Karolina Magier i Ryszard Biliński

Good evening, it’s Magda Świerczyńska-Dolot speaking. You are listening to another episode of Zapiski emigranta (Emigrant’s Notes) series. Actually, I should say “Re-emigrant’s Notes” because this radio programme is about people who left Poland on different times and in various circumstances but they’ve come back. Not only to Poland but also to Pomerania.

Today we will meet Ryszard Biliński who left Poland 2 days before introduction of the martial law. Let’s go to Gdynia, to the vicinity of the former maritime station.

It was more or less here, maybe 100 or 200 metres from here. Back then, it looked a bit different. There was this vessel called Sztawnica. It was a regular transporter. We carried LCL goods, various things, to places all over the world. It was 1981. I remember that on 11th December, two days before the martial law, I sailed from this very port. Then there were problems with sailing out. Ships were stopped, there was martial law, nothing was happening. And I made it. Back then, two days after introducing the martial law we found out about it. Actually, it was somewhere in the English Channel. We found out that something is happening in Poland. Those French and English stations broadcasted about the situation in Poland. Back then, I told to myself: “No, I’m not going back to Poland”. I decided to jump off the vessel but we were heading to Africa so there was no chance. Only when we were coming back I stayed in Denmark.

Ryszard Biliński was a sailor. He remembers his farewell before the last cruise in detail.

As always, my wife, child, just like every other sailor’s girlfriends, standing on the waterside and waving to us. When will we see each other again? How many months will pass? Actually, they weren’t months but years. When my wife came to me to Denmark, after about 1.5 year, it still was a success that it happened so fast. Mostly, I was afraid whether we’ll see each other again. Back then, they punished families by not allowing them to leave. I thought it would last maybe 10 years or so but luckily we made it and it took us only 1.5 year. I really missed them so much, especially because of telephone connections. For several months I couldn’t even called Poland. Only after several months I could call them and the telephone call was under control. I spoke to my daughter, 3 years old at the time. “Daddy, when can I see you? There are moments that I can hear you but I can’t see you”. That was really moving and it’s very difficult to describe. And the longing was great but what can one do? When I made my decision I had to stick to it till the end.

This place, where we are now, on the back of the Emigration Museum located in the former maritime station building, is it of symbolic value for you?
I have to say that I sailed off from this very place. I remember the maritime museum from the 1950s, when I came here, it was the symbol of the 1950s. When I came here with my parents, I remember that especially my father wanted to see Batory swimming in and the people coming back to Poland, greeting their close ones. Those were beautiful scenes to watch. My mother told me about Kiepura’s visit. She had held me in her arms and told me that they hadn’t allowed Kiepura to go unless he sang. It is a very special place for me. The more because all my life in Gdynia, the Maritime Shipyard, where I attended school, the Maritime Port Headquarters nearby, two years in the army. After that I played football in the Gdynia fleet. It is a very special place for me.
It is getting a bit cold so let’s get inside. Today it is no longer the maritime station but the Emigration Museum. Here, the other part of the story begins.
It was definitely an interesting period for a young man. Sailing enriches you, offers you such possibilities to discover the world, to see how people live in other countries. For me, when I sailed off for the first time, it was a shock when I saw shops packed with goods, everything was there to be had. Back then there was poverty in Poland. In Poland we could buy items if we had proper ration coupons. It was really a great experience for a young man who came from a communist state where the propaganda made fools of us. We had no idea what was going on in the world. We were closed. It’s good that we had a radio officer who collected news from around the world, from various radio stations. We knew, more or less, what was going on in Poland. Well, we were closed despite our first port was Gran Canaria, where we met some sailors that had fled from Poland. They encouraged us to do the same. They already knew that they will be sent where they want to go, to Canada, the US, Australia.

They shared the news with us. Then some sailors disembarked vessels.

Mr Ryszard was the chairman of the Solidarity labour union on the ship.

My task was to organize activities for the crew. Mostly, when we crossed the equator, we organized sea christening. Or films displayed for the crew. Then sports activities so that the crew had enough physical activity instead of sitting in their cabins and doing nothing. Then, since I was the chairman of the Solidarity on the vessel, I was a bit afraid to get back to Poland. They could arrest me or detain me somewhere even though I wasn’t any significant activist or anything. Due to those reasons I also stayed abroad.

Ryszard Biliński wasn’t the only person who decided to leave Poland. His four friends, also sailors, made the same decision. Since he knew Denmark from his previous cruises, staying in this country became an obvious choice.

We knew than we were going via Denmark on our way back. I proposed that we can stay in Denmark because I knew some people there. I also knew some who could help us. And I was right, we reached Odense and I called a friend. He came right away and he told us that we were going to be safe, we shouldn’t be afraid and we will be living at his friend’s house. They transported us to this friend and our vessel sailed off from Denmark. We waited for it to sail off. Then we turned ourselves in to the police. Of course, the police questioned us. Usually, sailors turned themselves in to the police and then they were told what to do next. We were sent to Copenhagen straight away. In Copenhagen, we were questioned and then placed at a hotel where we lived for 9 or 10 months. I was granted political asylum. I was in a better situation than those who stayed as, let’s say, economic migrants.

As soon as Mr Ryszard was given political asylum in Denmark, he started to wonder how to get his wife and daughter there.

We decided, the seven of us, to arrange a hunger strike so that they would allow our families to leave Poland. We started it on 1st June, on Child’s Day in Copenhagen. We chose the city with the Churchill park, the Freedom Museum and close to the Statue of the Little Mermaid. About 500 m from the mermaid visited by many tourists. We planned to do it in such a way so that as many people could witness it as possible. The ferry from Poland didn’t go there back then. Our hunger strike lasted for 9 days, at least for me. On 9th day of the hunger strike my wife and my child came to Denmark. It was in June 1983. The Polish authorities allowed my family to leave. My wife, she was the first of the seven people who came to Denmark. What is interesting, on the same day when my wife received permission to leave, she also got a rejection. She was confused, of course but a public security officer came to her and told her to pack her things because she is leaving tomorrow. Actually, they packed her things, took her to Świnoujście to a ferry together with our 9-year old daughter and on 9th day of the hunger strike she was there. So, the strike proved to be very useful. I had no idea what would happen otherwise. If we hadn’t organized the hunger strike… and thus, my family came to Denmark.

Mr Ryszard remembers also the moment when he saw his wife and daughter for the first time.

It was such a moving greeting by the ferry. I must say that the entire patriotic Polish diaspora was really glad that we managed to get my family here. A lot of people came to greet my family. I got a lot of help from the Polish church in Denmark. Even the Danish Queen helped us because she passed us by with the prime minister of Ireland. That was just 10 metres from where we were and then we received information from her that she will do everything to help us. The Danish government also provided us assistance. The situation received a lot of coverage. The newspapers wrote about us every day. Editors from various newspapers all over the world came to us and described our story. I have no idea what was happening in Poland but I think they didn’t speak of that, maybe only on the Free Europe Radio. Still, when I’m taking about it, it’s very significant experience for me. I even had these dreams that I go on a ferry and it leaves, it sails back to Poland. I hide somewhere from the public security officers on the ship and suddenly they catch me and I wake up. I had had this dream for many years, it had been really tormenting me.
In 1992, our interlocutor came to Poland for the first time.

When I was certain that nobody can detain me that nothing will happen. The first time after 11 years, I also remember it as a kind of traumatic experience. I came to Poland but many things had not changed yet. It was still a bit communist state but I was glad that I came to Poland. I remember that I felt I would kissed the soil after those long 11 years. Finally, I could come here. Of course, when I came, I had to see everything that I had left behind. I visited all of my old friends. It was really interesting. It was a great experience for me, the first time I got back. For me, the problems that people were experiencing here were a bit ridiculous and a bit strange. After that I got used to it all because I visited Poland more and more frequently. And every time, when I came here, it was a great experience for me that I am and I can be here. I was happy about everything. Every time, In Pustki Cisowskie, where I had been raised, I drove past the old house of my parents. After that we had sold it. Just to look at it. I recalled moments from my childhood. Every hole, every bush, how it grew and how it looked at the time. Then the neighbourhood changed a lot, I can’t say whether it’s a negative or positive change. They erected some buildings which I really don’t like at all. It all happened in the neighbourhood that had been in the forest. It still kind of is located in the forest but it’s not the same anymore. The first time I visited, I watched everything I could see. Gdynia had practically stayed the same for those 11 years. I had some problems as well. I wanted to make a phone call. I went to the booth and it said that you needed a token, before that we used coins. I didn’t even know where to buy that token. Those were rather unimportant issues. Now, when I look at Gdynia… Gdynia is a beautiful city. I had always missed Gdynia. Even when I couldn’t come, I still thought about this breakwater. I imagined I was standing on the breakwater, looking at the maritime school. This sailing craft, Dar Pomorza, those sails, I had that image in my mind. Apart from that, ulica Świętojańska. Those are the places that we go back to. Orłowo, for instance. In my opinion it’s the most beautiful place on the entire Polish coast. This is why I had decided to stay here. When I get my old age pension, I won’t stay there but move here. Not because I didn’t like that place but because Gdynia is Gdynia. Local patriotism. I was raised here, I played football a little. I wasn’t an ambitious footballer but I played for Gdynia clubs back then. I still keep in touch with my teammates. Yesterday, I was watching the Arka match but they lost. But I was with my teammates, we had a laugh, talked about good old times.

Ryszard Biliński underlines that he was often wondering whether he had done the right thing. Not today, that he’s back but back then, when he left and took a risk.

Beginnings are always rough, especially that 1.5 year when I didn’t know the language. Even when my family came to me. When my child was afraid to leave the house because she couldn’t understand other children playing in the street. When I saw that my wife and my daughter feel bad because they don’t know the language. This situation lasted to the time when my daughter went to kindergarten, met her classmates, made some friends. The same was with my wife. She met new Poles, made new acquaintances. She could go to Poland whenever she wanted so she got accustomed to it quite fast. The most significant change was when she started working. It was her first job. It was good. I was on a vessel, working as an electrician but they didn’t want to recognize my technician diploma issued in Poland. They wanted to send me on a course on the same topic so I didn’t want to attend that course. Previously, I had been working for a Pole who ran his own construction company. I learnt there a little and decided to open my own business. It was a success. For over 20 years I ran my own construction company, I was happy about it and I had been working there.
So, looking at it from a distance, you have no regrets. As our interlocutor said: if he turned time and Poland would be the same as in 1980s, he would have made the same decision without hesitation. We are slowly leaving the walls of the maritime station but our story, the story of looking for Polishness, doesn’t end here.

At the time, I was involved with the Polish community. I was a member of Polish clubs. Now there are no more clubs left. I was especially involved with the Polish church, I mean the church that… I had seen Polishness for many years. I had seen it in those pastors who had worked there, tried to instil Polish patriotism in people. And, what is interesting, I had this patriotism in me all the time. Each visit from a Polish guest was an amazing experience for me. I think that my parents raised me this way. I remember that my father had been in prison for a time after returning to Poland after the war. He was a prisoner and he really wanted to get back to Poland. When he came back, he even opened a bakery. After that he had to close it down because the communist government ordered him to close his business. He spent 2 years in prison. My father told me a lot about it. He just raised us as patriots. When you lose your homeland and the homeland is so far away, you have a different perspective on what is happening in Poland. I often thought that maybe I should go back to Poland. I can’t bear to stay here anyway. There were difficult moments. Especially when I couldn’t get back to Poland. In that period, between 1981 and 1990, it was the worst. I missed Polishness, Polish community the most. I didn’t keep in touch with Poland too often. Even when my family came to Denmark I longed for being in my own homeland. One has to live here and die here. This is what it means to he homesick. Of course, it’s easier to live by when one gets their old age pension from Denmark. I feel at home here.

My daughter lives in Denmark. I can visit her any time. She can go back to…, she’s visited me 2 times this year already. I’m going in November to visit her. We meet often. When I was living in Denmark. She has her own life now, he lives her own life but she comes here, she was born here. She speaks excellent Polish. She’s really glad when she comes here. My son-in-law is Danish. I came back not only to enjoy my retirement but I really wanted to go back. I have a flat here and I don’t have to worry about the future. And I don’t worry that my daughter will have to take care of me. I can take care of myself here and everything is fine. I liked to be there but this is not the same. I had good neighbours, I had some good friends there but I preferred to come here. Here I feel wonderful, I go to the University of the Third Age. I have my treats here. It’s great because Gdynia is great.

Emigration is a difficult period in life. It’s longing, fear, the feeling that one isn’t at home but it definitely has its pros according to our interlocutor.
Thanks to emigration I learnt the language, mostly Danish. To be honest, I don’t use it in Poland, even when I go abroad I still speak Polish; Danish isn’t very useful but I meet a lot of Danes and I can speak with them. Emigration gives you certainty that the Poles who stay there become very involved. We want to take all the things offered by the other country. I suppose we can do that often. I knew people who ran their own enterprises, who live there. I’m convinced that after a while they will also go back. Many of them will. I don’t regret that I escaped. One had to have courage to do it. Not everyone can do it, and I don’t know if fear is the obstacle. Back then I was driven by everything, maybe not fear, but everything that was happening in Poland. Especially in the period, when I wasn’t sure whether I can bring my family to Denmark.

I can recall when my father visited me just after the strike in 1992. We saw each other after 12 or 13 years. My father thanked me for what I’ve done. He said that he didn’t know if he had the courage to do it. He was glad that the Free Europe Radio spoke about me. I believe myself to be a patriot.

You’ve heard the fourth episode of the Emigrant’s Notes series. Our guest was Ryszard Biliński who spent 20 years in emigration. Stefan Kociuk, who created the program, and Magda Świerczyńska-Dolot: thank you for listening to another episode of the series. The next one will be broadcasted next week, just after 10 p.m. “Kleka” that is news in Kashubian, will be on in a few minutes Goodnight.