Kasztanka
Encyclopedia
Mare
Female horses are called mares.Mare is the Latin word for "sea".The word may also refer to:-People:* Ahmed Marzooq, also known as Mare, a footballer and Secretary General of Maldives Olympic Committee* Mare Winningham, American actress and singer...
that belonged to interwar Poland
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
's leader, Marshal Józef Piłsudski.
Life
Kasztanka is the PolishPolish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
word for the chestnut
Chestnut (coat)
Chestnut is a hair coat color of horses consisting of a reddish-to-brown coat with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat. Genetically and visually, chestnut is characterized by the absolute absence of true black hairs...
color in horses, and Piłsudski so named his horse due to her color.
She was foaled at Ludwik Popiel's Czaple Małe (Little Herons) estate probably in 1909 or 1910, and reared at his Czaple Wielkie (Great Herons) estate, in Miechów County
Miechów County
Miechów County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, southern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and only town is Miechów, which lies north...
, Kraków Province
Kraków Voivodeship
Kraków Voivodeship, refers to several historical Voivodeships of Poland in the surrounding regions, with the city of Kraków as its capital.- Kraków Voivodeship 1975-1998 :...
. Offered by her owner to the riflemen of the First Brigade
I Brigade of the Polish Legions
Brigade I of the Polish Legions was a unit of Austro-Hungarian Army, manned by Austrian Poles, part of the Polish Legions in World War I, existing from 1914 to 1917.-History:...
of the Polish Legions
Polish Legions in World War I
Polish Legions was the name of Polish armed forces created in August 1914 in Galicia. Thanks to the efforts of KSSN and the Polish members of the Austrian parliament, the unit became an independent formation of the Austro-Hungarian Army...
, she became the service mount of Commandant Józef Piłsudski, who entered Kielce
Kielce
Kielce ) is a city in central Poland with 204,891 inhabitants . It is also the capital city of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship since 1999, previously in Kielce Voivodeship...
on her in August 1914 and kept her as a riding horse until her untimely death 13 years later.
She was an elegant mare of moderate height, about at the withers
Withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...
, chestnut
Chestnut (coat)
Chestnut is a hair coat color of horses consisting of a reddish-to-brown coat with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat. Genetically and visually, chestnut is characterized by the absolute absence of true black hairs...
(light reddish-brown) in color, with markings
Horse markings
Markings on horses usually are distinctive white areas on an otherwise dark base coat color. Most horses have some markings, and they help to identify the horse as a unique individual. Markings are present at birth and do not change over the course of the horse's life...
that included a blaze and four white stockings.
Kasztanka was Józef Piłsudski's favorite horse and faithful companion in the Polish Legions' battles at the side of Austro-Hungary and Germany
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, for the independence of Poland. Indeed, she acknowledged only Piłsudski. Her task was to carry the Commandant during the First Brigade's marches. She was not remarkable for any unique gait
Horse gait
Horse gaits are the various ways in which a horse can move, either naturally or as a result of specialized training by humans.-Classification:...
nor for extraordinary feats of courage, but she was very loyal. Kasztanka was somewhat high-strung and hated artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
fire, but when her master asked, she remained controlled and obedient under difficult conditions, reciprocating his devotion.
The Polish Legions
Polish Legions in World War I
Polish Legions was the name of Polish armed forces created in August 1914 in Galicia. Thanks to the efforts of KSSN and the Polish members of the Austrian parliament, the unit became an independent formation of the Austro-Hungarian Army...
' First Uhlan Regiment, commanded by Colonel Władysław Belina-Prażmowski, presented Piłsudski with new trappings for Kasztanka, and it was in these that she henceforth appeared.
In 1922 Kasztanka went to Mińsk Mazowiecki
Minsk Mazowiecki
Mińsk Mazowiecki is a town in central Poland with 38 181 inhabitants . It is situated in the Masovian Voivodeship , previously in Siedlce Voivodeship...
into the care of the 7th Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
Uhlan Regiment. From there she would be sent to Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
when Marshal Piłsudski, as Commander-in-Chief, was to take part in state ceremonies and, seated astride Kasztanka, review military parades. When he was at his country house in Sulejówek
Sulejówek
Sulejówek is a town in Poland, about 18 km east of Warsaw city centre and part of its metropolitan area. It is located in Masovian Voivodeship, in Mińsk County...
, the mare was sometimes brought there to visit, especially to the Marshal's daughters, Wanda and Jadwiga.
Kasztanka gave birth to two foal
Foal
A foal is an equine, particularly a horse, that is one year old or younger. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, but these terms are used until the horse is age three or four. When the foal is nursing from its dam , it may also be called a suckling...
s over the course of her life, a colt
Colt (horse)
A colt is a young male horse, under the age of four. The term "colt" is often confused with foal, which refers to a horse of either sex under one year of age....
and a filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
. Other than that in both cases she gave birth when she was stabled at the 7th Uhlan Regiment in Mińsk Mazowiecki
Minsk Mazowiecki
Mińsk Mazowiecki is a town in central Poland with 38 181 inhabitants . It is situated in the Masovian Voivodeship , previously in Siedlce Voivodeship...
, little information has been preserved concerning their sires, except that they were government-owned stallion
Stallion
A Stallion is a male horse.Stallion may also refer to:* Stallion , an American pop rock group* Stallion , a figure in the Gobot toyline* Stallion , a character in the console role-playing game series...
s. The colt, a gray
Gray (horse)
Gray or grey is a coat color of horses characterized by progressive silvering of the colored hairs of the coat. Most gray horses have black skin and dark eyes; unlike many depigmentation genes, gray does not affect skin or eye color Their adult hair coat is white, dappled, or white intermingled...
named Niemen after the river, inherited only his dam's good looks but not her personality; he was lazy. He was proposed to succeed Kasztanka in serving Marshal Piłsudski, but never did. Kasztanka's filly, which Piłsudski christened Mera in memory of the river that flowed through Zułów, the family estate where he had been born, was foaled April 10, 1925, and was a chestnut like Kasztanka. In 1930, according to her surviving records, Mera was in the care of the First Light Cavalry Regiment as "officer's service horse of First Marshal Józef Piłsudski."
Marshal Piłsudski rode Kasztanka for the last time on November 11, 1927, at the Polish Independence Day parade on Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
's Saxon Square (now Piłsudski Square).
Death
Ten days after Kasztanka's final parade, on November 21, 1927, she was sent by rail back to the 7th Uhlan Regiment at Mińsk MazowieckiMinsk Mazowiecki
Mińsk Mazowiecki is a town in central Poland with 38 181 inhabitants . It is situated in the Masovian Voivodeship , previously in Siedlce Voivodeship...
, where she was stabled. However, she became ill or injured en route and died two days later. The final report on her, in an addendum to the Regimental order of the day dated November 25, 1927, read:
"On November 3, 1927, the mare Kasztanka, property of Marshal Piłsudski, was sent to Warsaw for a parade celebrating the ninth anniversary of Poland's Independence on November 11. She was sent on the instructions of the military cabinet of the Minister of Military Affairs. Kasztanka was a saddle mare that had been ridden by Marshal Piłsudski since 1914. Kasztanka took part on November 11 in the parade, being mounted for the last time by Marshal Piłsudski. On November 21, 1927, she was sent by rail transport to Mińsk Mazowiecki, and became ill en route. Upon arrival at the railroad station, despite assistance rendered by the 7th Uhlan Regiment's doctor of veterinary medicine, Lt. W. Koppe, she was unable to rise. She was transported to barracks. In view of the worsening state of her health, veterinary assistance was summoned from Warsaw, and on the night of November 21–22 Lt. Col. Konrad Millak and Lt. Col. Władysław Kulczycki arrived. These doctors of veterinary medicine took further energetic measures. They did not succeed in improving the state of [Kasztanka's] health, and at 10 o'clock that day they issued the following assessment: 'Grave internal traumaPhysical traumaTrauma refers to "a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident." It can also be described as "a physical wound or injury, such as a fracture or blow." Major trauma can result in secondary complications such as circulatory shock, respiratory failure and death...
... severe distress to blood vesselBlood vesselThe blood vessels are the part of the circulatory system that transports blood throughout the body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the arteries, which carry the blood away from the heart; the capillaries, which enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and...
s and heartHeartThe heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
.' Kasztanka died on November 23, 1927, at five o'clock in the morning."
The order of the day was signed by the 7th Uhlan Regiment's commander at the time, Lt. Col. Zygmunt Piasecki, who later complained that after Kasztanka's death Marshal Piłsudski would not talk to him.
Reportedly on the train, Kasztanka had attempted to get to the other side of a partition and had struck her backbone against a pole with all her force, and this was the cause of her injury and death.
Legacy
After her death, Kasztanka's body underwent taxidermyTaxidermy
Taxidermy is the act of mounting or reproducing dead animals for display or for other sources of study. Taxidermy can be done on all vertebrate species of animals, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians...
; in this form, after Marshal Piłsudski's death in 1935, she was given a place in the Belweder Palace
Belweder
Belweder is a palace in Warsaw, a few kilometers south of the Royal Castle. The President of the Republic of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski, resides at Belweder.-History:...
museum. The rest of her remains were buried in a park at the barracks of the 7th Uhlan Regiment, beneath a stone inscribed, "Here lies KASZTANKA, favorite combat mare of Marshal Piłsudski."
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, under German occupation, the stuffed Kasztanka ended up in Warsaw's Museum of the Polish Armed Forces. The mount survived the war, but due to lack of routine care for the collections, was badly damaged by moth
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
s. After the war she was probably cremated. By some accounts, this was done at the behest of Marshal
Marshal of Poland
Marshal of Poland is the highest rank in the Polish Army. It has been granted to only six officers. At present, this rank is equivalent to a Field Marshal or General of the Army in other NATO armies.-History:...
Michał Rola-Żymierski, who had opposed Marshal Piłsudski's May 1926 Coup d'État and been court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
led and demoted from general to private, but during World War II had been restored by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
's Marshal Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
to the rank of general and on May 3, 1945, promoted to Marshal.
In art
Kasztanka earned a place not only in the hearts of Marshal Piłsudski and his family, but in those of their countrymen. She became an equine celebrityCelebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
. The first songs of Polish soldiers during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, written by K. Biernacki and B. Lubicz, featured Kasztanka.
She was also a subject of Wojciech Kossak
Wojciech Kossak
Wojciech Kossak was a Polish painter and member of the celebrated Kossak family of painters and writers...
's 1928 painting Piłsudski on Horseback, which hangs in the National Museum, Warsaw. This painting remains one of the most popular artistic portrayals of Piłsudski.
Kasztanka figured as well in satirical artwork and songs produced by Piłsudski's political opponents.