„Wielki dyrygent orkiestry” – Gandhi Vincenza
The Great Conductor – Vincenz’s Ghandi

Summary/Abstract: The article presents an attempt of a broader look at Stanisław Vincenz’s attitude towards the person of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. The author analyses the first trace of interest in the Indian leader – a 1927 article from “Droga”, which was a direct result of Romain Rolland’s book Mahatma Gandhi having been published, followed by an extensive essay published in the Parisian “Culture” after Mahatma’s death. The author dedicates most of the time however, towards tracking the traces of the idea of “non‑violence” in Vincenz’s tetralogy On the High Uplands. On the basis of the showcased examples, it is possible to conclude that the author based the creation of not only a few literary characters and their fates on Ghandi’s ideals and story, but also established thereon the fundamental ethical message of the cycle. In the notions of mercy and resistance against violence, Vincenz achieved a blend of ideas from different religions and culture, combining Christian, Hasidic, Buddhist and Hindu traditions; as well as the views of H.D. Thoreau. A song played on a shepherd flute called fłojera becomes a symbol of a nonviolent rule over people, a fight without aggression and hatred, while being the most complete symbol of freedom in Vincenz’s book. The article is concluded by the reflections on the memoire‑like Dialogi z Sowietami (Dialogues with Soviets), in which Vincenz describes his relations with the representatives of the Soviet government during the Second World War, when he had an opportunity to practice the ideas borrowed from Mahatma.

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