Warszawianka (1905)

"Whirlwinds of Danger," known as Warszawianka in Polish, is a socialist revolutionary song from Poland. It was written between 1879 and 1883. The name Warszawianka means “Varsovian woman/lady/girl,” referring to a woman or girl from Warsaw.

The song became famous during the Revolution in the Kingdom of Poland (1905–1907). In 1905, during May Day demonstrations in Warsaw, 30 workers were hurt, and the song became their anthem. That is why it is often called “Warszawianka 1905 roku,” or “Warszawianka of 1905.”

One story says the song was written by Wacław Święcicki in 1879 while he was in the Warsaw Citadel for his socialist activities. Another story says he wrote it in 1883 after returning from exile in Siberia. The music was composed by Józef Pławiński, who was also imprisoned with Święcicki and was inspired by an earlier song from the January Uprising called "Marsz Żuawów." The song quickly became a popular anthem for people fighting for change in Russian-held Poland.

Lyrics and variants

The song "Warszawianka" has been adapted into many languages. In Russia, a version called "Varshavianka" was popular, with lyrics that did not mention Warsaw. In East Germany, a German version was used as marching music by the Army. In France, the 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment used the same tune with different words.

Famous dancer Isadora Duncan created a dance called Varshavianka using the song's tune. An English version, called "Whirlwinds of Danger," was written in the 1920s and performed by singers Paul Robeson and Leon Lishner. The song was also adapted into Spanish by Valeriano Orobón Fernández, becoming popular during the Spanish Civil War. More recently, a Burmese version was created based on the Spanish adaptation.

In films

The song appeared in several films. In the 1925 film Battleship Potemkin, an instrumental version played during scenes about the Russian Revolution of 1905. The first words of the Russian version were used as the title for the 1953 film Hostile Whirlwinds. In Doctor Zhivago, an instrumental version of the song was played by peaceful demonstrators in Moscow.

The song was also used in the opening credits of The Jackal and in a submarine scene in Hail, Caesar!. In the 2018 Polish Netflix series (/wiki/1983_(TV_series)), the song was performed with altered lyrics. Additionally, in The Youth of Maxim, workers sang the song in several scenes.