{"id":1948,"date":"2025-08-26T12:20:39","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T12:20:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/studio74.pl\/historiapomorza\/nikita-khrushchev-in-szczecin\/"},"modified":"2025-10-23T13:21:35","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T13:21:35","slug":"nikita-khrushchev-in-szczecin","status":"publish","type":"epoka","link":"https:\/\/historiapomorza.pl\/en\/epoka\/nikita-khrushchev-in-szczecin\/","title":{"rendered":"Nikita Khrushchev in Szczecin."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ChatGPT powiedzia\u0142: \n \nOn a beautiful, sunny Friday, July 17, 1959, at 11:45 a.m., an IL-18 aircraft landed at the Goleni\u00f3w airport near Szczecin, carrying the Prime Minister of the Soviet Union and First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Nikita Khrushchev. This visit, along with the city visits by Pope John Paul II in 1987 and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1988, has become a permanent part of Szczecin\u2019s postwar history. \n \nMost accounts of the city\u2019s postwar history note Khrushchev\u2019s stay in Szczecin, often emphasizing that it ultimately confirmed the city\u2019s belonging to Poland. The visit has been recognized as one of the 20 most important events in Szczecin in the second half of the 20th century.<\/p>\n\n

The idea of Nikita Khrushchev visiting Szczecin, one of the most powerful men in the world at the time, was linked to the rapidly changing international situation in the late 1950s. Beyond the obvious benefits of the noticeable thaw in international relations, discussions about the final territorial status of Germany \u2014 which had not been settled by treaty after the war \u2014 became a matter of concern for Poland. The ambiguous stance of the great powers, and even that of the German Democratic Republic, caused unease among Polish authorities, which was not eased by rumors of an uncertain position within the USSR.<\/p>\n\n

For W\u0142adys\u0142aw Gomu\u0142ka, obtaining international recognition of Poland\u2019s western borders was one of the most important goals of his policy throughout his fifteen-year rule. Paradoxically, the deterioration of relations between the major powers during the Berlin Crisis of 1958 opened up new opportunities for Poland. Almost immediately after the crisis began, during a visit to Moscow in November 1958, Gomu\u0142ka proposed to Khrushchev the idea of visiting Poland. After receiving approval, on March 3, 1959, Gomu\u0142ka sent an official invitation for the visit through the Polish ambassador in Moscow, Tadeusz Gede.<\/p>\n\n

Discussions lasted several months, and in May it was decided that the Soviet guest would participate in the fifteenth-anniversary celebrations of the PKWN Manifesto on July 22. The final version of the visit program was approved by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers\u2019 Party (KC PZPR) on July 6. \n \nThe key points of the visit were to be mass rallies in Warsaw and Katowice. In addition, it was planned that Nikita Khrushchev would visit O\u015bwi\u0119cim, Dwory, Szczecin, Pozna\u0144, villages in Greater Poland (P\u0142awce, Racot, Stary Go\u0142\u0119bin, Jerka), \u0141a\u0144sk, and Rzesz\u00f3w. From Pozna\u0144, two groups of guests (without the First Secretary) were to visit Gda\u0144sk, Sopot, and \u0141\u00f3d\u017a, as well as Kazimierz on the Vistula, Pu\u0142awy, Lublin, and Majdanek. \n \nFrom the Polish perspective, the presence of a Soviet statesman on the western side of the Oder River was intended to serve as evidence of the USSR\u2019s unwavering position regarding Poland\u2019s western border.<\/p>\n\n

For all the cities, the visit of such an extraordinary guest was undoubtedly a distinction, and for local authorities, an opportunity to showcase their achievements and strengthen their position within the power apparatus. \n \nDirect preparations for receiving the Soviet guest in Szczecin began in early July. However, the 15th-anniversary celebrations of the People\u2019s Republic of Poland, held from the first days of June, and the central Sea Days events located in Szczecin, allowed for the mobilization of both society and state services. \n \nIn the Voivodeship and City Committees of the PZPR, commissions responsible for the organization and conduct of the visit were appointed. The coordinator of events at the voivodeship level was the First Secretary of the PZPR Voivodeship Committee, J\u00f3zef Kisielewski.<\/p>\n\n

The program of Khrushchev\u2019s visit to Szczecin was developed by the Central Committee and followed ritualized patterns. It included: \n \nWelcoming the Soviet guests at the Goleni\u00f3w airport \n \nA motorcade to the headquarters at Wa\u0142y Chrobrego \n \nA tour of the port aboard a Navy minesweeper \n \nA formal session of the City National Council \n \nA rally at Jasne B\u0142onia \n \nAn evening reception hosted by the First Secretary of the PZPR Voivodeship Committee and the Chairman of the Presidium of the Voivodeship National Council \n \nThe following morning, the Soviet delegation was scheduled to depart by train to Pozna\u0144.<\/p>\n\n

The preparations for the event involved not only Szczecin staff<\/strong> but also activists from the Nowogard, Goleni\u00f3w, and Stargard counties<\/strong>, which lay along the route of the motorcade transporting the Soviet delegation from Goleni\u00f3w to Szczecin<\/strong>. During the city decoration<\/strong>, the streets were divided into two zones<\/strong>: those directly visited by the Kremlin delegation<\/strong> and the rest<\/strong>. The former were lavishly decorated<\/strong>.<\/p>

In a report full of enthusiasm to the Central Committee<\/strong>, the Szczecin organizers noted that hundreds of Soviet and Polish flags of various sizes<\/strong> were placed on every usable pole. More than 100 banners with slogans in Polish and Russian<\/strong> were produced and displayed along the route. Several-meter-high emblems<\/strong> featuring stylized images of the eagle, Roman XV, hammer and sickle, and red star<\/strong> were installed along the route. Building facades were decorated<\/strong>, portraits of Comrades Khrushchev and Gomu\u0142ka<\/strong> were displayed, and several blank walls were painted with murals thematically linked to the 15th anniversary of the People\u2019s Republic of Poland<\/strong>.<\/p>

Beyond these traditional decorative elements<\/strong> (flags, portraits, coats of arms), along Jasne B\u0142onia<\/strong>, two 300-meter friezes<\/strong> were installed, symbolizing the Oder and Nysa rivers<\/strong>, with the names of Polish cities located along them. To mobilize Szczecin residents<\/strong> to attend the motorcade route and later the rally at Jasne B\u0142onia<\/strong>, nursery and kindergarten hours were extended by three hours<\/strong>, and working hours of offices were shortened<\/strong>.<\/p><\/p>\n\n

Ensuring the safety of the Soviet guests posed a significant challenge for the security services. To secure the visit nationwide, 1,280 personnel were mobilized. In Szczecin, there were concerns about a repeat of an incident that had occurred in Silesia two days before Khrushchev\u2019s arrival. \n \nOn July 15, in the town of Zag\u00f3rze (between D\u0105browa G\u00f3rnicza and Sosnowiec), located along the planned route of the Soviet delegation\u2019s motorcade, a small homemade explosive planted under a roadside tree detonated. While it posed no significant danger, the incident prompted heightened mobilization of state security forces. \n \nUltimately, on Friday, July 17, at 10:20 a.m., the government IL-18 departed from the 39th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Country\u2019s Air Defense in Mierz\u0119cice, Silesia, heading north. With a fifteen-minute delay, it landed at Goleni\u00f3w airport near Szczecin at 11:45 a.m.. \n \nThe Soviet guests were accompanied by W\u0142adys\u0142aw Gomu\u0142ka, Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Jaroszewicz, Polish ambassador in Moscow Tadeusz Gede, and five senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials.<\/p>\n\n

On the airport tarmac, in the presence of several thousand spectators, the guests were welcomed by, among others: \n \nPrime Minister J\u00f3zef Cyrankiewicz \n \nMinisters: Adam Rapacki (Foreign Affairs), Marian Spychalski (National Defense), Stanis\u0142aw Darski (Shipping and Water Management) \n \nFirst Secretaries of the PZPR Voivodeship Committees: J\u00f3zef Kisielewski (Szczecin), Mieczys\u0142aw Bodalski (Koszalin), Tadeusz Wieczorek (Zielona G\u00f3ra), and the City Committee Secretary in Szczecin, Andrzej Grabski \n \nChairmen of the Presidiums of the Voivodeship and City National Councils in Szczecin: W\u0142odzimierz Migo\u0144 and Jerzy Zieli\u0144ski \n \nMilitary commanders: Vice Admiral Zdzis\u0142aw Studzi\u0144ski (Navy), Gen. Zygmunt Huszcza (Pomeranian Military District), and Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski (12th Mechanized Division, Szczecin) \n \nEven in their welcome speeches, the speakers referred to the expected confirmation by the Soviet leader of Poland\u2019s rights to Szczecin.<\/p>\n\n

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There is no doubt that \u2014 as throughout Poland \u2014 from the very first moments of his stay in Western Pomerania, Nikita Khrushchev inspired genuine sympathy among the local population. A symbol of the visit and of the guest\u2019s openness toward society became his choice of car for traveling around Szczecin: a large Buick convertible roadster. The sight of Khrushchev in a light-colored suit in the black convertible remained etched in the memories of those who attended the event.<\/p>\n\n

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After the official welcomes, the motorcade proceeded to Szczecin. The journey itself proved to be a great success for both the guest and the local organizers. Despite a delay of over an hour, more than 100,000 residents gathered along the route, and the cheers, showering of the car with flowers, and other expressions of admiration were, in large part, spontaneous. \n \nAfter being accommodated at the residence on Wa\u0142y Chrobrego, the Soviet delegation visited the Szczecin port aboard the Navy minesweeper ORP \u201c\u0141o\u015b\u201d.<\/p>\n\n

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The key points of the visit were the formal session of the City Council, during which the Soviet leader was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Szczecin, and the rally at Jasne B\u0142onia. \n \nThe ceremony in the Philharmonic Hall began at 4:45 p.m. and was relatively brief. In the presence of nearly 400 guests, following the unanimous adoption of the relevant resolution by the City Council, its chairman, Jerzy Zieli\u0144ski, presented Khrushchev with the diploma granting him honorary citizenship, while the Chairman of the Voivodeship National Council, W\u0142odzimierz Migo\u0144, awarded him the gold \u201cPomeranian Griffin\u201d badge. \n \nShort speeches were delivered by Jerzy Zieli\u0144ski and Khrushchev himself, who also signed the City\u2019s Golden Book. The ceremony was broadcast to the residents of Szczecin who had gathered for the rally in the square in front of the municipal government building.<\/p>\n\n

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Fifteen minutes after the City Council session ended, at 5:30 p.m., the rally began, gathering approximately 100,000 residents of Szczecin. The vast majority had been obliged to attend by workplace management, party, social, and youth organizations. Schoolchildren were also brought in, which was not an easy task during the summer holidays. \n \nNevertheless, there were undoubtedly people who came of their own accord, curious to see one of the most powerful men in the world and expecting his words of support for Poland\u2019s borders.<\/p>\n\n

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After listening to the welcome speeches<\/strong> by First Secretary of the PZPR Voivodeship Committee, J\u00f3zef Kisielewski<\/strong>, and Prime Minister J\u00f3zef Cyrankiewicz<\/strong>, the Soviet leader<\/strong> presented his own vision of the current international situation and the historical Polish-Russian relations<\/strong>. Referring to the tradition of Grunwald<\/strong>, he argued for the enduring foundations of today\u2019s alliance<\/strong>.<\/p>

For the audience, the most important were his declarations of readiness to defend Poland\u2019s western borders<\/strong>. He stated:<\/p>

\n

\u201cThere are statesmen in Bonn<\/strong>, and not only in Bonn, who sponsor and inspire this vengeful propaganda; they declare that they do not recognize Poland\u2019s western border<\/strong>, and even openly demand its revision<\/strong>. These gentlemen have clearly lost all sense of reality<\/strong>. They dream of turning Wroc\u0142aw back into Breslau, Gda\u0144sk into Danzig, and Szczecin into Stettin<\/strong>. Let them know, however, that Wroc\u0142aw, Gda\u0144sk, Szczecin are Polish cities and will remain so forever<\/strong>. The historical rights of the Polish nation to the Western Lands, the blood shed together by us for their liberation, and the enormous work of the Polish people in rebuilding them<\/strong> \u2014 all of this is sacred and no one will be allowed to mock it.\u201d<\/p> \n<\/blockquote>

He further declared that Poland has \u201cfaithful allies such as the USSR and all the countries of the socialist bloc. They will defend the borders of the People\u2019s Republic of Poland as their own borders. [\u2026] The border posts on the Oder and Nysa will be defended by all of us, hand in hand with the Polish people.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n\n

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Khrushchev\u2019s words sparked enthusiasm among the rally attendees. It appears that the applause exceeded the authorities\u2019 expectations. During the preparation of the rally, different objectives were assigned to various participant groups. A 2,000-strong team of ZMS activists, brought in from across the voivodeship, was tasked with eliciting visible signs of admiration. They fulfilled their role, often shouting the loudest cheers, but the other groups also eagerly applauded upon hearing the anticipated promises. The rally concluded with a resounding \u201cSto lat\u201d (a traditional Polish celebratory chant wishing a hundred years).<\/p>\n\n

These points of Khrushchev\u2019s visit to Szczecin can be regarded as a major success for Poland and the city. The situation was less successful, however, with the subsequent events. Local authorities had high expectations for the reception scheduled for 8:00 p.m. in the conference hall of the PZPR Voivodeship Committee. Invitations were sent to around 200 people, primarily members of the diplomatic corps, party apparatus, managerial staff of workplaces, military, and police. \n \nIn the draft toast, the First Secretary of the PZPR Voivodeship Committee intended to reiterate the Soviet commitments announced at Jasne B\u0142onia. On the orders of the central authorities, the plan for the reception was changed six times, and it was ultimately canceled, with the Soviet guests spending the evening in private.<\/p>\n\n

The morning farewell was also underwhelming. Instead of the customary receiving lines along the short route from Wa\u0142y Chrobrego to the railway station, the Soviet delegation was greeted by only a few people. A crowd of about 5,000 gathered only in front of the station hall. \n \nThe traditional farewell speeches were delivered by the Chairman of the Presidium of the Voivodeship National Council, W\u0142odzimierz Migo\u0144, and \u2014 as had been the case at the Goleni\u00f3w airport welcome \u2014 M. J. Szumauskas. In the end, in four short sentences, Nikita Khrushchev promised to visit Szczecin again. \n \nThe authorities explained the lackluster farewell by citing the early hour of departure and concerns that, as on the previous day, the crowd would have to wait a long time for the motorcade. It seems that the farewell ceremony was simply not prepared, and these objective factors were invoked to avoid accusations of negligence against the Szczecin organizers.<\/p>\n\n

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It can be assumed that, a few minutes before eight o\u2019clock, when the special train carrying the First Secretaries of the CPSU and PZPR, along with their entourages, departed from Szczecin station, the local political leaders must have felt a great sense of relief. They had recorded a major success while avoiding serious mistakes, and could feel a stronger legitimacy to exercise power, both in the eyes of their central superiors and the public. \n \nIn this context, it is somewhat surprising that the topic of the visit almost immediately disappeared from public life. Although the residents themselves continued to discuss it for some time, official interest quickly vanished. The only reference to the presence of the Soviet Premier at the mouth of the Oder was a July 25 announcement reporting that the Soviet consul in Szczecin, Igor Skaczkow, presented a Rubin-102 television set to Szczecin port workers as a gift from Nikita Khrushchev. \n \nA broader reflection on the July 1959 visit appeared in the pages of the \u201cKurier Szczeci\u0144ski\u201d only nearly forty years later, on the eve of a visit to the capital of Western Pomerania by one of Khrushchev\u2019s successors, Mikhail Gorbachev.<\/p>\n\n

Despite the great importance attributed to Khrushchev\u2019s visit by the residents of the city and region, it cannot be said to have had a significant impact on the international confirmation of Poland\u2019s rights to Szczecin. Neither the Polish nor the Soviet diplomacies referred to it, and it did not appear in Polish propaganda. It seems that its greatest role was in convincing the inhabitants of Western Pomerania of the permanence of Poland\u2019s presence at the mouth of the Oder.<\/p>\n\n

Source of all photographs: State Archives in Szczecin, Photograph Collection, 24<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

More:<\/p>\n\n

Adam Makowski, Nikita Chruszczow w Szczecinie. Historyczna wizyta czy historyczne okoliczno\u015bci?<\/em>, \u201ePrzegl\u0105d Historyczny\u201d 2014, z. 2, s. 161-195.<\/p>\n\n

Adam Makowski<\/em><\/p>\n\n

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