O Stano Gaï – as a painter
Why “about Stano Gaï – as a painter?” – due to the fact that Bronia inherited her painting genes.
Stano Gaï was a very celebrated artist erstwhile she was inactive surviving in Russia.
She exhibited her paintings in St. Petersburg, Munich, and then (from 1909 to 1913) repeatedly in Warsaw. However, most of all (in 1914–1939) in Paris, among others in "Salon National des Beaux Arts".
At the beginning of her career, she signed her work: Stano Paradowska, and only later as Stano-Gaï (to make it easier to pronounce and remember her name, especially by foreigners).
These aliases form parts of her name – Stanisław, and the names of her husbands - Paradowski and Gajewski. And so in the annals of Polish art she remained as Stano Gaï. It should be mentioned here that the name given to Stano at the baptism was “Tatiana”. The name “Stanisława” was a name adopted by Stano, chosen by her herself most likely at the transition to the Catholic faith.
It must be stressed that Stano was a very beautiful and attractive woman; he distinguished her – and this in all period of her life – a truly artistic look. Just look at the pictures below and the portrait.
Let us remind you that Stano Gai’ was a student of Ilja Jefimovich Riepin and Archip Ivanovich Kuinji! These artists do not request to be presented further, as information about them is in all lexicon of art or encyclopedia of the general public.
Stano persisted from her own resources; from correspondence between Stano and her godfather Longin Pantheleev it appears that the hardships of surviving in Paris, although they rapidly exhausted the financial resources they had, have frequently been in a dramatically hard situation.
However, painting has always been a rescue for her (friends willingly bought her paintings – especially portraits).
A large part of the property of her parents, in particular, the remaining Caucasus “takes” her proletarian revolution of 1917 in Russia, and then the advanced costs of searching for the body of her beloved Stefan and explaining his tragic death.
After Stefan Jelyta Gajewski died and after the end of planet War I, Stano Gaï returned from Les Sables-d’Olonne to Paris and raised her children alone. In Paris, she was forced to rent increasingly cheaper art studios. Fortunately, she found such, among others, on Montparnasse Street, which were besides an apartment.
The artist lived in 1 of them, providing children (despite serious financial difficulties) with appropriate education in schools and in college.
Stefan (junior) learned from the celebrated pianist, Alfred Cortot's virtuoso, Alu-sia practised on violins under the guidance of dry educators.
After years of pride, my parent boasted that Stefan had toured at the age of 12!
He gained designation and large sympathy from the distinguished Polish composer Piotr Perkowski (1901-1990) – the founder and first president of the Association of Young Polish Musicians in Paris (year of establishment – 1930).
After many years, erstwhile Tunia began her studies at the Warsaw PWSM (1965), P. Perkowski moved his sympathy to Stefan and made her a permanent performer of his flute works.
At that time, as an adult, the weapon returned to Warsaw, primarily in order to settle property matters related to the inheritance of the father.
During 1 of her stays in Poland, she met Stanisław Wilimowski in Krynica and... at the age of 24, she married him!
Whether she was the origin of the colonel's divorce with his first wife – Janina Meyer – is hard to find today.
On the another hand, she repeatedly told friends and friends that it was love at first sight, making their matrimony very happy!
The union did not initially find approval of the household of Stanisław Wilimowski, but thanks to the undeniable charm and valor of the character of the Arms, it was yet accepted by the elder of the home – the parent of Stanisław – ANIELA.
Janina Meyer (wife of Stanislaus) then entered a fresh matrimony relation with number John Broel-Plater.
It is essential to complete the chronology of facts – we mentioned the wedding of Bronia and Stach, and Stano and Alusia and Stefan arrived in Warsaw 10 years later – in August 1939.
And then the household merged – STANO, ALUSIA, STEFAN, AND BROTHER TO STACH IN August 1939!
Because the weapon building at 13 Crane Street in Warsaw was completely destroyed at the beginning of the war, Stano Gai and Alusia and Stefan rented an flat at Św. Krzyża Street; there were besides 3 sisters, Cichockie, 1 of whom – Mieczysława – met (let's draw this out) – under the romanticist circumstances of Stefan and shortly became his wife.
From this connection Elizabeth (TUNIA) Gajewska was born.
Tunia – due to the fact that that's what the grandma called her, she refined her name: Elizabeth!
Stano Gai was fond of broadcasting shorthands, utilizing them in the family. For example, in St. Petersburg, she was called “Data”, and in Warsaw “Dudu”, for her granddaughter she was “Baba Dudu”, Antoni Paradowski called “Tonia”, and Maria’s foster parent “Mula”.
Stefana — ‘Tuf’, Ala — ‘Illis’ or ‘Ila’,
I am defending “Bobi” and parent Tuni is defending “Miscia”.
One day, Tunia admitted to the author that she had inherited this tendency from her grandmother!
The weapon (always) gave Stano extraordinary love
She wrote about it in her memoirs, which 1 day (ordering the work of her aunt), found her niece – Elżbieta Gajewska and gave the author of this book, authorising him to usage it properly.
The fresh "Memoirs" are mostly masino-scripts, the others are preserved in manuscript.
To be honest, these memories are suitable for a separate book (maybe they will always be created like this?). The manuscript left by the weapon is very broad in volume, so utilizing it at this point for the usage of this book, I will mention only its most crucial passages, especially those that will enrich our cognition of the relation between the daughter (Broni) and the parent (Gai State).
The device was created for the purposes of the materials intended by the Bronia to be transferred to the “eternal storage” of the Ossolineum. The manuscripts – surely later, erstwhile Bronia believed that (I, Karol Chejarek) would compose a book about her, which dear reader you hold in your hands at the moment.
In order to draw the figure of her mother, she had to scope out to all the corners of her memory and the HEART to express what she had survived with her; to show the moments of their long-term life together, which she FURNED the weapon as it was!
Stano Gaï played a immense function in her daughter's work and in her life.
Man, erstwhile he leaves, takes distant the wealth of experiences, experiences and experiences he has accumulated. That is why it is so crucial that our ancestors evidence their fates and pass them on to their children in due time!
Stano Gaï – fortunately – did so, telling her daughter about her life, which she was to describe in detail, but the diary never found. From the memories of the weapon we learn that she supposedly deliberately destroyed it?!
So she developed her memories of Gun's parent from her own memory. And she taught this by documenting Stano's work, both painting and writing. She concluded this... in six volumes, giving it up to – the already mentioned – ‘eternal storage’ to the Ossolineum archive – more specifically: the Library of the Ossoline National Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) in Wrocław, October 1980.
Memoirs of the parent were made respective years after the death of Stano Gaï, for the reason that he wrote these words, in the 1980s.
Thanks to her mother, Bronia besides met the colourful shapes of her grandparents and their fabulously beautiful stories about Georgia. She learned about her mother's life in St. Petersburg, where Stano Gaï spent her youth, and her father Antoni Paradowski completed medical studies and began technological activity.
There besides – as we know – weapons were born. Then her parents (at the insistent request of Stano Gaï) moved to Warsaw erstwhile their daughter was inactive a "little" girl.
The weapon owes its parent the discovery in 1957 in Leningrad (who adopted a fresh name after Saint Petersburg) of his grandfather's grave – prof. Ivan Tarchan-Mourawi. And although the city, which grew dynamically after the war, swallowed up the old necropolis, inactive managed to scope his grandfather’s grave!
It stood, despite the revolutionary turmoil of 1917, and survived the terrible days of siege during the German-Soviet War.
And Brona wrote in her diary: “I was amazed to see fresh flowers on my grave...”!
It turned out that the grave was taken care of by the sister of the last wife of her grandpa (Helena Antokolska). Her weapon owes that Georgian scholar, Prof. M. G. Saakashvili (who conducts investigation on her grandfather's technological achievements) found the Gun, leading many years later to his gathering with her in Tbilisi.
Under the influence of her father, Stano vowed to marry a Pole. This besides happened erstwhile she married Antoni Paradowski, so not only did she realize her intention to become a Pole's wife, but she besides went with him to Poland as shortly as she was born. She was so fascinated by the past and culture of Poles and Poland, which thanks to her first husband she met before she saw her personally.
In his memoirs, he besides describes how she was invited to Moscow with a delegation from ZPAP. The program of the ZPAP delegation's stay in Moscow besides provided for a visit to 1 of the republics of the USSR, so she asked for GROUP! While in Tbilisi, on the first day of his stay, a young man came to her hotel room, who turned out to be the boy of prof. Saakashvili. She shortly became acquainted with a large group of people from her close and distant family.
Thanks to them, Brona and her second husband Olgierd, who joined her on this journey, besides went to the ruins of the castle Georgija Saakaga – a protoplast of her grandfather's family, who, thanks to his extraordinary valour, became a national hero of Georgia, named the large MOURAWIM.
There is simply a six-volume book by Anna Antonowska, describing Georgia's historical past, entitled “Big Mourawi” and dedicated to G. Saakaga. The author was born and lived in Tbilisi at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The book written in Russian, translated by Maria Mongirdova, was published in Poland by the publisher “Reader” in 1951. On the basis of this, a screenplay of the movie entitled “Earl of the Caucasus” was created.
The weapon was besides sent to the erstwhile capital of the country – Mascheta – where she thanked the work of the large artist of the gardener Mamulashvili – besides 1 of her “Georgian” ancestors who was the author of beautiful “carves” of flowers and stone, shown with large success at many global exhibitions.
From a journey to Georgia, a beautiful series of paintings by Bronisława Wilimowska (today small remembered) was created, which was exhibited in Tbilisi in 1967.
In the "remembrance" of the Arms from her time in Georgia, there was besides a photograph which she frequently mentioned, and which is simply a image of an eleven-year-old girl in a horse riding costume.
It was a photograph of her parent – a slender young girl with a somewhat boyish look, a soft oval face, with large dark eyes, and above all falling on her arms with long hair, which argued with this boyhood.
This photograph was shown by the weapon – with large pride and almost always with tears in her eyes – almost everyone who visited her in the studio!
After her father, Stano Gai’ inherited her love of sports: swimming, fencing and shooting, and horseback riding was her peculiar favourite entertainment.
But her parents (grandparents of Arms, which she constantly proudly emphasized) besides cared for Her – Stano – harmonious intellectual development. She graduated from the PETERSCURRENT ACADEMY OF BEAUTIFUL ARTS.
We would like to point out again that Stano Gai was distinguished above all mediocrity, not only artistic talent, philosophical views or the power of character, but besides curious and not full understood for everyone (if you do not know the most crucial details of her life) LOVE FOR POLISH AND POLISH!
Especially if she realized how it became that she was raised in Russian culture and speaking Russian only at first, she learned Polish – thanks to Prof. Jan Łosi and taught this language 3 of her children by raising them as Polish patriots.
The oldest – Bronia – was raised from a tiny kid in Warsaw and learning Polish was a natural thing for her.
Alice and Stefan, born and raised in France, learned Polish exclusively from Mother! At the same time, they spoke Polish perfectly, without a wonderful accent and very correctly grammar, and only went to French (later Italian) schools. This must surely be considered unusual!
So let's effort to answer what was the real origin of Stano's love (because the weapon is known) to Poland?
There were many Polish students, assistants or friends. And of them Tatiana found a husband. It was a coincidence he was a Pole!
But the reason for her emphatic attitude towards Poland and Poles was different. Her secret was far deeper! Tunia drew my attention to her, revealing the case she had found, handwritten, concise and talking about the most crucial facts of her life "Short Life Story".
Tunia gave it to me with tears in her eyes and a trembling voice that no household had always found it, as it was among the uncounted number of papers, papers and notes inactive in the Arms Studio. (Using the occasion, I appeal to Tuni to make the preserved workshop a “Chamber of Memory” after the Arms, to organize a permanent – or, at times changed – exhibition of her paintings, photographs and documents, and even to sale many remaining drawings, sketches and watercolours.) But going back to my life story.
He was lying calmly, over 53 years after the artist's death, between the pages of Edward Grieg's “Small Pieces for Piano!!! And this, this shocking DISTRIBUTION allows – in our opinion – after many years to better realize the character of Stano Gai and her wonderful parents, all the more so due to the fact that she destroyed all the memories she wrote. And here is this paper in its first wording:
Thus, in order to answer the question of where Stano Gai's passionate love for Poland and Poles came from (whose legacy she inherited from Bronia), 1 should take into account first of all her Georgian-Polish origin, and besides the extraordinary nobility of her parents – her adoptive parent Maria Manassein (Russian) and Father Ivan Tarchan-Mourawi (Gruzina), who took care of the “POLISH” upbringing of the girl, taking into account the Polish part of her origin.
Stano writes about this in his résumé quoted in this chapter, that she was raised “in Polish traditions” by Prof. Jan Łosie (1860-1928) – a linguist and a celebrated student who has been a prof. at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow since 1902 and became an author of historical grammar in Polish! Which seems even more important, she wrote: “Born in 1878 in Leningrad of the Father, Georgian Saakaga and the parent of a Polish female lost tragically, soned by Marja Manasseh, [...]”. It never worked out who the tragically missing Pole was. Or did Stano take her fresh name “Stanisława” ...? We're not answering that question anymore.
It should be added here that thanks to the irreplaceable initiative and assistance of Mrs. Iwona MAJKOWSKI, the letters of Maria Manassein, Ivan Tarchan-Mourawi and Tatiana herself to her godfather Longin Fyodorovich Pantelev have not yet been found in St. Petersburg and Moscow, which have shown large common love between us. Tatiana and her parents.
It is besides worth to add that Stano knew fluently not only Russian, Polish, French and English (she did, among others, translations of technological works from English to Russian for Ivan and Maria). She besides knew Latin and Greek, as Tunia mentions, due to the fact that she remembers that erstwhile she was a young girl, Stano recited to her in the original, among others, fragments of Homer's "Iliady and Odyssey"!
The arrival of Arms (then "small") with Antoni Paradowski for the first time to Poland
Stano Gai – before the final decision – getting married for the first time in her life, was not entirely certain of her choice.
When, after the death of her beloved adoptive parent Mary (Muli), she fell into depression and tried to take her life, under extraordinary circumstances, he saved her from the inevitable death of Antoni Paradowski, and she, soaked in gratitude, decided to marry him.
But erstwhile the first emotions went down after the event and returned to intellectual balance, she realized that her decision to marry was premature. possibly she understood that her feelings for her future husband were besides much filled with gratitude to be called large LOVE!
What proof? Yeah, that shortly after the engagement, with a clear intention to break them, she “smuggled” into Paris. She only returned to her father's intervention, but after a short stay in St. Petersburg, she escaped again. Together, however, the father, “scientificly” with his future husband Stano Gai, taking him with him – went after “the escapeeer”.
When his father and Antoni found his daughter in Paris – in July 1903, he appointed her (not asking permission) on a wedding carpet alongside his dream fiancé.
Soon, from this relationship, their first daughter was born, who unfortunately died of meningitis (as mentioned in 1 of the earlier chapters).
Shortly after this event in 1906, BRONIA was born!
In the meantime, Paradowski graduated and at the express request of his wife (then Stano-Paradowska) – they moved to Poland!
Let us besides briefly remind here the chronology of these events:
- In 1902, Antoni Paradowski postgraduate and undertakes technological work and cooperation with Ivan Tarchan-Mourawi;
- in March 1903, Maria Manasseh dies; and at the end of July of the same year, Stano and Antoni are married in Paris;
- In 1904 the Russian-Japanese War broke out;
- In 1906, Antoni defends his PhD work and publishes it in print;
- In 1908 Stano and Antoni are already in Poland – in 1 of the press chronicles of Warsaw there are mentions of their participation in the cultural life of the capital. Let us mention here besides that erstwhile the Russian-Japanese War broke out in 1904, Antoni Paradowski was called into the army and assigned to 1 of the most hard sections of the front.
This was at the time a kind of repression frequently applied by the Tsarist authorities to Poles. Stano Gai then demanded that her father intervene in this matter.
Of course, he met this request and, erstwhile talking to the minister of war – reportedly – utilized blackmail that if his son-in-law was not released from his service, he threatened to commit suicide in the Office of the Ministry of War! And that worked.
Thus the children's dreams of Stano Gai came true: she became married to a Pole, she lived in his homeland, which she loved for the remainder of her life. However, the gathering with Poland was not without trouble.
Initially, Stano Gai came from Russia to a country oppressed and annexed by the Carat, she did not find favour among her husband's compatriots. Sincerely declarements and manifestations by Stano Gaia of their feelings towards Poland for a long time (if always in General), did not bring to her understanding, in suspicious circles of Warsaw intelligence.
Sometimes Antoni felt very restrained by his wife's exaltation. He himself was a very balanced man and was offended by any exaggeration! Hence, the “exhales” of patriotism resulting from the character of Stano Gai, his wife at last, had to irritate him. Especially since they did not have the right effect.
It was only after any time, erstwhile it was gradually convinced of the veracity of the declaration by Stano Gai, that it began to gain approval and even sympathy of the Polish environment. She could even open a literary and artistic salon in time.
However, between the spouses – as this period related to her friends Bronia, speaking about her parent – began to outline the first crucial conflict in their marriage.
Especially since Stano Gai never wanted to accept the conservative views of her husband's “family life”.
Antoni valued a humble and quiet, bourgeois life, excluding interference with strangers. Stano Gai, on the another hand – let us emphasize this – hated monotony, grayness and motionlessness.
She painted, invited interesting people, and “hours” discussed literature and art with them, and she besides performed music during specified meetings (which were more and more). Yet, she has never been able to draw her husband into a common, beloved social life.
Only in exceptional situations – as Brona remembered – he took part in the singing duos together with his wife, although he had a very good voice and was highly musical.
However, the common relation of the spouses with each other, as the weapon lamented, became more and more indifferent and slow their relation approached the end. Sometimes Stano Gai has become an environment of Warsaw artists! The distrust of her completely subsided after a reasonably meaningful but crucial episode. The Tsarski Ambassador in France, who entertained the journey from Paris to Petersburg in Warsaw (About WHAT THE ENVIRONMENT KNOWLEDGE) decided to visit Stano Gai.
Stano Gai responded to the card announcing the Czar diplomat with a brief letter, in which Mr. Ambassador stated that in Polish houses no RUSSIAN was included!
Since then, her relations with Polish painters, musicians and literates have revived considerably. And her individual grace, talent and untrue patriotism led to her first exhibition of individual painting in the Association of Friends of Fine Arts “Zachęta”.
"Three Worlds" for the formation that influenced the character of Arms
They were according to the “Memoir” written by the Gun:
First, the aura surrounding Stano Gai's mother, full of intellectual freedom, artistic takeover and exaltation,
But besides (secondly) the atmosphere surrounding her father Antoni Paradowski - full of scientific, “professor” seriousness and rationalism and
Third: the planet of “Julia” who was her nanny – permeated by passionate religiousness.
Two words about Julia: her name was Bernis.
The weapon said that Julia prayed regular for love between her parents and at the same time for the homeland to which they “returned”, fulfilling Stano Gai's dream.
As you can see, Guns lived only around adults, which made her a kid “demonstrating her wisdom”, but—focused only on herself. Which does not mean – that carefree and always – despite everything – satisfied with yourself. However, erstwhile I erstwhile asked Brona if she remembered any fun from childhood and friends, she answered in a negative way.
She remembered mainly holidays and “home” parties, which were organised by her mother, in which she could only participate in their first phases.
She remembered guests who expressed their opinions about her mother's paintings during tea, sometimes asked her. She erstwhile replied rather seriously: “that Mom could paint better!” – which caused quite a few confusion. Stano Gai as a parent was alternatively showing off her daughter (than she saw her future artist), which, in turn, was usually annoyed by the weapons.
From the views of the "old Warsaw" Bronia remembered 2 events in particular:
Some unusual carriage, resembling a large box with no windows drawn by horses. The rear wall of the vehicle was a grate made of thick rods on which someone's hands clenched heavily.
“What is it?” she asked her father who she was with at the time.
“They are convicts who are being sent to prison by carat,” she heard in response.
The second event, which was in her memory, was a large herd of cows in Zu-rawiej Street, where she lived with her parents in Warsaw at the time.
The weapon was even delighted to see them and even wanted to pet 1 of the cows, but the father powerfully pulled his daughter aside and reported that they were being driven to the slaughterhouse. What the weapon reacted to, demanding that the herd release immediately!
In these childhood memories, which she herself has always been so eager to tell, not even asked about, Bronia besides remembered that Stano Gai was “studented” at the time passionately doctrine of Buddhism and so gave in to various ascetic practices.
These “practices” resulted from her mother’s belonging to the fashionable Theosophical Society at the time. It is likely that Stano Gai’ was moving distant from the problems of her failed matrimony (coming into another world).
Under the influence of her mother, the youthful creation of Arms in France was initially besides directed towards the planet of fantasy and metaphor. Only after any time did she get free of these interests and consciously directed towards realism.
It was besides a very crucial period in which Stano Gai met Stefan Gajewski, the top (as she has always stressed) the love of her life.
During this period, everything around the Guns began to change rapidly – as in the most fantastic fairy tales.
This man (talking about Stefan Gajewski) about nature as violent as the romanticist one, seduced not only his mother, but also... The weapon, which (as she emphasized in her told memoirs) loved her future stepfather with all her heart, and this besides – like the parent – from THE FIRST DAY!
Stefan GAJEWSKI managed to fascinate Stano Gai so much that she definitely decided to part with her husband! (And marry him)!
Stefan put things straight, either matrimony or... death. He had already tried to commit suicide (after losing his mother) once, and it did not last long as Stano Gai succumbed to his threat!
And so the childhood of the weapon ends with the divorce of the parent and the departure to Paris, so I will part with Poland and for a long – as it turned out – years.
In the margins of the memories of the Arms about the Mother, it should be stressed that the weapon was repeatedly tormented by the conscience that her actual father appeared much little frequently in her stories.
One might even think that she treated him unkindly. In fact, however, this was not the case. Although she remembered him – as she frequently emphasized – only “enough fog.”
“He was surely a individual who did not meet Stano Gai’s expectations.” He was very ascetic and could not make an atmosphere of warmth and kindness.”
But in the opinion of the Gun, he was a MAN OF LAW and RESPONSIBILITIES! First of all, dedicated to his professional, just first of all – a znakomity (prayed by patients) A DOCTOR!
In addition, as the Bronia has constantly stressed, “he waited long and patiently for his wife to return.” He believed he would return to him. But she was a female who never changed her decision once!
Once Stano Gai – she wanted to immortalize Antoni's image and painted his image “with memory”. It contained all the warmth and kindness that she "in her heart" had for him, despite all this! But this image did not last to modern times.
Moving to Paris
Stano's departure was not only a “run” from his ex-husband, but besides from the imminent First planet War.
The way led through Kraków and Krzeszowice, where they said goodbye to their loved ones.
From there, they “flee” through Vienna, where they stayed for a fewer days.
In the evenings Stano Gai and Stefan Gajewski set out to “go into the city” – leaving her under the care of a maid at the hotel (against which she always protested, as a small girl at the time).
The calm and serene months that preceded the outbreak of the war in 1914 passed very rapidly in Paris. And the outbreak of war drove the “Gaiewski” out of Paris.
From that period, the Arms forever remembered endless journeys in freight wagons, until they yet stopped at Les Sables-d’Olonne in the La Van-dee area (Wandea – a department in the coastal, western part of France) on the Atlantic coast. Stano Gai knew this village from her maiden days, as she was there with her parents.
In the area, there were any ‘royalists’, as was then called the impoverished aristocracy, which, despite maintaining ‘old castles’, led a very modest and frugal life. In spite of this, “Gayevski” received cordial hospitality from erstwhile friends of Stano Gai and, as Bronia at 1 of her openings in the studio in Świętajanska, she told – they lived throughout the war (first planet war, of course) in rather comfortable conditions.
However, this idylline had its dark sides, as the “escape” from Paris caused the first and foremost the complicated situation of the stepfather.
Stefan Gajewski was an Austrian citizen, which meant that he could be deported or interned at any time if the local authorities so decided. It was only through energy and prevention that Stano Gai managed to defend him from both of these disasters.
This was not easy, especially since the local population, “contaminated” by the suspicion of uncertain times, in all foreigner saw a spy.
As a young person, the weapon “for good luck” did not interfere; she met a warm friend, Odille, with whom she shared time for children's games.
Stano Gai and Stefan Gajewski (as Bronia remembered) besides led a rather "fun" life at the time: they rode horses and practiced various kinds of water sports. all appearance of Stano Gai on the beach aroused sensation: her short sharpened red hair, tight swimwear and walks. in high-end shoes, there was small interest each time, especially in men.
When it got cold, as Bronia recalled, the “their family” moved into a home that belonged to the household of Napoleon’s Marshal Berthier. They utilized to live in Mrs. Mulot's boarding house.
In the “martial dwork” of Bronia for the first time in her life, she received a separate area in the attic, which she remembered precisely due to the fact that it was a large event for her.
Thanks to Stano Gai’s employment, the French teacher, Bronia, was increasingly utilizing French and could read freely in her room, as there was a large library of homeowners.
Stefan Gajewski, as her stepfather, was always very positive. She constantly emphasized “more and more” that he was a charming, tender and knowing man.
He frequently came to her area at night to put out a lamp where she studied or read.
He besides took her rather frequently for long walks to the dunes or to the forest; mom could paint there.
In the autumn, they collected dry cones for the fireplace to odor like forest!
(After many years, Bronia wanted to visit Les Sables-d’Olonne and traveled this way of common wanderings with her stepfather, giving herself to the memories of those years. But then Stefan was no longer on the “our” planet for 10 years).
As General Haller's Army began to form, Stefan wanted to – let us remind – join her.
His unkind Alsatics did everything to make it hard for him to join this army, explaining to him that he is Polish, and Poland is inactive not on the map of Europe, so Poles are also.
After all, Gajewski decided to leave. without a appropriate pass.
But already at the station (as Austrian) he was arrested by gendarmes with a removal order Go to the fortress on D’Yeu Island.
But on the same day Stano Gai received a message that her husband had drowned during transport!
Stano Gai, as in her custom, began with large energy efforts to find the circumstances of her husband's death!
She spent (as Bronia told her friends) all her savings, even to pay for fishermen who searched the coastal waters in search of the body. No luck.
The situation has become dramatic for her. She was alone with respective years of Guns and her small half-sister Alusia, and it turned out that another kid was being married.
According to the found documents, Stano Gai's Children were born:
Alusia – in May 1916 and Stefan in July 1918.
As Brona writes in her memoir: At that time, “the months of fighting to get money to support the family” began for us.
Fortunately, Stano Gai as a strong female throughout her life, shortly after the birth of small Stefan, “she slow regained strength and intellectual balance.” I. decided to keep herself and children, earning by painting paintings, primarily portraits.
She painted them on orders from friendly French families, however, taking the business very seriously, especially since the “models” were mostly the soldiers of these families.
She besides received aid from her principals in the form of packages of clothing for herself and her children.
After any time, Stano Gai felt that she had “been on her feet again,” she decided to return to Paris. In the meantime, however, the flat left there was rented to another tenants (because it did not pay rent for a long time).
Fortunately, the fresh tenant (Spain) turned out to be an highly noble man, purchased paintings by Stano Gai, paid “reparation” for the acquisition of the flat he rented, and even returned its earlier equipment, including paintings, paints and easels.
After many years, Bronia frequently recalled how she was taking her first “painting” steps with her mother.
These were illustrations for fairy tales, hundreds of which, in making them up, she told her half siblings. You could even say she's become their babysitter!
Paul Collin, a graphic designer from Nancy, who produced her collections of these drawings and paintings, was very curious in these drawings.
At that time, she was very arrogant to receive her first “painting fee” in her life!
It's been a fewer years.
The weapon grew up and began to dress according to the prevailing fashion.
A generous and kind Spaniard who had previously helped Stano Gai to keep himself by buying paintings from her, in the meantime “without memory” fell in love with the Gun.
As shortly as Stano Gai noticed, she immediately banned her from seeing him!
Recollecting these events, Bronia confessed that at the time she could not separate between relationship and love.
But she listened to her mother, rejecting the adoration, not only of the Spaniard, but of many another men!
Her stay in Paris ended in 1930 with her journey to Poland!
In total, after many years, Bronia referred to this period of stay in Paris as years before planet War II (with clearly felt tension in global relations), which was for Stano Gai, and so for her, a band of endless struggles to get livelihoods.
Once they did better, erstwhile worse, so that she reluctantly returned to those memories.
Similarly earlier, Stano Gai repeatedly considered the anticipation of repatriation, but at the same time she did not see real grounds for planning in the country, with a bearable – after all – existence abroad. This stopped her from returning to Poland. Especially since there has been no sign of life since he and Antoni Paradowski divided up.
It was only after any time that they heard of his death.
So, frankly, she had nowhere else to go!
Looking for any aid with the Gajewski household was out of the question. Like asking for Paradovian help.
For this Stano Gai’ was besides ambitious, she believed that the artistic talent she would have would let her to stay out of her own work!
One day, Brona spoke about all this, recalled that the Polish am-basador in France, urged Stano Gai’ to give her children to any shelter or boarding school, i.e. – I defend the school and younger siblings – to a shelter!
Stano Gai’, however, did not imagine (which is good for her) parting with children!
The weapon besides perfectly remembered the intellectual state of her mother. At that time, she had a tendency to mysticism.
She believed that she had already lived in ancient Egypt, as a female from any Egyptian Pharaoh dynasty?!
She even claimed that there was a mummy of her erstwhile body in the Hermitage!
And although the philosophical beliefs of the parent were abroad Arms, occultism, mostly speaking – mysticism, undoubtedly influenced the formation of her artistic imagination.
Stano Gai painted any truly "strange" ideas of reincarnation during this period – as the Bronia emphasized.
Fortunately, the weapon accepted this "proneness" we have with "a wink of the eye", but at the same time aroused an increased interest in antiquity, especially Egyptology.
What the weapons of her mother's work took with top delight was the ability to portray.
The portraits painted by Stano Gai have always been fascinated not only by the advanced sensitivity but also, according to the Guns, with discreetly captured intellectual features of the model!
They besides marveled at the rich compositional ideas.
Knowing Paderewski and not just...
Forever Bronia – “from Paris times” remembered, their then social relations, about which she loved to tell her friends and friends!
"We were friends – she said – primarily with Poles, who were rather numerous, at the time, the colony of the supersevan capital".
She especially remembered the first meetings with Hallerians, which Stano Gai showed the Arms at 1 of the many charity events which Poles organized for the collection of cash and gifts to aid the resurrected Homeland.
The weapon mentioned that she besides donated 1 of her first paintings for this purpose.
She even remembered that it was bought by a Baron Taube and paid for it – voluntarily – a very large sum, most of which she added to the sum of the money collected, to aid Poland. She was very arrogant of that fact for the remainder of her life!
Both of them, as she said, were zealous participants of all the aid actions, so that POLAND would return to the map of Europe.
At 1 Polish party, which she besides frequently mentioned, she was introduced to Helena and Ignacy Paderewski! She boasted about the fact that the wife of this large Polish pianist, while besides a socio-political activist, liked her very much. And erstwhile she found out that her parent – Stano Gai’ – was besides painting, she decided to organize an exhibition of her works for her.
As shortly as the Paderevskis went to Paris, they invited Stano Gai’ and Her (Bronia) to their homes.
Paderewski, in the opinion of the Guns, was not a policy of "pure blood", but as a popular – celebrated artist, he realized that he could do a lot for Poland. And he did!
From another “Parisan” contacts, Bronia gladly mentioned relationship with Maria Bri-gard de Pisano . She met Maria and her husband Roberto Pisano at any opening. They were Colombians. Roberto Pizano was a diplomat, but he abandoned his diplomatic career for painting!
Maria Pizano liked the weapon so much that 1 time she even offered to go with them to England for a fewer weeks to take care of their children at the same time and at the same time to look after the Master.
Thanks to this, she besides met friends of the Pizano state, and especially their closer and further family.
Not just her, but Stano Gai.
Many of them even began to adore the Gun, not just their mother.
From the 1 ball they were at thanks to Maria Pizano, they escaped, incapable to bear – as the Guns told – the rude, aggravating courtships present at the master's ball?!
In the gallery of characters with which Stano Gai and Bronia met in Paris, there was besides prof. Charles Richet, a well-known physician, physiologist, pacifist and friend of the grandpa of Broni – Ivan Tarchan-Mourawi, winner of the Nobel Prize in 1913.
He besides frequently invited Brona with his mother, usually on Sunday, to dinner.
The prof. – reportedly – highly appreciated Stano Gai and the young Broni painting. The Magistrate – as Bronia emphasized – besides proved to be a large friend of Poland.
Thanks to her contacts with him, Bronia besides met Stefan Ossowiecki (futurologist – fantasy, from the border of the clairvoyant; luck teller), with whom the relationship of the Arms lasted until his tragic death during the Warsaw Uprising.
The weapon has always been passionate about it, possibly even a closer (not only spiritual) contact between them?!
In the full gallery of the characters we met in Paris, prof. Charles Richet deserves a peculiar place [...]. The prof. utilized to invitation me over on Sundays. 3 generations of Richets met at dinner. The prof. – an aged, beautiful old man and his wife, a tiny thin old woman, referred to me with warmth and sympathy. prof. Richet was curious in my painting. He appreciated his mother’s painting and always emphasized that she was the daughter of his friend. In a very comic way, he encouraged me in any kind of painting failure. He was a character not only known in the technological circles, he had a Nobel Prize. To give me courage, he erstwhile said: “You will see something else in life we will accomplish – and you and I.” all time something happened in the planet that was related to Polish and Polish people, he went after me in the cheek or hair and said, “You are the daughter of a brave nation.” It is interesting that the prof. refused to visit Tsaric Russia very much, although my grandpa invited him. He came to Poland respective times during the interwar period. He was friends with Stefan Ossowiecki and tried to survey his phenomenal abilities. Thanks to Richet I met Ossowiecki and we were friends until his tragic death during the Warsaw Uprising. Richet was a large Polish sympathizer. He believed that the minute of Poland's independency seemed close. He wrote about it during planet War I. I remember that he gave me a book of his poems, in which he placed respective pieces about Poland. He was 1 of the most charming people I always met.”
Speaking of the Paris period She besides mentioned her half brother, Stefan, very often! Who, during this period (and Bronia took care of him as “mother”) began to uncover his incredible musical talent.
Stano Gai even “officially” entrusted the arms with taking care of her brother’s first steps in this area.
As a “first” so – his “music teacher” – Brona taught him to read notes and explained basic musical concepts.
She besides went to concerts with him!
She herself loved playing the piano, singing and passionately listening to all kinds of ‘music’; although she never thought of making it part of her artistic work. So there was no – as the Brona mentioned – a crucial musical event in Paris, to which they would not have gone at the time and participated with Stefan.
So they were delighted with Rubinstein, Hoffman, Paderewski.
One day – seven-year-old Stefan, so delighted with Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony that he decided to become a musician. She, at the same time, attended concerts with her brother, fell in love “with no memory” (for the first time in her life) in a young, handsome conductor, at the same time a composer and pianist from America, who then performed “Bethowen” concerts ... that after a while she began to meet this conductor.
Since then, she and her full household have been sitting at all performance in the typical lodge where he invited her with “accompanying people”. And she erstwhile confided to the author that she did not know what attracted her more to this (likely) an incredibly handsome conductor and pianist—his music, or if only the "pretty" virtuoso?
They've even started talking to each another about a wedding that never happened! Why didn't she introduce the guns to her friends like this:
One day, before going to the concert, she got a terrible allergic rash combined with swelling and facial redness. However, she went to this concert, incapable to, alternatively not wanting to deny her, including her lover the musician coming to the event. Her parent (Stano Gai) before going to this performance saved her horrible, temporary look, a immense amount of Nivea cream and powder.
After the concert, despite this “minute” defect, she went to the dressing area to congratulate her beloved, and he invited her to dinner.
And it was during her time that there was a quarrel, so that the weapon broke up with the musician!
It turned out that he wanted a wife, if only as the parent of his children. As a completely subordinate house. The speech was not – in his view of matrimony – in which there would be any partnership or equality?!
When Brona presented her views to him on the subject, he said to her, “These are your views on life.” And at that moment, the spell of the weapon against the Chosen 1 broke! This accelerated her reasoning about going to Poland.
All the more so, that the musical “care” over his brother was personally taken over by Stano Gai, preparing him for his first public appearance on the Radio Tour Eiffel (for which there are press documents). In addition, the celebrated Alfred Cortot accepted him free of charge to his disciples!
On the margins (reviewing that time) it should besides be stressed that the family's financial situation at the time improved so much that in summertime they could go on vacation "in the countryside". Or even buy a tiny cottage in Le Rouget – Vallee de la Marne.
It was an old agrarian bypass with a large fireplace at the entrance, 2 rooms downstairs, 3 on top, surrounded by a tiny garden with respective fruit trees.
Her half-brothers grew up, and she was already independent adequate that 1 day, she decided to go to Poland!
During her second return from Warsaw to Paris, she even brought her fiancé – Stanisław Wilimowski, whom Stano Gai accepted with large cordiality.
The weapons frequently mentioned that Mama had already predicted that the weapons would shortly leave them, despite the pro-professional prospects that had unexpectedly opened up to her in Paris.
And she did so due to the fact that – as she claimed – she was raised to Polish, she felt Polish and dreamed of a husband of Poles and this chance came true!
She returned to the country and moved to Warsaw with her husband.
But to Paris – she mentioned – she put herself on all call of Mama. In the end, about 2 years before the Second planet War, Stano Gai besides decided to go to Poland.
Among another things, the weapon helped her parent to destruct her Parisian apartment, organized a decision and invented an flat in Warsaw. However, before returning to Poland, as it later turned out, Stano and Alusia and Stefan spent 2 more years in Italy until July 1939.
Living in occupied Poland in the opinion of the Arms
When the war broke out on September 1, 1939, all members of the weapon household found themselves – as the Guns said – “in a treacherously attacked country.”
Her husband – Stanisław Wilimowski – was called to the unit as a relay officer to whom he had a mobilisation card. The appearances that Poland will defend France and England in the event of an attack by the Germans – have vanished!
The weapon constantly and on all occasion she spoke, always moved that her husband, who was fatally wounded under the Golden Stream, had already died on September 4. And as she later established: he was brought to a infirmary in Lublin, managed by the Germans at that time, in which he died after a fewer hours of blood flow without receiving the essential help.
Stefan – as has been said before, but let's repeat this: he volunteered for the army. But since he was not yet in his draft age, he was not accepted. In the quietness of the spirit of the Gun, she even enjoyed it due to the fact that she wanted to have her birth close to her and to defend her from the danger.
Friends and friends advised her to leave Warsaw even then. She was married to a professional officer, which could have brought additional repression on her by the Germans.
But she did not choose to do so!
She waited for a message from her husband, believing that she was alive, that he might not have made it to his unit... so that she was in utmost stress and anxiety about his destiny and health. These facts further affected the fact that she did not leave the capital, as her advice was.
Stano Gai besides decided to stay in Warsaw!
Stefan kept demanding that he join the army. He was furious that he failed to fulfill his dream and actively defend the capital.
One day he came out of the city at the appeal of Colonel Roman Umiastowski, who was during the September run the chief of propaganda in the Chief of Staff of the Chief Leader. On 6 September 1939, he called on the inhabitants of Warsaw to build barricades and fortifications against the direct threat of the capital by the Germans. At the same time, he called on all men "possibly carrying arms", not yet called into the army, to
INSURANCE OF THE STOLICA AND GOING East, where they were to be mobilized.
And Stefan followed that call!
Weapons with parent and Alusia – they remained in Warsaw!
The hard days of the siege of Warsaw by the Germans began.
As long as the fight continued – always mentioned the weapon – “we were constantly busy.” Like another residents of Warsaw.
Stano Gai’s breakup with Stefan was hard to bear! However, she hid her despair and anxiety for her son. Skills – this has always been stressed by the Guns – in critical and hard situations (THAT LATER
She was the most admired feature of Mom's weaponry.
In the face of danger (like BRONIA), Stano Gai’ could always be focused, tough, resourceful and responsible! She was able to make the right decisions even erstwhile she did not have a complete knowing of the situation.
And so it was in those dramatic days for her.
Despite the hard moments in the besieged city, Stano Gai, Bronia and Alusia did not let any disturbing thoughts to occur.
Horrible days began – she always told Brona at meetings in the studio – only after the capital capitulated.
Both the civilian population and the remaining soldiers in the city couldn't believe we were giving up!
Still, for a long time, it was believed that 1 day things would change! In the eyes of the Guns there were always tears of despair erstwhile she mentioned it. Out of impassability!
Many people (what they saw with their own eyes) besides cried – as the Bronia said – erstwhile France and England declared war on 3 September 1939, although it shortly turned out that it was just an empty gesture, especially in comparison with the fact that the Germans took Warsaw.
In summing up this time – the weapons despite their dramatic passages, which were the participation of thousands of Poles – confirmed that they were days, from her perspective: "the mad courage, anguish, death, but also... the gag and mockery of the occupier".
Her full household has participated – since those days – in the resistance.
“We have all performed more or little liable functions at this time,” stressed Bronia.
Stefan returned to Warsaw after a fewer months and was immediately active in conspiracy activities.
Soon after, he was married, but in spite of the inhuman times, many young people did so.
Thus, while surviving in constant fear, the Bronis household had arrived on 1 August 1944, erstwhile – She, Stefan and his wife Mieczysław (who was in the first months of pregnancy) – according to the order given to them by Stano, they set off on a congregational point.
With my mother, erstwhile the uprising became a fact, all that remained was Alusia. On the first day, Stefan got in the vicinity of the Sejm building under German device weapon fire, becoming badly injured.
The weapon itself, fighting in the Krysk group, had further days filled with quite a few immediate orders – serving as liaisons, nurses, cooks. Sometimes the uprising fell. The end of the uprising was a terrible experience for her. The Germans shot the insurgents in mass.
When they were going to shoot the group in which the weapon was located, a miracle happened.
They drove them to the demolition of the barricades in Czerniakow, and then drove to Pruszkow, to the camp. She was fortunate to find Stefan and her sister-in-law and sister-in-law from Stano Gai and to “land” under the appearance of tuberculosis in her friends – the Marylski States who lived between Pruszkow and Ursus.
—
Karol Chejarek. Bronisława Wilimowska. Everything was painting to her. A communicative about highly colorful life and artistic works. Aspra Publishing House. Warsaw 2025
