Jarosław Władysław Guzy (born 31 December 1955, in

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

) is a Polish politician and businessman, first chairman of the Independent Students Union, between 2023 and 2024 serving as Ambassador to

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

. From 1975 to 1981, Guzy studied

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

at the

Jagiellonian University The Jagiellonian University (, UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by Casimir III the Great, King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and one of the List of oldest universities in con ...

, cooperating in late 1970s with opposition organization

Student Committee of Solidarity The Student Committee of Solidarity () was a student group created in Kraków in 1977 whose purpose was opposition to the Communist government in Poland.Michael H. Bernhard, "The origins of democratization in Poland: workers, intellectuals, and oppo ...

. In 1980, he became a member of the Independent Students Union, and in April 1981, was elected first chairman of the Union. During the

martial law in Poland Martial law in Poland () existed between 13 December 1981 and 22 July 1983. The Polish United Workers' Party, government of the Polish People's Republic drastically restricted everyday life by introducing martial law and a military junta in an a ...

, Guzy, together with wife Agnieszka, was interned in prisons in

Białołęka Białołęka (, lit. ''White Meadow'') is one of 18 districts of Warsaw, located in the northern part of the city. Until October 27, 2002 Białołęka was a gmina. According to the Central Statistical Office data, the district's area is and ...

and

Darłówko Darłówko () is a seaside neighborhood and a popular summertime resort in the town of Darłowo on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland. It is the site of a yearly gathering of old military vehicles, the largest of its kind in ...

. After his release, he was under constant surveillance of the Communist secret services,

Służba Bezpieczeństwa The Security Service (; ), in full Security Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and commonly known as SB, was a secret police force established in the Polish People's Republic in 1956 as a successor to the Ministry of Public Security (P ...

. In 1988 Guzy left Poland for the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, where he studied at the

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

. In 1991, he returned to Poland, and became actively engaged in politics. Guzy has been employed by several government-owned enterprises, such as Warsaw Park of Technology. On 19 October 2023, he was nominated Poland Ambassador to Ukraine.

Honours

On 8 December 2007, President

Lech Kaczyński Lech Aleksander Kaczyński (; 18 June 194910 April 2010) was a Polish politician who served as the city mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 2005, and as President of Poland from 2005 until his death in 2010 in an air crash. The aircraft carrying ...

awarded him the Knight's Cross of the

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...

. In 2017, he received the

Cross of Freedom and Solidarity The Cross of Freedom and Solidarity (''Krzyż Wolności i Solidarności'') was established on 5 August 2010, to honor members of the democratic opposition in Poland who between the years 1956 and 1989 were killed, seriously wounded or injured, arr ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guzy, Jaroslaw 1955 births Living people Businesspeople from Kraków Politicians from Kraków Jagiellonian University alumni Polish expatriates in the United States Knights of the Order of Polonia Restituta Ambassadors of Poland to Ukraine Recipients of Cross of Freedom and Solidarity