Poland in Greece

Laskarina Bubulina (1771-1825) became famous in the fights of the Greek Revolution against the Ottoman slavery. Originated from the island of Hydra and lived on the island of Spetses. She was widowed twice, inheriting several ships that she engaged in the uprising. In 1818, Bubulina was the only woman admitted to the secret Greek organization Filiki Eteria. She began stockpiling weapons and ammunition on the island of Spetses, and financed the construction of the 33-meter Agamemnon corvette, armed with 18 heavy cannons. For two years she supported an army of Spetses residents and ships' crews. In 1821, Bubulina, at the head of her fleet, set out to conquer the fortress of Nafplion. The fortress was conquered after almost two years of siege. In recognition of her merits, she was posthumously appointed Rear Admiral. In Poland, Bubulina became a personal role model for Emilia Plater and the heroine of one of Józef Dunin-Borkowski's poems.

Emilia Plater (1806-1831) was a Polish noblewoman born in Lithuania, a Captain of the Polish Army and a heroine of the November Uprising. She was impressed by the stories of Joanna d'Arc, Tadeusz Kościuszko and the Greek heroine Bubulina. A portrait of Bubulina decorated the room of young Emilia Plater. She received patriotic education, practiced fencing, horse riding and hunting. She supported the youth and patriotic movement of the time. When in December 1830 the news about the outbreak of the November Uprising reached Vilnius, Emilia was one of the first initiators of an independent uprising in Lithuania. She made a plan to conquer Daugavpils. She cut off her long hair, donned men's clothes, and armed with pistols and a dagger, she set out to fight. The military unit formed by her consisted of 280 riflemen, several hundred armed peasants, and 60 cavalrymen. Together with the unit, she started a march towards Daugavpils, and on the way new volunteers joined the unit. The unit commanded by her achieved many successes in fights with the Russians, but was eventually crushed, and Emilia herself died of exhaustion on December 23, 1931. Adam Mickiewicz devoted his poem "Death of a Colonel" to her.