he graduated in animal science from the Krakow Agricultural University, but quickly realized that the stage was his greatest passion and vocation. He became popular with the Tey cabaret, where, together with Zenon Laskowik, he created such sketches as “At the back of the store” and “Pani Pelargia”. He also tried his hand at acting on screen, and viewers loved him as the postman Edzio from the cult series.
The suicide of his son was a shock for Smolen. He was the one who discovered his body
Before Smolen developed his career dynamically, he also found happiness in his private life. In 1970, he got married and his chosen one was Teresa, with whom he shared a passion for animals. Shortly afterwards, they opened their own pet shop in Poznań, and their three sons were born: Maciej, Piotr and Bartosz. Then they decided to move from a small apartment in the old part of the city to the countryside and for this purpose they bought a house in Przeźmierowo. The family’s life changed in April 1990 when Smoleniów committed suicide.
The day before, Piotr went out to meet his friends, to whom he lent recordings of his father’s cabaret. He didn’t come back that night. The next morning the satirist decided to look for him, he had no idea that the worst had happened. He found his body just a few meters from the house. He was 16 years old then. – I had to discover it, collect the body, cover it and wait for the police. And have time to think about what I’m going to say. What time did he leave the house, why was he not at home at ten o’clock in the evening – with tears in his eyes in the program “Niepokonani” by Krzysztof Ziemec. Although the police ruled out that third parties were involved in the incident, Smolen did not believe it. He even tried to find out the truth on his own, but to no avail, which only deepened his sense of injustice and despair.
Smolen’s wife was unable to cope with the grief. A year later she took her own life
After some time, the family began to function again, but the grief and emptiness remained. Smolen coped with mourning better than his wife, because he knew he had to be strong, after all, he had two more sons to raise. – She knew that I was tougher than her and she couldn’t understand that she still had two children to raise, but she was worried about one. We didn’t know what else life would surprise us with, he said in the program. A year after the tragedy, the couple was visited by friends with whom they talked about life until late hours. That evening, Teresa behaved differently than usual, she was happier and willing to joke. At one point she decided that she was sleepy and left the room and went upstairs. – When the guests were leaving, I went to get her to say goodbye. She hung herself with her bra, he recalled with a trembling voice.
Smoleń did not hide that it shocked him. He was left alone with his two sons, the youngest of whom was only 11 years old at the time. The artist was unable to cope with the loss, so he withdrew from public life. It was only in the mid-1990s that he decided to return to his profession, but life still did not spoil him. In the meantime, he struggled with depression and had other health problems, including: he suffered a stroke three times, and after the last one in 2015, he was paralyzed. He died a year later on December 15 at the age of 69.
If you are experiencing difficulties and are thinking about taking your own life or want to help someone at risk of suicide, remember that you can use the free help numbers:
- Support Center for Adults in Mental Crisis: 800-70-2222
- Helpline for Children and Youth: 116 111
- Emotional support phone number for adults: 116 123
Below you will find more information on how to help yourself or others, as well as contacts to organizations helping people in crisis and their loved ones.
If suicidal thoughts or a suicide attempt are life-threatening, for immediate crisis intervention, call the police on 112 or go to the emergency department of your local psychiatric hospital.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
