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Walery Karłowicz Mroczkowski, born 1840 in Olonets - died 1889 in Paris, was a Polish insurgent in the 1863 January Uprising, and an anarchist in the close circle of Mikhail Bakunin. He is also known as a portrait photographer in France, working under the pseudonym, "Ostroga" or "Valerien Ostroga".

Early life

Nothing is known, at present, of Mroczkowski's family background or childhood. As the earliest written record, the diary of his uprising colleague, Szymon Kotyll published in 1907 indicates, that he was a student at the Medical Academy in Warsaw (1860-1861), he would have had access to funds for his interrupted studies and for travel to Italy for military training. As a convinced patriot he went to Cuneo to attend a Polish military cadet school (1861–62) in preparation for a future uprising.^[1]
On his return to Poland in 1862 the National Central Committee despatched him to the Augustów Governorate, under cover of being a journalist, to help organize military units. The following year he took part in a series of skirmishes and in May 1863 he distinguished himself at the head of a relief party in the battle of Kazlų Rūda.,.^[2]^[3]
By November 1863 he was in Eastern Prussia where he was arrested and imprisoned in Posen-West Prussia. In 1865 he was released and forced into exile.

Encounter with Anarchism

As an activist prior to his exile Mroczkowski was regarded as a democrat and an apostle of the Emancipation of serfs.^[4] On a trip to Florence in 1865 he met Mikhail Bakunin who befriended him and suggested he accompany him on a trip to Naples. There he was introduced to princess Zoë Sumarokov, (born 1828), who was to become his lover and later his wife.^[5] · ^[6]

While staying on Ischia in 1866 with Bakunin, Mroczkowski together with his now partner, Zoe, produce a French translation of the Revolutionary Catechism Bakunin's founding text for the secret "international revolutionary society" they were planning.^[7]

A Swiss interlude

In 1867, they decided to settle in Switzerland, initially they stayed in Vevey, then in Geneva. There they met the French geographer and theorist, Élysée Reclus, whose daughter would later become the companion of the Mroczkowskis' son, Felix.^[8] In 1868 having become members of the First Internationale and then of the central committee of the League of Peace and Freedom, after the schism in the aftermath of the Berne Convention, Mroczkowski and Bakunin form a group to oppose the ideology of Karl Marx.^[9] · ^[10]
Mroczkowski was also involved in drawing up plans for the refurbishment of a villa, La Baronata perched above Lake Maggiore, a retirement retreat built for Carlo Cafiero, who initially "gave" it to Bakunin, but on discovering that his fortune was leaching away, was able to get it back.^[11]

London episode

In 1869 they left Switzerland and travelled as a couple to London and mixed there among revolutionary circles that included people such as Karl Marx and Walery Wroblewski^[12] · ^[13]

A new career in photography

Since Prince Obolensky had forcibly abducted his children in 1869 from his wife, Zoë, her income dipped considerably. Having left Switzerland and now London, Mroczkowki and Zoë took up residence in Menton. There in 1871 Mroczkowski opened a photographic studio as "Walerian M.Ostroga", specialising in portraits. Eventually, he split the year between Trouville-sur-mer in Summer and Menton in Winter. Living in two places enabled him to justify extensive travel and disguise his anarchist activities. As a photographer he was able to finance his family, for living in a Cmmon-law marriage with Zoë and their two children, Félix (1867-1936) and Léonie (1871-1947) he had regular outgoings.
They were finally able to marry after the death of Prince Alexei Vasilievitch, Zoe's husband, and were able to buy a villa, "les mouettes", that became "villa Ostroga".

Mroczkowski/Valerien Ostroga died on 1 october 1889 in Paris and was buried in the Vieux-Château cemetery in Menton.^[14] ^[15]

Gallery

Photos by Valerien Ostroga
Business addresses on the back of an Ostroga Cabinet card
Alexandra Obolenskaya née Djakov, sister-in-law of Zoë (1879)
Paul Mirabaud (1880)

References

^ Ecole militaire polonaise Cunéo
^ Récits des combats Journal des débats politiques et littéraires
^ Liste des participations aux combats N°46733 genealogia.okiem
^ Laskowski, Piotr. (2016) "Jedyny wybitny bakuninowiec"- Walerian Mroczkowski (1840-1889) in Studia z Dziejów Anarchizmu (2) w Dwusetleciu Urodzin Michała Bakunina. Ed. Skrzycki, Radosław. Szczecin: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego. ISBN 978-83-7972-056-9 p.82 The Polish title translates as "The only and foremost follower of Bakunin"
^ [http://oasis.lib.harvard.edu/oasis/deliver/~fun00006 Letters of the Obolensky family Harvard University.edu
^ M.C. Rintoul, Dictionary of Real People and Places in Fiction, Routledge, 2014, page 713.
^ Le Catéchisme révolutionnaire atelierdecreationlibertaire
^ Berne 1868 florian-pennec.net
^ Discours de Berne dans Kolokol du Ier décembre 1868 (p. 218)
^ La Baronata James Guillaume- l'internationale
^ La Baronataatelierdecreationlibertaire
^ Próchnik, Adam. (1933). "Początki socjalizmu polskiego" in Księga Jubileuszowa PPS 1892-1932, edited by Krieger, A., Maliniak, J., Wasilewski, L. et Zaremba, Z. Varsovie: "Robotnik" Publications. https://sbc.org.pl/Content/84093/ii25240.pdf p. 9 1892-1932)
^ L'Autre Bakounine monde-nouveau.net (cf. note p. 128-129) "The Other Bakunin"
^ Acte décès archives Paris Ve (p. 29/31)
^ Tombe Menton tombeauxpolonais.eu

Bibliography

Mroczkowski Walery (1840-1889) powstaniec 1863, emigrant. Polski Słownik Biograficzny vol. 22 p. 185
Laskowski, Piotr. (2016) "Jedyny wybitny bakuninowiec"- Walerian Mroczkowski (1840-1889) dans Studia z Dziejów Anarchizmu (2) w Dwusetleciu Urodzin Michała Bakunina.' Red. Skrzycki, Radosław. Szczecin: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego. ISBN 978-83-7972-056-9 p.81-122. [1]
Un quatrième Walery photographe Blog de Hugues Fontaine
Arbre généalogique sur pierfitgeneanet
Group photo with Bakunin
Portrait National Museum of Warsaw (Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie)
Photos on Gallica BnF
Photos Trieste Library

External links

[1] Ecole militaire polonaise Cunéo

[2] Récits des combats Journal des débats politiques et littéraires

[3] Liste des participations aux combats N°46733 genealogia.okiem

[4] Laskowski, Piotr. (2016) "Jedyny wybitny bakuninowiec"- Walerian Mroczkowski (1840-1889) in Studia z Dziejów Anarchizmu (2) w Dwusetleciu Urodzin Michała Bakunina. Ed. Skrzycki, Radosław. Szczecin: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego. ISBN 978-83-7972-056-9 p.82 The Polish title translates as "The only and foremost follower of Bakunin"

[5] [http://oasis.lib.harvard.edu/oasis/deliver/~fun00006 Letters of the Obolensky family Harvard University.edu

[6] M.C. Rintoul, Dictionary of Real People and Places in Fiction, Routledge, 2014, page 713.

[7] Le Catéchisme révolutionnaire atelierdecreationlibertaire

[8] Berne 1868 florian-pennec.net

[9] Discours de Berne dans Kolokol du Ier décembre 1868 (p. 218)

[10] La Baronata James Guillaume- l'internationale

[11] La Baronataatelierdecreationlibertaire

[12] Próchnik, Adam. (1933). "Początki socjalizmu polskiego" in Księga Jubileuszowa PPS 1892-1932, edited by Krieger, A., Maliniak, J., Wasilewski, L. et Zaremba, Z. Varsovie: "Robotnik" Publications. https://sbc.org.pl/Content/84093/ii25240.pdf p. 9 1892-1932)

[13] L'Autre Bakounine monde-nouveau.net (cf. note p. 128-129) "The Other Bakunin"

[14] Acte décès archives Paris Ve (p. 29/31)

[15] Tombe Menton tombeauxpolonais.eu

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 ==External links==
-{{Uncategorized|date=January 2018}}
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