September 17, 1939. No more

polska-zbrojna.pl 2 weeks ago

The Katyn crime was an effort to erase the Republic of Poland from the map of Europe," said president Karol Nawrocki during the ceremony of NKVD victims exhumed from the collective graves. The celebration in Warsaw was part of the commemoration of the 86th anniversary of the USSR's aggression against Poland. The tribute was besides paid to the victims by Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamish, Minister of Defence.

A ceremony of NKVD victims exhumed from a collective grave.

– Katyn genocide It was a pleasance to banish our national soul, our elites, officers, policemen, soldiers, prison service officers and the Border defender Corps. It was an effort to erase the Republic forever from the map of Europe and the world," said president Karol Nawrocki during the ceremony of the remains of the victims of Katyn crime in the Capital Department of the Polish Army. He added that soldiers murdered in Katyn by the Russians were men of honor, ready to defend their homeland.

A ceremony ceremony with a military ceremony was held on the 86th anniversary Soviet aggression against Poland and the 85th anniversary of the Katyn crime this year. The Mass was presided by the Field Bishop of the Polish Academy of Sciences Wiesław Lechowicz.

RECLAMA

In his speech, the president emphasized that although many years have passed since the russian aggression against Poland and the russian crimes in Poles, the planet has until late repeated and continues to repeat the same mistakes, succumbing to the ideology of communist and russian misinformation. – The terror-bearing communism in alliance with German national socialism in the form of Ribbentrop-Molotov pact He threatened the integrity and independency not only of Poland, but besides of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania and Finland," said Karol Nawrocki.

He added that the ceremony of Katyń victims, despite its tragic pronunciation, puts circumstantial tasks before us. – We must not be deceived by russian ideology and misinformation. We cannot believe that anything another than the strength of the Polish armed forces, the Polish soldier, our alliances, us as a national community, can halt events specified as those that took place during the Second War – emphasized the head of the armed forces.

Prior to the ceremony, the president paid tribute to the victims of russian aggression in front of the monument to the fallen and murdered in the East.

Buried after respective decades

In the crypt of the Field Department of the Polish Army, 15 remains murdered by the NKVD came to remainder today. There were 15 skulls and bone material secured by prosecutors of the National Memorial Institute as part of their investigation. 12 skulls were extracted in 1991 during exhumation works in Kharkov and sent to Poland for research. 3 skulls and bone material were located at the Katyn Museum. The genetic examination of the bones was completed, which enabled their burial. Maciej Żywno, Vice Marshal of the Senate, appealed for approval to bury the IPN. The Katyń household Association asked for his support in this case. The families of the victims wanted to close a long period of mourning for officers murdered in Katyn.

In the crypt of the Field Department of the Polish Army, 15 remains murdered by the NKVD came to remainder today.

The burial of victims of the Katyn crime at the Field Department of the Polish Academy of Sciences announced in late August Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defence. “The Polish Army remembers its officers, the elite of the Polish nation, who were murdered 85 years ago in Katyń forests,” said the Deputy Prime Minister. And he added that the Field Cathedral is simply a worthy burial site.

Knife in the back

Celebrations commemorating victims of russian aggression against Poland were held this morning. The head of the MON paid tribute to the murdered, laying a wreath before the Warsaw Memorial of the Deceased and Murdered in the East. – On September 17, 1939, the fighting, defending Poland suffered a knife attack in the back. The russian Union joined Germany's violent assault – said the Deputy Prime Minister.

The head of the MON stressed that it was essential to safe the homeland so that no more situation like that of 1939 would occur. Speaking about safety he referred to the ongoing exercises of the Polish Army ‘Iron Defender’. “I will be observing actions that complement yesterday’s part of the “Autumn Fire” exercise, due to the fact that the memory of the past is very important, it is our identity and tradition, but the most crucial thing is what is ahead”, Kosiniak-Kamish said.

On the another hand, Paweł Zalewski, Deputy Minister of Defence, opened present an outdoor exhibition dedicated to the Katyn chaplains, clergymen of various denominations murdered by the Soviets. The Deputy Chief of the MON stressed that the exhibition shows the function of military chaplains in the armed forces, who share the destiny of their soldiers and pay the highest price with them. Zalewski recalled that On September 17, 1939, russian troops attacked Poland the minute erstwhile most of the forces were defeated, and the success of the russian Army was certain. This is the way the Russians operate until today. They always attack the weaker and this is simply a very crucial lesson for us," added the Deputy Minister.

In September 1939, Polish soldiers of the Second Republic of Poland were imprisoned together with soldiers. They were imprisoned in camps in Kozielsk, Ostashkov, Starobielsk, where they conducted secret spiritual services for prisoners of war. In 1940, they were murdered in Katyn, Tver, Kharkiv and in another places within the USSR. The exhibition prepared by the Katyński Kaplans' Memory Association was opened at the MON building on Puławska Street in Warsaw next to the Centre of Veteran Activities outside the State Borders.

To defender the memory

In the afternoon before the Katyń Museum in the Citadel of Warsaw there was an appeal under the slogan “On the Watch of Memory!”. It was attended by combatants, soldiers, as well as almost 600 students of uniform classes, gunmen and members of pro-defence organizations from all over Poland. “This gathering is simply a tribute to the victims of the 1939 aggression, as well as an expression of our memory, gratitude and commitment to preserving historical fact for future generations,” said Paweł Żurkowski, Deputy manager of the Museum of the Polish Army, whose subsidiary is the Katyń Museum.

During the appeal, Lech Parell, head of the Office for Combatants and Represented Persons, addressed young participants of the ceremony. – You ask yourselves, what is the conclusion of these events from 86 years ago? I realize the lesson of September 1939 so that present we should be strong and strengthen Poland, reject what divides us and look for a common denominator, due to the fact that we will be united and no 1 will attack us – explained Parell.

In his letter, Deputy Prime Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz besides referred to the current geopolitical situation. "Today we must all be firm, ready and determined to defend the independency and sovereignty of our homeland," he wrote. The head of the MON assured that he would do everything possible to guarantee that the Polish army was strong and modern, and Polish military alliances warrant us the safety and solidarity of the coalitions.

Finally, Kamil Szymanski, 1st advanced School student of 111th Hunting Squadron in Volomina, spoke on behalf of the youth. He emphasized that today's celebrations are a informing and a reminder that freedom is not given erstwhile and for all. "It is simply a commitment for us young people for the future to strengthen our own skills and cognition in order to be able to defend freedom wisely in adult life," he concluded.

We owe it to them.

On September 17, 1939, breaking the Polish-Soviet non-aggression pact, Red Army he attacked Poland, implementing the findings contained in the secret protocol of the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact concluded between the USSR and Nazi Germany. The consequence of the alliance of 2 totalitarianisms was the demolition of lonely Poland, followed by persecution and arrest.

In the spring of 1940, as decreed by the USSR authorities of March 5, 1940, NKWD murdered about 22 1000 Polish citizens, including over 14,000 military, police and another uniformed services held in camps in Kozielsk, Starobielsk and Ostashkov.

The investigation into Katyń crime has been conducted since 2004 by the Branch Commission for the Investigation of Crimes against the Polish People of the IPN in Warsaw. The intent of the proceedings is, among others, to identify all victims of the crime, the previously unknown places of their punishment and burial and all those liable for the murder. More than 4,4,000 witnesses were interviewed as part of the investigation, most of the household members murdered, and over 700 volumes of evidence were collected.

In addition, experts in genetics conduct activities related to the recognition of the remains of Katyn crime victims secured in Poland. According to the IPN, to a large extent, full genetic profiles have been obtained, allowing for further genetic comparative studies. The Institute besides stresses that the Polish Katyń investigation is now historical and will not lead to legal judgement of the perpetrators of the crimes. "However, this does not diminish the rank of this proceeding, for the reconstruction of the circumstances of the crime and the uncovering of its perpetrators is our work to the victims," the IPN emphasizes.

Anna Dąbrowska
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