The A-level class, who were due to finish their studies at our school a week later, celebrated Family Day. The event also served as a summary of the topic of communism studied in class, and its script was based on an original idea by Ms Agnieszka Mikrut.
Plenum of the workers' activists
Yet another ‘Plenum’ – tongue-in-cheek, of course – brought together the workers' activists. The proceedings were opened by the ‘Partyjna’ (a female Party official), accompanied by her secretary Lodzia Oltarzeska, an officer of the SB (the communist secret police) and Ms Wiesia, the cleaner. Unexpectedly, the First Secretary of the PZPR (Polish United Workers' Party), Edward Gierek, also appeared – according to the script, he had come straight back from Moscow and, with the consent of Brezhnev himself, had brought licences and approval for loans. He showered the collective with gifts and delivered a speech in the propaganda tone of those years: about the will of the millions, about successes earning respect and recognition, and about how ‘life has become better for Poles’. Finally, he asked those gathered: ‘Pomożecie?’ (Will you help?), to which the collective replied straight from the heart: ‘Pomożemy!’ (We will help!).
A history lesson in costume
The performance drew on the realities of the PRL (Polish People's Republic). Edward Gierek led the PZPR from 1970 to 1980, and the economy of that decade relied largely on Western loans and licences. The famous question ‘Pomożecie?’ and the shipyard workers' reply refer to Gierek's meetings with workers on the Baltic coast in early 1971, which propaganda turned into a symbol of the new leadership.
The satirical set featured PZPR banners, slogans and portraits of communist leaders. The characters appeared in hard hats, trench coats, fur hats and aprons. A typewriter stood in the classroom, and archive newsreels were shown on the screen. Parents joined in too: together with the students, they decorated canvas bags with slogans and logos from the era, such as ‘Społem’ and ‘Polak potrafi’ (Poles can do it). More photos from Family Day can be seen in the gallery.
