There is something so odd and weird about Polish president Kaczynski (Katchynsky) death in Tupolev Tu-154M aircraft crash.
The airfiled was closed because of heavy fog, and though the aircraft made multiple efforts to land, increasing its descend rate below the glide slope and finally crashed 1,5 km from the runway, drowning in the fogbound pine and beech wood surrounding Smolensk' „Severny” military airbase. As media inform, controllers instructed the pilot to abort the approach; when he did not, controllers advised the aircraft to return to the reserve landing point. This order was repeated several times but the crew continued with the approach and crashed.
The commemoration of 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre was organised separately for catholic democrats and liberals, and, separately, for nationalist and conservative Catholics. This split is typical for Polish politics, where centrists and liberals are in deep political conflict whith Catholic nationalists. 3 days earlier, on 7th of April, Polish prime minister Tusk along with government officials and members of his ruling party went to Katyn, responding invitation of Russian prime minister, Vladimir Putin. President Katchynsky had not been invited to this joint Russian-Polish event. He was left alone, with only Polish ambassador in Russia awaiting him.
It might be the tragedy of contemporary Catholic politics. I would see Mr. Kaczynski as one of Polish Conservative Catholics who tried to impose their norms on everyone else and, being rejected, turned into a Quetzalcoatl-like figure, tragically deemed to explode and burn in marshy woods nearby other offering stake- the village of Katyn, where graves of 8 thousand murdered Polish officers were unearthed. They were murdered by Soviet NKVD, along with 14 thousand other victims.
Poland is marked by a deep political and religious split between followers of protomodern, unbelievably archaic and oppressive form of Catholicism, and modern urban milieus. Mr Kaczynski stood on the conservative Catholic line, with its asexuality, condemn for gays and pot-smokers, problems with tolerance of minorities, opposition to market liberalisation. His political line evolved toward the centre, but he did not manage to reconcile with masses that he had offended. He remained the president of catholic nationalists, and not the president of all Poles. Even after his death many mourners keep stressing their dismay to his views and political agenda.
Left-to-himself in his political struggle, Mr Kaczynski was an archetype of Polish Catholic traditionalist, behaving as if people were proliferous. He fullfilled the Catholic moral rules, so hated by younger Poles, for whom the elderly president was a symbol of „mohair ladies”- followers of outdated spirituality centered around prayers to „holy” icons, known for their antisemitism and xenophobia. Mr Kaczynski's last journey to East only proved how forgotten he was in modern-day politics. Probably now he will enter the Polish Olimp together with pope John Paul II, as Polish people have the strange taste for tragedies and unite only in moments of mourning and disasters.
Kaczynski's poor, defeat-laden position would be even weaker hadn't he landed and appeared on the Katyn ceremonies. Death on Russian soil, without nearly anyone of high-rank Russian officials awaiting for him, is just a symbol of a defeat of a man, who lived with the past, and not with the present. But, living in Poland make me think that many more Poles live in the past. Maybe such people, even if they are not interesting, but have been chosen by majority of voters to the highest offices, should be better treated and respected? Maybe such- disinteresting and clad with painful memories, is contemporary Poland?
The commemoration of 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre was organised separately for catholic democrats and liberals, and, separately, for nationalist and conservative Catholics. This split is typical for Polish politics, where centrists and liberals are in deep political conflict whith Catholic nationalists. 3 days earlier, on 7th of April, Polish prime minister Tusk along with government officials and members of his ruling party went to Katyn, responding invitation of Russian prime minister, Vladimir Putin. President Katchynsky had not been invited to this joint Russian-Polish event. He was left alone, with only Polish ambassador in Russia awaiting him.
It might be the tragedy of contemporary Catholic politics. I would see Mr. Kaczynski as one of Polish Conservative Catholics who tried to impose their norms on everyone else and, being rejected, turned into a Quetzalcoatl-like figure, tragically deemed to explode and burn in marshy woods nearby other offering stake- the village of Katyn, where graves of 8 thousand murdered Polish officers were unearthed. They were murdered by Soviet NKVD, along with 14 thousand other victims.
Poland is marked by a deep political and religious split between followers of protomodern, unbelievably archaic and oppressive form of Catholicism, and modern urban milieus. Mr Kaczynski stood on the conservative Catholic line, with its asexuality, condemn for gays and pot-smokers, problems with tolerance of minorities, opposition to market liberalisation. His political line evolved toward the centre, but he did not manage to reconcile with masses that he had offended. He remained the president of catholic nationalists, and not the president of all Poles. Even after his death many mourners keep stressing their dismay to his views and political agenda.
Left-to-himself in his political struggle, Mr Kaczynski was an archetype of Polish Catholic traditionalist, behaving as if people were proliferous. He fullfilled the Catholic moral rules, so hated by younger Poles, for whom the elderly president was a symbol of „mohair ladies”- followers of outdated spirituality centered around prayers to „holy” icons, known for their antisemitism and xenophobia. Mr Kaczynski's last journey to East only proved how forgotten he was in modern-day politics. Probably now he will enter the Polish Olimp together with pope John Paul II, as Polish people have the strange taste for tragedies and unite only in moments of mourning and disasters.
Kaczynski's poor, defeat-laden position would be even weaker hadn't he landed and appeared on the Katyn ceremonies. Death on Russian soil, without nearly anyone of high-rank Russian officials awaiting for him, is just a symbol of a defeat of a man, who lived with the past, and not with the present. But, living in Poland make me think that many more Poles live in the past. Maybe such people, even if they are not interesting, but have been chosen by majority of voters to the highest offices, should be better treated and respected? Maybe such- disinteresting and clad with painful memories, is contemporary Poland?
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