Bolesław Bierut (1892-1956) - politician, communist activist, President of Poland and the Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Poland, co-creator of People's Poland and chairman of the State National Council. His real name was Bolesław Biernacki, "Bierut" is a pseudonym. He also used the names "Tomasz" and "Janowski".
He was born on 18 April in Rury Jezuickie, near Lublin. He was descended from a peasant family. Soon, he moved to Lublin with his parents to begin his education. He did not finish school because in 1905, he was expelled due to active participation in strikes. Bierut attended a school conducted by the local curia, thus it is suspected that he may have been meant to join the clergy. He worked as a compositor in his youth. He attended evening trade courses to fill the gaps of his education. In 1912, he began his political career by joining the Polish Socialist Party - Left. In those days, he infringed the law for the first time by propagating arguments inconsistent with the concepts of polish authorities. Thus, safe to say, he was pursued by the law because of his attitudes. During the I World War, he was forced to hide under a fake name Bielak. His political activity induced him to collaborate with the Communist Party of Poland (KPP), which he joined in 1918. In the 1920s, his attitude was noticed in Moscow, where he was summoned for trainings several times. Bierut's broad field of activity was soon rewarded, during 1925-27 he was a member of the Central Committee of KPP. Fast promotions aside, Bierut quickly became a threat to the interests of Poland, for which he was arrested several times. From 1927, he attended the International Lenin School in Moscow. In 1930, he was sent by the Comintern to Bulgaria as an agent, from where he went to Austria and Czechoslovakia. Appointing him to such a responsible position was a considerable distinction considering his short career. In 1932, he returned to Poland to take the office of the secretary of the District Committee of KPP in Łódź. Polish authorities, however, found him guilty of political offence and sentenced him to 7 years in prison. Bierut was arrested on 11 December 1933. The trial was prolonged, a condemnatory sentence was announced not before February 1935. In 1938, he was released by virtue of amnesty. Paradoxically, prison protected him against repression, he stayed far away from the center of the Great Purge . Finally, in 1938 the Communist Party of Poland was dissolved. During 1939, Bierut worked as an accountant in Warsaw. After the outbreak of the II World War, he decided to flee to territories occupied by the Red Army. During the occupation, he worked in Minsk, where he changed his identity yet again, posing as a Byelorussian. He worked for NKVD there. Before this, he decided to become a soviet citizen, simultaneously renouncing his Polish nationality. Soviet authorities decided to use Bierut's political talents of and his blind devotion to the directives of Moscow. In July 1943, he was shifted to Poland to join the Polish Worker's Party. He became a member of the Central Committee of the group. He quickly became conflicted with an active member of the PPR, Władysław Gomułka, who was against blind devotion to Kremlin and introducing the Communist system in Poland. When on 31 December 1943 the State National Council was created, Bierut became the chairman. He waged a silent war with Gomułka during this time, sending denouncing letters about his Party colleague to Moscow. Simultaneously, he participated in the preparations to establish a Temporary Government. In August, he went to Moscow, where he met Stanisław Mikołajczyk, the main candidate for Prime Minister in the new cabinet. The next meeting of the two politicians representing opposite political camps was held in October 1944 in Moscow. An agreement has not been reached, however. This induced the Soviets to search for other solutions of the problem. On 1 January 1945, they established a Temporary Government. In April 1945, Bierut participated in talks with Stalin and assisted in signing the Treaty between Poland and the Soviet Union. In June 1945, he went to Moscow again, where the membership of the Provisional Government of National Unity was established. On 28 June, Bierut officially announced the members of the government and became its leader. In December 1945, the PPR Congress elected him a member of the party's Political Bureau. On 5 February 1947, he was elected President of Poland by the Legislative Court. He held the position until the office has been abolished by virtue of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Poland from July 1952. During his presidency, he executed the orders of Moscow and his actions led to a final suit with Władysław Gomułka. On 22 December 1948, he became the chairman of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party created by joining PPR and PPS. From 21 November 1952 to 18 March 1954, he was the Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Poland. His reign can be described as a period of repression towards the opposition and stamping the IIWW underground. He was responsible for repressions of the soldiers of Armia Krajowa. He tried to promote the directives of the economic reconstruction program, which had little effect. He died on 12 March 1956 in Moscow, during the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. There was much controversy around his death. It is suspected that it might have been a well planned murder.
Original polish text taken from:
