Page 35 - Excerpts from the diary

Low houses. It is more threestoryed, apparently, is not present in all city, however all of them smartly look, have
the shouting form and finishing, both from within, and outside.
Noisy idle crowd, women in white special hats, probably from wind put on which make them similar to forty also
surprise with the novelty. Men in triangular caps, in hats, fat, accurate, selfsatisfied people. How many them!
Colored sponges, the brought eyebrows, affectedness, excessive sensitivity. As it is unlike natural life
human. Also, it seems, as people live and move specially only in order that on them looked at others.
White church, huge, beautiful. Only there is a lot of bicycles and they are the regular vehicle for Poles. Women,
men, children and even old men all ride bicycles.
The market is very big and populous. In life did not meet the best secondhand market! Dealers in eager rivalry cry
out the goods and when the buyer approaches a counter pay its attention politeness weapon, popular in Poland,
'próshe'. Everything is expensive. A box of matches 40 rubles, a hairbrush, even the most useless 200250 rubles.
The rest not very interested me, however was surprised when I found out that 100 grams of fat 40 rubles. At the
present prices it is cheap.
In shop got three feathers for the eternal handle on 40 rubles everyone. It is ruinous for such «rich man» as I, but
there's nothing to be done... Refused a hairbrush so far, but from feathers no. Weak heart at me about these
goods. Blackened too bought special. Only I cannot fix the handle in any way, and to the master I am afraid to go
because he can tear off a skin.
The village of Strakhuvka where I spent the night yesterday is remembered to me. Now in the morning on the
apartment where I stopped, was one, nice for a face, «a panenka» (In Polish, it means a young girl). I offered her a
chair and almost by force forced to sit down. She dissociate oneself from my caresses, and then unexpectedly
told: 'the sir is similar on is Jew'.
How to understand it? I was surprised.
The sir is similar to the Jew, the girl explained.
And there can be I and there is a Jew, I answered, and «the panenka» suddenly to me became loathsome.
As here do not love Jews! To terribly think what platitude of views and dullness of outlook were developed in
people by the Polish reaction and as nevertheless this rotten concept about people of other nations and
nationalities in the spirit which became permeated with the smell bitter «pilsudchiny» (Polish fascist
organization) Polish was strongly absorbed.
Was in club propaganda center, but there except newspapers for the 18th found nothing fresh. There is
no Voentorg here it runs from time to time. Warsaw 45 kilometers from here and, according to stories by
inhabitants, Germans fired at Minsk Mazowiecki fire of longrange artillery more than once. Many inhabitants
killed and wounded many.
At the beginning of the review of Minsk Polish, came across a huge assemblage of people with horses and pigs.
Thought that the market, however, when entered inside and became interested in what people trade, with laughter
answered me that mobilization of horses happens also gathering of the contingent of pigs and so forth.
Read an inscription: 'xengarnia'(Polish LNG.). Entered.
Kind day what you sell to the lady?
There is a library, and here in other half bookstore.
I liked this idea: library shop, but in Russian nothing was, and in Polish I am still a baby. Asked the dictionary or
the abcbook, but neither that, nor another appeared. The very young shop assistant, as captivated stood near the
mother and took a broad view of me.
I left and took the leave. «Dovidzennya». (Polish «Bye-Bye»)
The Polish military girls met to me in other shop. Attentively looked to him in faces. Them was two and both
possessed such white faces young people, gentle, slightly unnatural because of excessive virginity that I wanted to
approach and touch their cheeks: whether really these girls live, or can wonderful creations of the artist.
Almost till the evening wandered about the city and when bothered seriously thought about search of the part.
Asked in all commandant's offices, at counter soldiers and officers nobody knew. Cars flashed the numbers,
familiar letters plied extensively, than finally confused me and left perplexed at the intersection of one of streets.
Suddenly by me the vehicle loaded with a brick on which front it is large, but the faded letters ran, it was removed
figure '8'. URR thought I when the vehicle already drove off far from me and rushed to catch up with it.
Soldiers on the vehicle told that the division headquarters nearby in the town is located, and regiments are even