I am reporting obediently… The 28th Schweik Maneuvers are behind us [PHOTOS]

In preparing a report on the maneuvers, it should be noted that Polish regiments from Silesia, Kielce, Szczecin, Gdańsk, Kalisz, Warsaw, Kraków, and Cieszyn, as well as Czech regiments from Kralupy, Prague, and Olomouc, reported to Festung Przemyśl. In total, well over a hundred Švejk. This year, the command decreed that the color of the regiment would be lilac pink, which emphasized the army's pacifist nature and allowed the gendarmes to distinguish participants from the local population. The changes concerned more than just the color. For example, the previously mandatory detailed medical examinations were abandoned, limiting themselves to a cursory assessment of the conscripts' mental state. Another striking change was the empress, completely unlike the one from the previous year. The somewhat weaker condition of the participants was also noticeable; instead of conquering the Fortress's command headquarters located on Zniesienie, they made their task easier by using the chairlift. The justification may be Švejk's maxim: "It was as it was, it was always somehow. It was never so that it wasn't somehow."

You should have seen the faces of the Švejks as they comfortably reached the Przemyśl Fortress Command Center, located in Zniesienie, to the sounds of fiery marches. A modern, multimedia museum with holograms, models, games, and a World War I-era wagon. and The 5D cinema was truly impressive, especially for visitors. The launch of Andrzej Grabowski's latest book, "The Further Adventures of the Good Soldier Švejk During the World War," was also held there. It is an attempt to reconstruct the story of the character created by Jarosław Haszek, who died without completing the story of Švejk's fate.

This year's name, "Innocent," particularly intrigued the local population, who offered various comments, so we asked the command for clarification. "It's the one hundred and tenth anniversary of Joseph Švejk's stay at the Przemyśl Fortress. Because he was arrested in a Russian uniform, they wanted to hang him, just as other spies or suspected Russian supporters were hanged on Winna Góra. Fortunately, a telegram arrived at the army headquarters at the last minute, confirming that Joseph Švejk had gotten lost near Felsztyn. This saved him, and the court found him innocent, so in remembrance, we called the maneuvers "Innocent." To commemorate this event, we visited the places where he was then: army headquarters, the fort at Bakończyce, the train station, and the prison that still stands today," explained Zbigniew Różycki, president of the Przemyśl Association of Friends of the Good Soldier Švejk and Imperial-Royal Field Marshal at Festung Przemyśl.

Typically, maneuvers in every army in the world are organized to practically test the performance of individual components and eliminate shortcomings. In the case of the "Svejk Maneuvers," there weren't many such exercises. However, a problem did arise. One participant protested not to be called "Svejk" and, for the sake of propriety, to use the feminine form and address her as "Svejkini." Now, the command staff will have to decide whether to introduce this form by special order. Complaints were also heard among the conscripts that the local beer, the iconic Svejk beverage, wasn't as good as the one poured at the "U Kalicha" tavern. Considering all the problems associated with organizing maneuvers, a military maxim can be cited that it's good for soldiers to complain, but worse when they remain silent.

The maneuver report should also mention other program items prepared for the participants by the staff officers. For example, a test of knowledge about Švejk's stay in Przemyśl, a free pipe-smoking competition (an indispensable attribute of a brave soldier), mandatory promotions to higher ranks at every maneuver, and demotions, which fortunately did not occur this year. As usual, the culmination of the maneuvers was the Švejk feast, which featured "plenty of food and plenty of drink." On Sunday morning, after a group photograph, the regiments dispersed in the Market Square, promising to meet again next year.

Reported by JS