1952), and also often simply known as Poland, was a country in Central Europe that existed as the predecessor of the modern-day democratic Republic of Poland. ...

due to its

anti-Soviet Anti-Sovietism or anti-Soviet sentiment are activities that were actually or allegedly aimed against the Soviet Union or government power within the Soviet Union. Three common uses of the term include the following: * Anti-Sovietism in inter ...

context; during the

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

era the very possession of it was punishable by imprisonment. Szczepanski wrote it on August 29, 1944, just a few days before his death (he died on September 10). The author expressed his anger at the Red Army, telling the tale of desperation, of being brought to a point that the only way to save anything from this total ruin that engulfed Poland (with the Battle of Warsaw being the backdrop and an end game for Polish resistance fighters who made that last stand) was to surrender Poland to their worst, eternal and most despised of the enemies, one that could have helped but chose not to, one that was responsible for the majority of historical calamities that have befallen Poland, the source of all evil and darkness, a place that takes, never gives, a giant succubus that drained the Polish peoples' soul, sapped their spirit and feasted upon Poland's rotting carcass for centuries). Red Army units, which were positioned on the eastern bank of the

Vistula The Vistula (; ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest in Europe, at in length. Its drainage basin, extending into three other countries apart from Poland, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra i ...

, did not help the insurgents:

We are waiting for you, red plague... you will be salvation welcomed with revulsion... we are waiting for you, our eternal enemy... bloody murderer of so many of our brethren.... Your red, victorious army has been lying at the bright feet of burning Warsaw and is feeding its soul with bloody pain of a handful of madmen who are dying in the ruins.

"Red Plague" was recorded by

De Press De Press is a Polish- Norwegian rock band founded in Oslo in 1980. They were among the leading Norwegian new wave bands, and also gained a following in Poland. History The original De Press had the following line-up: * Andrej Nebb (Andrzej ...

on their album ''Myśmy Rebelianci'' in 2009.''Myśmy Rebelianci''
on the band's official page Excerpts of the poem were used by a Polish rock band, Lao Che, in its ''Warsaw Uprising'' album (in the song "'' Czerniakow'').

References

{{Reflist

External links

Full text of the poem (in Polish)
Polish poems 1944 in Poland 1944 poems Works about the Warsaw Uprising Anti-communism in Poland

See also

References

External links