My program is going to Ukraine anyways, so it's worth a try. According to the Jagiellonian University, even if I have Polish citizenship by blood, if I have no way of documenting it then it's worthless--especially since I will be forced to enter the country on a U.S. Passport.
They're speaking nonsense. There's no such thing as it being worthless - either you can be claimed as a Polish citizen (and thus, requiring you to obtain Polish documents when in Poland) or you can't be. The only way to absolve your obligations as a Polish citizen is to renounce Polish citizenship.
For what it's worth - you're far more likely to get hassle on the Eastern border (where documents are routinely thoroughly scrutinised) than at the airports.
I'm hoping I can start the process in Chicago, and when I come to Poland in the fall, I will visit Warsaw and try to go get an update on my file--who knows. Maybe I can slip a few bills and get things to move more "efficiently."
You don't need to bribe anyone, nor do you need to go to Warsaw (citizenship is handled by the provinces). Just come to Poland, with all the documentation you have (parents birth certificates, your birth certificates, etc) and sort out citizenship when here. It'll be much faster and easier than doing it through the US consulate.
My program is going to Ukraine anyways, so it's worth a try.
It's worth a try if you fancy sitting around in Krakovets/Shegyni, left behind by the trip after being refused re-entry.