Today’s cover is of special value, not only because of its author – the virtuoso of line drawing who gave “Przekrój” its distinctive style (still known today as Przekrojowy, or ‘Przekrój-esque’) – but also for prosaic and even marketing reasons.
Issue 2321–23 hit the stands on 17th December 1989. Everything about it was bigger: not one but three logos, and nearly 50 pages long, rather than the usual 24. Bulging and bountiful. With Christmas just around the corner, this was not just the last issue of the year, but also of the decade. Time for reviews.
In the foreground, a handsome fish-dove. Is it flying away or returning? Hard to say. If it is flying away, it is definitely not in search of bread. This creature is well fed. It flies serenely above a city, above the roofs of tenements and tower blocks. Which city? It’s difficult to tell. Warm light glows from the windows, peaceful and cosy. Underneath, a friendly pair of holding hands – implying a greeting, or an agreement? It was drawn by Daniel Mróz.
On the second page is a review of the past year:
“In spite of the June tragedy on Tiananmen Square and the new era in Japan, which always starts on the first day of a new Emperor’s rule, and despite the change of occupant at the White House and the departure of one of the most popular, if not the greatest of US presidents, in spite of the successes and dramas of ‘perestroika’ across the Soviet subcontinent, and despite the momentous upheavals – both literal and metaphorical – which took place across the globe, history will no doubt remember the year 1989 as the YEAR OF EUROPE, and maybe more precisely – the Eastern part of Europe. […] Despite the many difficulties, question marks and problems with the reckoning of the days and months that have shaken Europe, we greet 1990 with hope.”
At that time, the Earth has a population of 5.1 billion people; 90 million more than a year before, according to a UN report. Countries in the Global South are plagued by areas of famine and death. What is the value of human life? That depends. It ranges between zero and five million dollars. Ayatollah Khomeini is ready to pay that much for the head of Salman Rushdie, author of the Satanic Verses. The writer insulted Islam and the Prophet, attracting the wrath of the Iranian leader, as well as the eyes of the world. The book saw record sales, and the head hasn’t left its owner yet, but the dispute continues.
Something begins and something ends. In February 1989, General Gromov, Commander of the Soviet forces in Afghanistan, is the last Red Army soldier to cross the Russo-Afghan border. This marks the end of an intervention that lasted over 10 years. In November, Tadeusz Mazowiecki, the first non-communist prime minister from the Eastern Bloc, crossed the border of the Soviet Union. “Throughout the visit I wanted to ensure that the Polish and Soviet sides understood each other. I got the impression that this was achieved,” he said upon his return to Poland.
However, the Berlin Wall cannot not be saved. During a gigantic demonstration, the citizens of East Germany demand reforms, calling for the government to step aside, for free elections and the legalization of political parties. The wall is taken by storm, starting the exodus of thousands of young Germans from the GDR to West Germany. Chancellor Kohl is working up a plan to unite the country.
In Detroit, the President of the US calls for assistance for Poland, so that democracy can put down roots in our country. In the summer, George Bush visits the Wałęsas’ country and eats breakfast with them. In the autumn, Lech Wałęsa visits the US. “Przekrój” sums up the visit succinctly thus: “Lech Wałęsa’s triumphant visit to the American continent!”
The travelling is endless. Chancellor Kohl appears at a mass in Krzyżowa and exchanges the sign of peace with our Prime Minister. On the 50th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, representatives of various world religions come to Warsaw to participate in the International Day of Prayer for Peace. The papal oration is transmitted on satellite television. In the autumn, Shimon Peres, the Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, pays a visit. Gorbachev and Bush meet in Malta. It is the beginning of the end of the Cold War.
Yet Eastern Europe continues to boil. There are protests in Moldova and Bulgaria. Meanwhile, in Prague, a crowd of half million on Wenceslas Square demand the resignation of the entire leadership of the Czechoslovakian Communist Party. In Tbilisi, the militia and army crush Georgian protests. The Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party breaks up. Only Nicolae Ceauşescu still remains, chosen for the sixth time to head the Romanian communist party. The ‘great helmsman of communism’ is becoming a grotesque and isolated figure. He represents a world that is sliding into history. In Russia, people talk openly for the first time about the victims of Stalinism, with initial estimates put at 40 million. The Poles hand the Soviets source materials that indicate that the NKVD was behind the Katyń massacre. A new era is coming.
After several pages of assessment and short reviews, it is time for deeper reflection. Jan Pieszczachowicz talks to Jan Józef Szczepański, the long-serving President of the Polish Writers’ Union.
“[J.J.S.:] They talk about building a ‘European community’. If you look at this dispassionately, it is hard to imagine a community that will be partly made up of luxurious villas and partly of hovels. Convergence must happen here and only then will one be able to talk about the disappearance of complexes and about the creation of some new, universal mentality.”
“[J.P.:] Meanwhile the situation is such that the condition of mankind at the end of the 20th century is becoming ever more complicated on a global scale…”
“We are hurtling towards the end of the century. I don’t know if our problems will be resolved before the start of the 21st century. Moreover, the arbitrary division of historical chronology is misleading. For example, the 19th century probably only finished during World War I. We also don’t know when the 20th century will finish. Meanwhile, I con myself with the hope that totalitarianism was only a phenomenon of our expiring century. And what next? I recently read a book written by my American sociologist friend, entitled After Glasnost. It focuses mainly on the situation of Central and Eastern Europe, including our country. It posits the thesis that it isn’t political institutions that are the basis and main engine of totalitarianism, although they play an important role, but rather totalitarian culture. Each totalitarian regime tried to create its own culture in order to function […] i.e. to destroy another one…”
“…exactly this. And to create its own culture, which would condition the entire susceptibility and plasticity of society to the dogma of the totalitarian regime. I find this plausible and I think that it is easier to change a regime’s institutions and even set the economy on a new path than it is to unwind the whole process of creating a culture, i.e. the totalitarian mentality.”
“Do you consider this to be the greatest threat to civilization in the 20th century?”
“Yes, one of the most important.”
These words were uttered in December 1989. The editorial team wish you all a Happy New Year!
Read similar:
