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inscribedintheimageoftheEast,includingPersia,
knownfromtheliterarytraditionoftheinterwarperiod
inPoland–inthepoetryofStanisławBaliński,apoet,
attachétothePolishLegationoftheRepublicofPoland
inTehranintheyears1925-1927.(MirosławMichalak,
BacktoIsfahan–PolishPoetandDiplomatinIran
).
OnecouldaskwhethertheimageofIranandIranians
mighthavebeensomewhatidealized.Whydothe
memoriesofPolishrefugeeslackcriticalandbiting
remarksofdiscontent?Isitonlyanillusion?Hasamyth
ofwhathappenedbecomeestablishedinthecollective
awareness?Suchquestionscanbemultiplied,thehistory
behindeventscanbesought,explanationscan
bepursued.Onecanalsoaccept,asBarbaraSkargadoes,
thatthisisthenatureofmemory,thenature
ofremembering.Suchaprocessofrememberingisabout
findingoneselfinanexistentialexperience.4Whatwas
importantforthosepeople–asmile,kindness,warmth
radiatingfromIranians–mayseemanunimportant
episodeforothers.Refugees’reminiscencesandaccounts
showthatkindgestures,compassion,helponthepart
ofIraniansoccupychiefplaceintheirmemory,theyare
likebeautifully-illuminatedmanuscriptsinthearchive
ofmemory.
Aquestionemergeshowever:whatwastheimagethat
Iraniansretainedintheirmemory?Howdidtheyperceive
Polishrefugees,whotogetherwithGeneralWładysław
Anders’Armyquiteunexpectedlyappearedontheirland.
ThosewereverydifficulttimesforthecitizensofIran,
particularlyineconomicterms.Thearrivalofabout
120,000Polishsoldiers,womenandchildrenatone
moment,coupledwiththepresenceoftheAlliedArmies
andongoingwarfare,destabilizedgreatlytheIranian
economy(JolantaSierakowska-Dyndo,
EconomicSituation
inIranattheBeginningofthe1940s.ThePolishRefugees
Context
).Despitethat,Iranians’attitudetoPolishpeople
waspositive.Nevertheless,thepresenceofrefugees
gaverisenotonlytoeconomicproblemsbutalso
toculturalones.EspeciallyinthecontemporaryPersian
