On 27 June 2025, the award ceremony took place for the winners of the 2nd edition of the contest "Be Like Anna Walentynowicz — Don't Be Afraid to Fight for Democracy and Freedom!", organised by the Gremi Foundation and Gremi Personal.
1st place: Wiktoria Szarmach – Link to the entry
2nd place: Ignacy Palczewski – Link to the entry
Link to the event recording: Be like Anna Walentynowicz. Don't be afraid to fight for freedom and democracy.
Anna Walentynowicz had Ukrainian roots, which she concealed throughout her entire life. Despite this, her contribution to "Solidarity" and a free Poland is invaluable. She fought for dignity and human rights in Polish society. Known as the mother of Polish "Solidarity" and "Wałęsa in a skirt," she once said:
"I cannot promise a safer life or an end to the fight against lawlessness, injustice, and humiliation. I cannot give up the struggle for a dignified life in a free country."
For her work, Anna Walentynowicz was awarded numerous medals and distinctions, the most important of which was the Order of the White Eagle — the highest honour of the Republic of Poland. She was also awarded the American Roosevelt-Truman Medal of Freedom. Born in the village of Sienne near Rivne in Ukraine, fate brought her to Poland during the war. In 1945 she settled in Gdańsk. She perished in the plane crash near Smolensk in 2010.
Today, Ukrainians living in Gdańsk no longer have to hide their origins; many of them arrived here as refugees after the outbreak of the Russian war, while those who remained in their homeland are fighting for a free country.
The younger generation should explore the biography of a Ukrainian woman who changed the fate of Poland. The life and work of Anna Walentynowicz reveal the complexity of post-war Eastern Europe. On the 11th anniversary of the invasion and the 3rd anniversary of the full-scale war declared by Russia against Ukraine and the entire western democratic order, her biography takes on special significance. We want young citizens — both Polish and Ukrainian — studying in schools across the Tricity region to know her story and draw inspiration from it. Walentynowicz comes from a Ukrainian family, identifies as Polish, and is perceived as such in Polish society. As such, she serves as a symbol of shared Polish-Ukrainian history.
Gremi Personal, together with the Gremi Personal Foundation, announces the second essay contest under the motto: Be Like Anna Walentynowicz – Don't Be Afraid to Fight for Democracy and Freedom! What can the credo/life story of Anna Walentynowicz teach me?
The first edition of the contest took place a year ago – https://gremi-personal.com/konkurs
Wiktoria Szarmach took first place and Ignacy Palczewski took second place in the 2nd edition. The award ceremony for the winners was held on 27 June 2025. The contest was organised by the Gremi Foundation and Gremi Personal.
Anna Walentynowicz was a Polish Solidarity figure with Ukrainian roots, known as the mother of Polish "Solidarity" and "Wałęsa in a skirt." She fought for dignity and human rights in Polish society. She was born in Sienne near Rivne and settled in Gdańsk in 1945.
Anna Walentynowicz received numerous medals and distinctions for her work. The most important was the Order of the White Eagle, the highest honour of the Republic of Poland. She was also awarded the American Roosevelt-Truman Medal of Freedom.
The contest aimed to help young Polish and Ukrainian students in Tricity schools learn her story and draw inspiration from it. Participants were asked what her credo and life story can teach them. Her biography is seen as a symbol of shared Polish-Ukrainian history.
Honorary patronage over the contest was assumed by Oleksandr Plodystyy, Consul of Ukraine in Gdańsk. The second edition was organised by Gremi Personal together with the Gremi Foundation. The first edition of the contest took place a year earlier.
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