Russian Tanks! No Thanks! - Solidarność (Solidarity)

[StefanM]

Bet you can sell a lot of those badges in Ukraine right now

I agree, these badges would probably sell like hot cakes in certain parts of the Ukraine.

Its funny how history repeats itself and how often Russian tanks make their repeated appearance. I wonder where next? The Baltic states...Eastern Poland?

[StefanM]

Another batch of early Solidarność badges.

Of note is stick-pin variant of the "Soviet Tanks. No Thanks" badge.




Below: The illustration of a snail and the slogan "Reforma Gospodarcza (Economic Reform)" is a protest about the snail's pace of economic reform in Poland by the communist regime to solve the deep crisis that Poland was facing in the 1980's.

[StefanM]

Overprinted envelope and Solidarność stamp featuring George Orwell ....under communism all Poles were equal but some were more equal than others.

[StefanM]

Solidarność produced many hundreds of different protest stamps and fund raising ephemera. I liked this one because the visual references to President Reagan and the US as it symbolises how important a part the Reagan administration played in the eventual downfall of the communist system.

It is widely felt that the announcement of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), also known as Star Wars programme, first initiated in March 1983 under President Ronald Reagan, coupled with the financial collapse of the communist economies, which resulted in growing civil unrest, meant that the Soviets could not afford to compete in a new arms race with the US. As a consequence the Soviets and their satellite states were forced into accepting far-reaching economic and political reforms which increasingly led to the ultimate collapse of the communist system from within.

[StefanM]

A minor new pin back badge addition:



ZDZICHU! GDZIE JESTEŚ? or ED! WHERE ARE YOU?

This refers to Edward Gierek and the economic crisis in Poland during the 1980s.

Polish society is very much divided in its assessment of Edward Gierek. The so-called Gierkowska decade, ie the period of Edward Gierek's government in the years 1970-1980, was characterised by 'boom and bust'— the first half was the dynamic economic development of the Polish People's Republic (PRL), and in the second half an acute economic crisis, which in effect led to the collapse of his government and in the long term to the collapse of the socialist system in Poland.



US President Jimmy Carter (left) with First Secretary of Poland Edward Gierek.

[StefanM]

Byliśmy! Jesteśmy!! Będziemy!!! from the novel by Stefan Zeromski Wiatr od morza (Wind from the sea)

[StefanM]

Another fascinating hand produced A4 Solidarność poster: ZWOLNIĆ POLITYCZNYCH or Release Politicals!



Is anyone collecting similar protest ephemera from the other former communist states?

[DocCasualty]

Great thread! Thanks for sharing photos of your collection. I thought I had a Solidarność pin in my jewelry box but couldn't find it. If it turns up I'll post a pic.

[StefanM]

Great thread! Thanks for sharing photos of your collection. I thought I had a Solidarność pin in my jewelry box but couldn't find it. If it turns up I'll post a pic.

Thank you for your appreciative comments.

Look forward to seeing your Solidarność pin. Many were produced in US for the large Polish- American community there to show their support for the struggle of Poland's Solidarność movement. The English language protest pins etc produced in Poland were in recognition of US support for the cause.

[StefanM]

NIECH BÓG MA NAS W SWOJEJ OPIECE! - "May God Care For Us!" or "God Help Us!"

Protest graffiti by Solidarity supporters.