On All Saints’ Day, we remember those who have passed away but remain alive in our memory and hearts. Today, we recall members of the Gazeta Polska Clubs and the Free Speech Zone community—people for whom freedom and Poland were the highest values. Their work continues, and their memory still inspires.
In the passing year of 2025, we lost outstanding patriots. Below are brief biographies of those we bid farewell to in recent months.
♦ Ryszard Kapuściński | 1954–2025
The late Ryszard Kapuściński passed away on January 15, 2025. He was not only the President of the Gazeta PolskaClubs but also a friend and inspiration to us all. He dedicated his entire soul to the service of his Homeland, and the Gazeta Polska Club members always held a special place in his heart. His continuous work for the Clubs, from their founding in 2005, was invaluable.
By decision of President Andrzej Duda, Kapuściński was posthumously awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
“Ryszard Kapuściński. Mr. Ryszard. Ryszard. Rysiek. A man who was an institution. It is hard to believe and accept that after 17 years of friendship, I am saying goodbye to Mr. Ryszard—the head of the Gazeta PolskaClubs, Ryszard—the colleague from the Kraków City Council,” wrote President Andrzej Duda in a deeply personal tribute.
Hundreds of Club members from all over Poland gathered around the cemetery chapel for the funeral service. Among the mourners were also members of the Gazeta Polska editorial team, led by editor-in-chief Tomasz Sakiewicz, who recalled the deceased and his dedicated work.
♦ Andrzej Kołakowski | 1964–2025
The late Andrzej Kołakowski passed away on October 19, 2025. A distinguished singer, poet, educator, publicist, and opposition activist during the communist era, he was the author of well-known songs such as Epitaph for Major “Ogień”and The Oath. He was only 61 years old.
During the PRL period, Kołakowski was actively involved in opposition activities. He was a member of the Liberal Democratic Party “Independence” and, from 1985 onward, participated in numerous protests—including a hunger strike at the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kraków. He also engaged in printing and distributing underground publications and organizing anti-communist demonstrations in Międzyrzecz and Lublin.
In 2009, for outstanding service to Poland’s independence, for his contribution to democratic change, and for his achievements in professional and social work for the good of the nation, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta by President Lech Kaczyński.
In 2017, President Andrzej Duda awarded him the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta for his exceptional efforts in preserving the memory of Poland’s modern history, especially that of the Cursed Soldiers. In the same year, he also received the Cross of Freedom and Solidarity.
President Karol Nawrocki extended his condolences to the family via social media.
♦ Walter Wiesław Gołębiewski | 1942–2025
He passed away on August 20, 2025, at the age of 82. He was President of the World Council for Research on the Polish Diaspora, Vice President of the Coalition of Polish Americans, and head of the Gazeta Polska Club in Clearwater, Florida.
Walter Wiesław Gołębiewski was born on October 28, 1942, in Warsaw. He graduated from the Adam Mickiewicz High School No. IV in the capital. In 1965, he earned a master’s degree in economics, later studying at several universities across the United States.
From 1976, he worked as an expert for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). In the 1980s, he emigrated to the United States, where he became deeply engaged in the social and political life of the Polish diaspora. An active writer and publicist, he authored around 200 articles and several books devoted to the traditional values of Polish republicanism.