Teodor Parnicki
25 years ago, 5th of December 1988 at the age of 80 – Teodor Parnicki died in Warsaw, a novelist and an essayist, an author of historical and historical fantasy novels; born in Berlin brought up in Vladivostok and Harbin (Manchuria), until the age of 12 he did not speak the Polish language, using German and Russian only, and after learning it – decided to return to Poland and become a Polish writer; from 1928 he studied Polonistics (Polish studies) as well as English and Oriental studies at the UJK Lwów (Lviv) University, and as an expert in Russian literature cooperated with the National Camps’ publications; arrested by the NKVD in 1940 sentenced to 8 years in prison, regained his freedom as a result of the Sikorski- Majewski Pact and began to work for the Polish Embassy in Kuybyshev; evacuated from the Soviet Union to Tehran alongside general Anders’ Army, from 1944 he stayed in Jerusalem, and then became a cultural attaché for the Polish Embassy in Mexico, where he stayed after the Allies withdrew their recognition for the legitimate Polish government; in 1967 he returned to Poland and began working with the PAX Association, although refusing to make any political declarations; his impressive erudition and depth of historical perspective, as well as his alternative novelistic work (in comparison with the Dumas-Scott-Sienkiewicz model) paints a panorama of many ages (epochs), civilisations and cultures, especially the Hellenistic period (and its overlapping with Judaism), the declining Roman Empire (as well as the Byzantine), the Middle Ages and Poland.
prof. Jacek Bartyzel
translated by Arek Jakubczyk
Kategoria: Reactionary Diary
