Wacław Sieroszewski


Wacław Kajetan Sieroszewski was a Polish writer, Polish Socialist Party activist, and soldier in the World War I-era Polish Legions. For activities subversive of the Russian Empire, he had spent many years in Siberian exile.
Sieroszewski's Siberian experiences became the subjects of his many stories and novels — Na kresach lasów, Dno nędzy, Risztau, Ucieczka, Zamorski diabeł. He also authored the popular Bajki. His 12 lat w kraju Jakutów provides the first extensive ethnographic account of the Yakut people.
Whilst in Paris in 1910, he heard that Jan Wacław Machajski had been asking his friend Stefan Żeromski to provide a reference so that Machajski's wife would be employed by Kazimierz Dłuski. Having heard rumours circulated by the Polish Social Democratic Party of Galicia that Machajski was a terrorist, Sieroszewski wrote to Dłuski warning against getting involved with the Machajskis. When this letter fell into the hands of the police, they promptly arrested Machajski.

Professional background

Under the Second Polish Republic, Sieroszewski was a senator, and president of the Union of Polish Writers and the Polish Academy of Literature.

Selected filmography