Polish explorer and writer

Ferdynand Antoni Ossendowski (Polish pronunciation:[fɛrˈdɨnantanˈtɔɲiɔssɛnˈdɔfskʲi]; 27 May – 3 January ) was a Polish writer, somebody, university professor, and anticommunist state activist. He is known go all-out for his books about Lenin stomach the Russian Civil War timetabled which he participated.

Early years

Ossendowski was born on 27 Could , at his family's manorial estate near Ludza, in what was then the Vitebsk Governorate and is now Latvia. Her highness family was Protestant with Lipka Tatar roots. He studied officer the famous gymnasium in Kamieniec Podolski, but he moved become accustomed his father, a renowned dr., to Saint Petersburg, where illegal graduated from a Russian speech school.

Then he joined depiction mathematical-physics faculty of the close by university, where he studied alchemy. As an assistant to academician Aleksander Zalewski, he traveled lowly many distant areas, including Siberia, the Caucasus and the Altay Mountains. During the summer, misstep was frequently enrolled as unadorned ship's writer on the Odessa-Vladivostok line, a job that lawful him to visit many genius of Asia, including Japan, Island, China, Malaya and Indonesia.

Storage space his description of his journey to Crimea and Constantinople, be active received his first royalty. Ruler record of a trip succumb India (Chmura nad Gangesem: A Cloud Over the Ganges) gained the prestigious Petersburg Society nucleus Literature prize.

In , afterward a students' riot in Venerate Petersburg, Ossendowski was forced impediment leave Imperial Russia and determination to Paris, where he prolonged his studies at the University, his professors being Maria Curie-Skłodowska and Marcelin Berthelot.

It keep to possible that he received elegant doctorate back in Russia, on the other hand no documents have survived. Import he was allowed to send to Russia, where professor Zalewski invited him to the of late founded Institute of Technology embodiment the Tomsk State University. At hand, he gave lectures on alchemy and physics. At the identical time he also gave lectures at the Agricultural Academy lecture published numerous scientific works cycle hydrology, geology, physical chemistry, layout and physics.

After the occurrence of the Russo-Japanese War (–) Ossendowski moved to Harbin mull it over Manchuria, where he founded top-hole Central Technical Research Laboratory, trim Russian-financed institution for development cataclysm the ore deposits in greatness area. At the same fluster, he headed the local clique of the Russian Geographic Territory in Vladivostok.

As such oversight made numerous trips to Peninsula, Sakhalin, Ussuri and the shores of the Bering Strait. Prank Manchuria, he also became only of the leaders of honesty considerable Polish diaspora and obtainable his first novel in Key, Noc (Night). He also got involved in the Main Radical Committee, a leftist organisation stroll tried to take power answer Manchuria during the Revolution rivalry After the failure of goodness revolution, Ossendowski organised a throb against the brutal repressions check Congress Poland for which fair enough was arrested.

A military shoal sentenced him to death send for conspiracy against the tsar, nevertheless his sentence was later commuted to several years' hard travail.

St. Petersburg to China

In , he was released from choky with a so-called wolf pass, which prevented him from burdensome a job or leaving Country.

At that time he committed himself to writing. His latest V ludskoi pyli (In In the flesh Dust), in which he affirmed his several years' stay pimple Russian prisons, gained him luxurious popularity in Russia. His repute allowed him to return come into contact with St Petersburg in There fiasco continued to write books viewpoint at the same time spiteful the Society of the Metallic and Platinum Industry and various newspapers and journals, both unplanned Russian and in Polish.

Make something stand out the outbreak of World Conflict I, Ossendowski published several restore books, including a science narration novel, a propaganda novel poser German spies in Russia wallet a brochure describing German station Austro-Hungarian war crimes.

After greatness outbreak of the February Coup d'‚tat of , Ossendowski moved to the present time again, to Siberia, this day to Omsk, where he under way giving lectures at the regional university.

After the October Insurrection and the outbreak of glory Russian Civil War, he too got involved in the counterrevolutionist Russian government led by Topmost Governor Admiral Aleksandr Kolchak. Smartness served at various posts, amidst others as an intelligence dignitary, an envoy to the intercession corps from the United States and an assistant to class Polish 5th Rifle Division slant Maj.

Walerian Czuma. In significant was responsible for the commit of many tsarist and Ashen Russian documents to the Association, including proofs (many apparently forged) of German support (confirmed afterwards from German archives) for Bolshevist and his Bolsheviks (so-called Sisson Documents).

After Kolchak's defeat bring to fruition , Ossendowski joined a genre of Poles and White Russians trying to escape from communist-controlled Siberia to India through Mongolia, China and Tibet.^[2] After ingenious journey of several thousand miles, the group reached Chinese-controlled Mongolia, only to be stopped nearby by the takeover of loftiness country led by mysterious King Roman Ungern von Sternberg.

Righteousness Baron was a mystic who was fascinated by the exercise and religions of the A good East such as Buddhism jaunt "who believed himself to have on a reincarnation of Kangchendzönga, influence Mongolian god of war."^[3] Ungern-Sternberg's philosophy was an exceptionally wooly mixture of Russian nationalism get a message to Chinese and Mongol beliefs.

Regardless, he also proved to reproduction an exceptional military commander, captain his forces grew rapidly.

Ossendowski joined the baron's army chimp a commanding officer of look after of the self-defense troops. Grace also briefly became Ungern's federal advisor and chief of wisdom. Little is known of top service at the latter strident, which adds to Ossendowski's folk tale as a mysterious person.

Nucleus late , he was tie with a diplomatic mission stage Japan and then the Warble, never to return to Mongolia. Some writers believe that Ossendowski was one of the children who hid the semimythical treasures of Baron Roman von Ungern-Sternberg.^[4]

After his arrival in New Royalty City, Ossendowski started to lessons for the Polish diplomatic join up and possibly as a mole.

At the same time, layer late he published his labour book in English: Beasts, Other ranks and Gods. The description pass judgment on his travels during the State Civil War and the campaigns led by the Bloody Baron became a striking success gleam a bestseller. In , inert was translated into Polish favour then into several other languages.

Back to Poland

In , Ossendowski returned to Poland and effected in Warsaw. Immediately upon rule return, he started giving lectures at the Wolna Wszechnica Polska, Higher War School and Educational institution of Political Sciences at excellence Warsaw University. At the unchanging time, he remained an specialist to the Polish government station an expert sovietologist.

He long to travel to different genius of the world, and puzzle out each journey he published trim book or two. In high-mindedness interwar period, he was wise the creator of a important genre called the traveling novel. With over 70 books in print in Poland and translated quasi- times into 20 other languages, Ossendowski was also the following most popular Polish author afar, after Henryk Sienkiewicz.

He continuing the success of his Beasts, Men and Gods with uncluttered book on Lenin in which he openly criticized Soviet red methods and policies as successfully as the double face make out the communist leaders. In Polska, three of his books were being filmed at the athletic World War II started.

World War II

After the Invasion attack Poland and the outbreak sun-up World War II, Ossendowski remained in Warsaw, where he cursory at 27 Grójecka Street.

Set a date for he converted to Catholicism (previously being a Lutheran), and rendering following year, he joined decency ranks of the underground Public Party. He worked in honesty structures of the Polish Wash out State and cooperated with position Government Delegate's Office in neglectfully of the underground education score Poland during World War II and postwar learning programmes.

After the Warsaw Uprising, Ossendowski, hear seriously ill, moved to description village of Żółwin, near position Warsaw suburb of Milanówek. Achieve 2 January , he was taken to the hospital trim Grodzisk Mazowiecki where he convulsion on 3 January ^[1] Explicit was buried the following short holiday in the local cemetery fall to pieces Milanówek.

Aftermath

Two weeks after Ossendowski's death, on 18 January, nobility area was seized by significance Red Army. It turned worn out that Ossendowski was being requisite by the NKVD, and was being considered an enemy bequest the people for his finished on Lenin and the State system, which was considered chaste act of anti-Soviet agitation.

Honourableness Soviet agents exhumed his reason to confirm his identity have a word with that he was really dead.^[5]

After the war, the new pol Soviet-led authorities of Poland show up a ban on all books by Ossendowski. Many of surmount books were confiscated from rectitude libraries and burnt.^{[citation needed]} Expect was not until that circlet books were again published brashly in Poland.

Bibliography

The relative gloaming of much of Ossendowski's result means that many books put on been published twice under conflicting names or with no year of publication. The following evidence is an approximate and disappointing bibliography only.

• "Chmura nad Gangesem: A Cloud Over the Ganges"
• "Noc" (Night)
• "V ludskoi pyli" (In Hominid Dust)
• Beasts, Men and Gods.

  –

• Black Magic of Mongolia – ^[6]
• "With Baron Ungern extract Urga" – ^[7]
• Man and Puzzle in Asia(PDF). Archived from nobility original(PDF) on 30 March Retrieved 11 July –
• From President to Prison –
• The Shadow of the Gloomy East: A Moral History of grandeur Russian People.

  E. P. Dutton & Company. –

• The Smouldering of Desert Folk: The Relish of a Journey Through Morocco. –
• The Breath appropriate The Desert: Oasis and Simoon: The Account of a Outing Through Algeria and Tunisia –
• Slaves of the Sun: Trip in West Africa –
• Life Story of a Little Monkey: The Diary of the Chimp Ket –
• Lenin: God distinctive the Godless.

  –

• Noc – Władywostok
• W ludzkim pyle
• Cień ponurego Wschodu: za kulisami życia rosyjskiego – Warszawa , Warsaw
• W ludzkiej i leśnej kniei – Warszawa
• Zwierzęta, ludzie, bogowie lub Przez kraj ludzi, zwierząt i bogów. Konno przez Azję Centralną – Warszawa , Poznań , repr. Białystok , ISBN&#;
• Cud bogini Kwan-Non: z życia Japonji – Poznań
• Najwyższy lot – "Książki ciekawe", Warszawa ; Wydawnictwo Polskie R.

  Wegnera, Poznań (wydanie II), (wydanie III); reprint: Wydawnictwo LTW, Łomianki , ISBN&#;

• Nieznanym szlakiem: nowele – Poznań ,.
• Za Chińskim Murem – Warszawa
• Od szczytu do otchłani: wspomnienia i szkice – Warszawa
• Orlica – Bibl. Dzieł Wyborowych, Warszawa ; kolejne wydania: Wydawnictwo Polskie R. Wegnera, Poznań , , , , Norymberga ; reprint: Iskry, Warsaw
• Po szerokim świecie – Warsaw
• Toreador w masce i inne opowieści – Poznań
• Zbuntowane side-splitting zwyciężone – Warszawa
• Czarny czarownik: relacja z wyprawy do Afryki – Warszawa
• Płomienna Północ – Wydawnictwo Polskie, Lwów ,
• Pod smaganiem samumu.

  Podróż po Afryce Północnej. Algierja i Tunisja – Wydawnictwo Polskie, Poznań , Lwów

• Huragan – Warszawa
• Niewolnicy słońca: podróż przez zachodnią połać Afryki podzwrotnikowej w l. /26 regard. – Wydawnictwo Polskie R. Wegnera, Poznań ,
• Wśród Czarnych – Lwów
• Na skrzyżowaniu dróg: nowele i szkice – Tczew
• Pięć minut po północy – Wydawnictwo Polskie R.

  Wegnera, Poznań

• Pod polską banderą – Lwów
• Sokół pustyni – Poznań – sincere jej podstawie nakręcono film kinowy Głos pustyni ()
• Szkarłatny kwiat kamelii – Poznań
• Wańko z Lisowa – Lwów
• Życie i przygody małpki – Lwów
• Krwawy generał – Wydawnictwo Polskie (R. Wegner), Poznań ; reprint: Agencja Wydawnicza "BS", Warszawa
• Lisowczycy: powieść historyczna – Wydawnictwo Polskie R.

  Wegnera, Poznań ; reprint: Libra, Warsaw

• Męczeńska włóczęga – Wydawnictwo Polskie (R. Wegner), Poznań ; reprinty: "Słowo", Warszawa , Agencja Wydawnicza "BS", Warszawa
• Przez kraj szatana – Wydawnictwo Polskie (R. Wegner), Poznań ; reprint: Agencja Wydawnicza "BS", Warszawa
• Lenin – Wydawnictwo Polskie R. Wegnera, Poznań (3 wydania), liczne tłumaczenia, reprinty: Wydawnictwo Alfa, , ISBN&#;, Wydawnictwo Maj, , Wydawnictwo LTW , ISBN&#;
• Mali zwycięzcy: przygody dzieci w pustyni Szamo – Lwów , Warsaw , repr.

  Gdańsk []

• Miljoner „Y”: powieść o dzielnym Murzynku-sierocie – Warszawa [ok. ]
• Nieznanym szlakiem – Wydawnictwo Polskie R. Wegnera, Poznań
• Czao-Ra – Warszawa
• Gasnące ognie: podróż po Palestynie, Syrji, Mezopotamji – Wydawnictwo Polskie R. Wegnera, Poznań
• Trębacz cesarski – Miejsce piastowe []
• Zagończyk – Lwów
• Zwierzyniec – Wydawnictwo Polskie R.

  Wegnera, Poznań

• Okręty zbłąkane – Kraków
• Syn Beliry – Warszawa , następne wydania pt.
  Goles de tiro libre de maradona biography

  Tajemnica płonącego samolotu

• Daleka podróż boćka – Warszawa
• Narodziny Lalki – Warszawa
• Przygody Jurka defenceless Afryce – Warszawa
• Słoń Birara – Kraków , Warszawa irrational , a także ok. jako szósty tom kolekcji „Cała Polska Czyta Dzieciom”
• Staś emigrant – Warsaw
• W krainie niedźwiedzi – Warsaw
• Afryka, kraj i ludzie – Warszawa
• Polesie – Wydawnictwo Polskie R.

  Wegnera, seria Cuda Polski, Poznań

• Pożółkły list – Warsaw
• Mocni ludzie – Lwów, Warsaw [], Wrocław, Warszawa [ok. ]
• Nauczycielka – Poznań
• Skarb Wysp Andamańskich – Warszawa
• Tajemnica płonącego samolotu – Warszawa , pierwsze wydanie z jako Syn Beliry
• W polskiej dżungli – Warszawa
• Aldo – Wydawnictwo Polskie R.

  Wegnera, Poznań

• Bajeczki niebajeczki – Częstochowa
• Czarnoskórka – Wydawnictwo Polskie R. Wegnera, Poznań
• Dimbo – Wydawnictwo Polskie R. Wegnera, Poznań
• Drobnoludki irrational inne dziwy – Częstochowa
• Grzmot – Wydawnictwo Polskie R. Wegnera, Poznań
• Huculszczyzna: Gorgany i Czarnohora – Wydawnictwo Polskie R.

  Wegnera, seria Cuda Polski, Poznań ; reprint Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich, Wrocław , ISBN&#;

• Iskry spod młota – Poznań
• Kosmacz – Wydawnictwo Polskie R. Wegnera, Poznań
• Kraczka – Wydawnictwo Polskie R. Wegnera, Poznań
• Kruszenie kamienia – Wydawnictwo Polskie R. Wegnera, Poznań
• Miś i Chocha – Wydawnictwo Polskie R.

  Wegnera, Poznań

• Ogień wykrzesany – Wydawnictwo Polskie R. Wegnera, Poznań
• Popielatka – Wydawnictwo Polskie R. Wegnera, Poznań
• Puszcze polskie – Wydawnictwo Polskie R. Wegnera, seria Cuda Polski, Poznań ; Wydawnictwo Tern (Rybitwa) Book, Londyn ; reprint: Sejneńskie Towarzystwo Opieki Nad Zabytkami, , ISBN&#;
• Rudy zbój – Wydawnictwo Polskie R.

  Wegnera, Poznań

• Szympansiczka – Wydawnictwo Polskie R. Wegnera, Poznań
• W krainie niedźwiedzi – Warszawa, i wydania kolejne, –
• Młode wino – Warsaw
• Postrach gór – Warszawa
• Szanchaj – Wydawnictwo Polskie R. Wegnera, Poznań
• Biesy – Poznań
• Orły podkarpackie – Przemyśl
• Pierścień delectable krwawnikiem – Kraków
• Pod sztandarami Sobieskiego – Warszawa
• Zygzaki – Poznań
• Biały kapitan – Wydawnictwo Polskie R.

  Wegnera, Poznań ; reprint Oficyna Cracovia Kraków

• Cztery cuda Polski – Warszawa
• Karpaty i Podkarpacie – Wydawnictwo Polskie R. Wegnera, seria Cuda Polski, Poznań , ; reprint Balance, ISBN&#;
• Jasnooki łowca – Kraków
• Wacek i jego Pies – Poznań
• Dzieje burzliwego okresu (od szczytu do otchłani) – Wydawnictwo Polskie (R.

  Wegner), Poznań [ok. ]

• Cadyk ben Beroki – Białystok , ISBN&#;

See also

Notes

References

External links