Władysław Ciastoń (16 December 1924 – 4 June 2021) was a Polish state official. A member of the

Polish Workers' Party The Polish Workers' Party (, PPR) was a communist party in Poland from 1942 to 1948. It was founded as a reconstitution of the Communist Party of Poland (KPP) and merged with the Polish Socialist Party (PPS) in 1948 to form the Polish United W ...

(PPR) and

Polish United Workers' Party The Polish United Workers' Party (, ), commonly abbreviated to PZPR, was the communist party which ruled the Polish People's Republic as a one-party state from 1948 to 1989. The PZPR had led two other legally permitted subordinate minor parti ...

(PZPR), he served as Major General of

Milicja Obywatelska Milicja Obywatelska (MO; ), known as the Citizens' Militia in English, was the national police organization of the Polish People's Republic. The MO was established on 7 October 1944 by the Polish Committee of National Liberation under Chief Co ...

and Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs. He also worked for the

Ministry of Public Security Ministry of Public Security can refer to: * Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Brazil) * Ministry of Public Security of Burundi * Ministry of Public Security (Chile) * Ministry of Public Security (China) * Ministry of Public Security of Co ...

and was Ambassador of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

Biography

Ciastoń was acting head of the

Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...

and

Bolesławiec Bolesławiec (pronounced , ) is a historic city situated on the Bóbr River in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the administrative seat of Bolesławiec County, and of Gmina Bolesławiec, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Gm ...

from 1947 to 1949. He also directed Department IV of the from March to November 1956. From 1959 to 1971, he worked in the mathematical department at the

Polish Academy of Sciences The Polish Academy of Sciences (, PAN) is a Polish state-sponsored institution of higher learning. Headquartered in Warsaw, it is responsible for spearheading the development of science across the country by a society of distinguished scholars a ...

. He was Director of the Security Service from 1981 to 1987 and was Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs from 1981 to 1987. In 1983, he was appointed Major General of Milicja Obywatelska. In 1984, Ciastoń was a suspect in the murder of Father

Jerzy Popiełuszko Jerzy Popiełuszko ( born Alfons Popiełuszko; 14 September 1947 – 19 October 1984) was a Polish Roman Catholic priest who became associated with the opposition Solidarity trade union in communist Poland. He was murdered in 1984 by three ...

. He was arrested on 8 December 1984, but was acquitted thanks to intervention from the communist regime. Following the end of his ministerial term, he served as Ambassador of Poland in

Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...

from 1987 to 1990. However, he was again arrested for Popiełuszko's murder on 8 October 1990 along with . He was acquitted for lack of evidence in 1994. In 2019, Ciastoń was charged with suppressing the opposition in 1982 by unlawfully drafting them into the military. He was sentenced to two years in prison. Władysław Ciastoń died in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

on 4 June 2021 at the age of 96. On 14 June, he was buried at the

Powązki Military Cemetery Powązki Military Cemetery (; ) is an old military cemetery located in the Żoliborz district, western part of Warsaw, Poland. The cemetery is often confused with the older Powązki Cemetery, known colloquially as "Old Powązki". The Old Pową ...

Awards and decorations

Order of the Banner of Labour The Order of the Banner of Labour () was a governmental award in Poland during the 20th-century era of the Polish People's Republic, a former Marxist-Leninist state. The order was established by the Sejm (a chamber of the Polish parliament) on 2 ...

, 1st Class * POL Polonia Restituta Oficerski BAR

Officer's Cross of

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 ...

* Golden Cross of Merit (two times) * Medal "For participation in the fights in defense of the people's power" * Bronze Cross of Merit * Golden

Medal of Merit for National Defence The Medal of Merit for National Defence () is a military decoration, decoration of the Ministry of National Defence (Poland), Ministry of National Defence of Poland. Established 21 April 1966 and revised in 1991, the medal recognizes meritorious s ...

* Silver

Medal of the 30th Anniversary of People's Poland The Medal of the 30th Anniversary of People's Poland (Polish: ''Medal 30-lecia Polski Ludowej'') is a former civil decoration of Poland established by the Council of State on 7 February 1974 to recognize contribution of working people in developmen ...

Medal of the 40th Anniversary of People's Poland The Medal of the 40th Anniversary of People's Poland ( Polish: ''Medal 40-lecia Polski Ludowej'') is a former civil decoration of Poland established by the Sejm on 26 April 1984 to recognize the contribution of working people in the development of ...

Medal of the 10th Anniversary of People's Poland The Medal of the 10th Anniversary of People's Poland (Polish: ''Medal 10-lecia Polski Ludowej'') is a former Polish civil state award established by the Council of State on 23 May 1954 to recognize services to the state. It was created to mark ...

* Golden Badge "For merits in the protection of public order" * Silver Badge "For merits in the protection of public order" * Bronze Badge "For merits in the protection of public order" * Golden Badge "In the Service of the Nation" * Ribbon of the Order of Friendship of Peoples

Ribbon of the Order of Friendship of Peoples

Order of Friendship of Peoples The Order of Friendship of Peoples () was an order of the Soviet Union, and was awarded to persons (including non-citizens), organizations, enterprises, military units, as well as administrative subdivisions of the USSR for accomplishments in s ...

(USSR)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ciaston, Wladyslaw 1924 births 2021 deaths 20th-century Polish diplomats Polish politicians Polish communists Diplomats of the Polish People's Republic Ambassadors of Poland to Albania Polish Workers' Party politicians Polish United Workers' Party members People from Kraków Recipients of the Medal of the 10th Anniversary of the People's Republic of Poland Recipients of the Medal of the 40th Anniversary of the People's Republic of Poland