We commemorate the soldiers of the Cursed Emission of the Stamp and the Philatelic Exhibition
On March 1, 2022, on the National Day of Remembrance of "Cursed Soldiers", Poczta Polska introduces a stamp commemorating the figure of Józef Franczak pseud. "Laluś" - a partisan of the independence underground, which for 18 years escaped the communists. At the same time, the company opens an exhibition presenting the existing philatelic releases, related to the characters of "steadfast", which can be seen in several places in the country.
The stamp, with the image of "Lalusia", was made on the canvas of photography from the turn of 1938/39, from a private family archive. The author of the project Adam Kultys placed the stamp of white and red national colors in the background. At the bottom of the stamp was the name of the issue of National Remembrance Day "Cursed Soldiers", and the inscription Poland at the top. In the basement of the tenement house at ul. Strzelecka 8 prisoners were Poles, whom the people found as undesirable by the regime - including Home Army soldiers and other patriotic independence organizations.
- Every year, on March 1, we pay tribute to the heroes of the anti -communist underground who did not stop the fight for free and sovereign Poland after the Soviets installed the puppet "people's power". "Steadfast Soldiers" showed extraordinary courage, bravery, and devoted their lives to the Polish cause - emphasizes Tomasz Zdzikot, president of Poczta Polska. - In the mission of Poczta Polska, it is included in adventure of national memory and popularizing values and patriotic attitudes, which we also do, among others through our philatelic emissions. We have been proud of these miniature monuments for 6 years in honor of our national heroes - adds Tomasz Zdzikot.
"Because they lived in a wolf, the story of them is silent," wrote Zbigniew Herbert in the poem "Wilki" about the soldiers of the anti -communist underground, who after the Second World War did not lay down their arms and fought for free Poland. One of them was tracked and chased by arrest warrant through the security service, escaping the ramp for 18 years since the end of the war - the legendary partisan of the Lublin region Józef Franczak "Laluś".
In the Second Polish Republic, the hero of our stamp served in the gendarmerie platoon in Kresy. After the aggression of two neighbors of Poland, he came to Soviet captivity, from where he managed to escape and attach to the ranks of the ZWZ and AK. From spring 1947, he belonged to one of the partisan branches of the organization Freedom and Independence, operating in the Chełm and Lubartów forests. From 1949, "Laluś" began to hide alone. Sometimes he only joined the unit commanded by the lieutenant "Wiktor", participating in several combat actions. Franczak's activity focused mainly on eliminating security collaborators and puppet officers towards Moscow regime. Many people have helped "Lalus" over these many years. In winter he lived with trusted farmers, while in the summer he most often hid in the forests. The last Steadfast Soldier died during the Roundup on October 21, 1963. "Lalusia" was revealed by a relative, a collaborator of SB.
On the tombstone of Sergeant "Lalusia" there was the words: "He sacrificed his life for the freedom of his homeland, which he did not wait."
He was posthumously honored by President Lech Kaczyński with the Commander's Cross with the Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta, and the date and place of the heroic "Lalusia" were commemorated on one of the plates on the grave of an unknown soldier in Warsaw.
- Love for the homeland, like love for a mother, sometimes requires radical actions and loyalty. It is similar with a love of freedom, which often carries the risk of sacrifices and victims. For these two reasons, soldiers of the anti -communist underground for many years after the war did not lay down their arms. Patched, tortured, murdered, "dehumidified" and finally forgotten-they teach us how to love a mother-mother's mother, how to be loyal and how to defend freedom to the last drop of blood. It is the duty of Poczta Polska to constantly renew the memory of "Cursed Soldiers" and teach new generations, which means to be Polish. I believe that our new stamp from the series carries just such obscured - says Wiesław Włodek, vice president of Poczta Polska.
In addition to the stamp, the FDC envelope (on the first day of circulation) also goes to the circulation. The graphics on the envelope shows a photo of Józef Franczak with the patrol commanders of the "Uskoka" branch during the meeting. From the left: Stanisław Kuchciewicz "Wiktor", Julian Kowalczyk "Cichy", Józef Franczak "Laluś", Walenty Waśkowicz "Strzała". The photograph taken in May 1948 comes from the archives of the Institute of National Remembrance. The graphic composition is complemented by a medal belonging to Sergeant Franczak with a chain, which is currently in the collections of the Cursed Soldiers Museum in Ostrołęka.
The emission of the stamp with the image of "Lalusia" was created thanks to the commitment and kindness of Marek Franczak - son of Sergeant Józef Franczak.
This year's broadcast is a continuation of a series of stamps initiated in 2016, which resembles the silhouettes of soldiers of the anti -communist independence underground. The first advantage of the series "National Day of Remembrance of Cursed Soldiers" was devoted to Major Zygmunt Szendzielarz pseud. "Łupaszka". In 2019, the company introduced a stamp commemorating Major Marian Bernaciak, pseud. "Columbine". In 2021, the figure of Colonel Łukasz Ciepliński pseud. "Plow". The topic is also complemented by stamps from the series "Ryngraphs of Cursed Soldiers" from 2017, with the gorge of Lieutenant Franciszek Majewski pseud. "Słony", senior sergeant Mieczysław Dziemieszkiewicz pseud. Swarm ”, from 2018 with RTM gornets. Witold Pilecki pseud. "Witold" and Danuta Sitikówna pseud. "Inka" and from 2020 with the gutter of Fr. Capt. Władysław Gurgacz pseud. "Sem" and lieutenant Henryk Jastrzębski pseud. "Zbych". In addition to both series, in 2017 a stamp with Franciszek Selmanowicz pseud. "Zagończyk".
From March 1 this year. In the "Strzelecka 8" Remembrance in Warsaw, you can see the exhibition of all these philatelic publishing houses related to the "steadfast" characters, which the Polish Post introduced into circulation. The presentation of values in the capital will end on March 13, and then reach other places in the country. The exhibition can be seen in several larger post offices in Poland:
1-13 March-Memorial Chamber "Strzelecka 8" in Warsaw
16-27 March-Postal Office Bydgoszcz 1
March 30-April 10-Post Office Gorzów 1
13-24-Postal Office Szczecin 1
The target place of presentation of our exhibition will be its exhibition from May 4 at the Museum of Cursed Soldiers in Ostrołęka.
About the stamp:
Project author: Adam Kultys
Number of stamps: 1
Value: 4.50 PLN
Edition: 168,000
Print technique: Rotograwiura
Break format: 31.25 x 51 mm
Paper: Fluorescent
sales sheet: 12 stamps
Date of introduction into circulation: March 1, 2022.
This and other philatelic publishing houses of Poczta Polska can be purchased at post offices and the online store .