▁ 1 9 5 6 . ▁The ▁Soviet - installed ▁government ▁in ▁Wars aw ▁campaign ed ▁for ▁the ▁return ▁of ▁the ▁ex iles , ▁prom ising ▁decent ▁and ▁dign ified ▁employ ment ▁in ▁commun ist ▁Polish ▁administration ▁and ▁forg iveness ▁of ▁past ▁trans gress ions . ▁ ▁Despite ▁these ▁set back s , ▁the ▁government ▁in ▁ex ile ▁continued ▁in ▁existence . ▁When ▁Soviet ▁influence ▁over ▁Poland ▁came ▁to ▁an ▁end ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁there ▁was ▁still ▁a ▁president ▁and ▁a ▁cabinet ▁of ▁eight ▁meeting ▁every ▁two ▁weeks ▁in ▁London , ▁command ing ▁the ▁loyal ty ▁of ▁about ▁ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Polish ▁veter ans ▁and ▁their ▁descend ants ▁living ▁in ▁Britain , ▁including ▁ 3 5 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁London ▁alone . ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁when ▁Le ch ▁W ał ę sa ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁non - Comm un ist ▁president ▁of ▁Poland ▁since ▁the ▁war , ▁he ▁received ▁the ▁symbols ▁of ▁the ▁Polish ▁Republic ▁( the ▁president ial ▁b anner , ▁the ▁president ial ▁and ▁state ▁se als , ▁the ▁president ial ▁s ash es , ▁and ▁the ▁original ▁text ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁Constitution ) ▁from ▁the ▁last ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁government ▁in ▁ex ile , ▁R ysz ard ▁K acz or owski . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁military ▁med als ▁and ▁other ▁decor ations ▁awarded ▁by ▁the ▁government ▁in ▁ex ile ▁were ▁officially ▁recognized ▁in ▁Poland .