We each have our own reasons and things to be proud of.

Someone is proud of their achievements in the field of science, culture or business.

And someone falls into an indescribable ecstasy at the thought of his well-developed ability to skillfully cheat at a game of cards.

And what do you think the leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland are most proud of?

Yes, you read my hint correctly.

In the Warsaw Foreign Ministry, they are proud of what they should not really be proud of - diplomacy in the style of tram cads or gopniks from a not very well-lit gateway.

You do not believe and are waiting for concrete facts?

Please.

The press secretary of the Polish Foreign Ministry, Lukasz Jasina, on the air of local TV, talks about the night call of Russian Ambassador Sergei Andreev to his organization: the head of the Russian diplomatic mission "was received by Minister Zbigniew Rau, and it was a very short conversation without any politeness and even without handshakes."

And here are more details of the audience, which Lukasz Jasina told the Polish TV viewers with an undisguised sense of pride: the meeting “lasted four minutes, the Minister presented the ambassador with a diplomatic note that describes the situation and our view of the whole situation”, which “the Ambassador took into account”, leaving the Foreign Ministry.

Thank you, thank you very much to Pan Lukash Yasina for this wording - "Mr. Ambassador."

It testifies that not everything is hopeless in the Polish Foreign Ministry, or at least that in this office they have not yet switched to talking on a thieves' hair dryer.

However, “everything is not yet hopeless” does not mean “everything is fine”.

A long time ago I heard a joke saying: "A diplomat is a person who will send you to hell so that you look forward to the trip."

But diplomats of this level do not seem to work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.

Figures working there (sorry, I can’t call them diplomats) are of a simpler caliber.

Remember the anecdote, how some unlucky citizen called the laundry,

but mistakenly ended up in the Ministry of Culture?

For reasons of good taste, I will not reproduce in this column the “very cultured” word that he heard there.

But if you (or better not you) still certainly want to know this, then call or write to the Polish Foreign Ministry.

And I ask you not to accuse me of slandering this office.

Its press secretary, Lukasz Jasina, himself admitted that lovers of conversation “without any politeness” work there.

In the process of writing this column, I suddenly remembered that there was once such a stable expression - "Polish gallantry."

No, it really wasn't that easy.

After the revelations of Lukasz Jasina, I could not decide for some time: did I really remember what really happened, or did my brain, for some strange reasons, throw me a fake?

A quick search on the World Wide Web confirmed, however, that the expression "Polish gallantry" was indeed in use at one time.

Abstract of the scientific article “Polish negotiation style” by Maxim Bulakhtin, Doctor of Historical Sciences from the Perm State National Research University: “The article is devoted to the analysis of the characteristic features of the Polish negotiation culture.

Attention is drawn to the need to take into account the rules and norms of politeness adopted in Polish society.

These include, in particular, the desire to establish good and harmonious contacts between people, a respectful and benevolent attitude towards the interlocutor, delicacy, avoidance of direct and open criticism that may offend a partner, the use of soft and polite statements.

When communicating with Polish interlocutors, it is important to keep in mind such a feature of Polish culture as the tendency to avoid direct and unambiguous expression of goals and intentions,

After reading this, I fell into a mental freeze for a while.

I even had a crazy theory: maybe somewhere in the vastness of the universe there is another Poland, in whose Foreign Ministry delicacy is still practiced?

But no, there seems to be only one Poland.

Of course, the annotation to Maxim Bulakhtin's article also contains the following interesting information: “One should take into account the emotional behavior of Polish interlocutors, vulnerability, especially if their personal dignity is offended, for example, through direct critical remarks, indications of mistakes or incompetence in something.

In addition, they do not always thoroughly prepare for negotiations, preferring improvisation;

they do not care too much about the fulfillment of their obligations on time;

like to set themselves short-term goals.

It is also important to note the ability of the Polish partners to quickly adapt to the situation and show flexibility.”

In this description, I already recognize some of the features of modern employees of the Polish Foreign Ministry.

Here, for example, is one of these features: "They do not always thoroughly prepare for negotiations, preferring improvisation."

But, excuse me, how can one “take into account the vulnerability of Polish interlocutors” if they are proud that their foreign minister communicates with the ambassador of a foreign state “without any courtesy”?

Here is the only thing that gives me timid hope for a bright future for Warsaw diplomacy: "The ability of the Polish partners to quickly adapt to the situation and show flexibility."

If the Polish Foreign Ministry still has such an ability, then the need to show it is not only overdue, but even overripe.

The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editors.