Miroslaw Hermaszewski - object of pride, object of controversy. The ambiguous history of first Polish cosmonaut under the wings of the Soviet Union

摘要

As stated in the introduction, Miroslaw Hermaszewski was a controversial and ambiguous figure, his triumph both glorious and degrading for his country. From the very beginning his mission was, by some, considered close to impossible - bearing in mind the USSR's tendency to favor its image over the safety procedures, and strained relations between countries of the communist block - yet it succeeded, and fuelled both his country's patriotic spirits and communist propaganda. Adequately, some revere him as a national hero, others consider him a collaborator and advocate for his demotion. While Hermaszewski is still an object of pride for some, for others he is a symbol of the hated communist regime and excessive propaganda and by still others he is simply forgotten. It is sad to admit that many young people are not even conscious that we had a Polish cosmonaut, as his figure is not on the curriculum for history classes [31]. This is in stark contrast to the manner in which the US astronauts were being approached, becoming commonly respected national heroes. The history of Miroslaw Hermaszewski is a very interesting one. It tells much about the reality of Soviet space exploration and shows the contrast between its reality and propaganda - similar to the contrasts of his journey.