Let events from 85 years ago, in which 22,000 Poles died, be a informing to the planet and a motive for unity – said Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz during the celebrations commemorating the 85th anniversary of the Katyn crime. The head of the MON besides present paid tribute to the victims of the Smolensk disaster, members of the delegation who died 15 years ago, going to the ceremony to Katyń.
– Katyn Crime was directed at the foundations of the Polish state, in the best sons and daughters of the Republic, in officers of the Polish Army, representatives of uniform services, scientists, teachers, clergymen – said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, during the ceremony at the Katyń Museum in the Warsaw Citadel. He reminded that Poles by decision of the russian authorities with Joseph Stalin at the head were sentenced to death without a court, an indictment and against global law. – In the forests in Katyn, Kharkov, Bulls and Mednoje were shot in the back of the head. And then cast into the pits of death," added the head of the MON.
However, he assured that they did not quit their lives unjustly, due to the fact that Poland was reborn thanks to their dedication. “Let events from 85 years ago, in which 22,000 of our compatriots suffered martyrdom, be a informing to the world, an indication of action and a motive for unity”, said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
During the gathering at the Katyn Museum, Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz besides spoke about today's 15th anniversary of plane crash Tu-154 close SmolenskThat killed 96 people. – The delegation with president Lech Kaczyński and his wife at the head, the last president of Poland in exile Ryszard Kaczorowski, the highest military commanders, representatives of parliament, Katyń families, the combatants flew to Katyń Forest with the mission of the Polish state to commemorate our most prominent compatriots, victims of this crime – recalled the head of the MON.
This morning, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and the department's leadership and military representatives celebrated the memory of the victims of the disaster. Flowers were placed at the Military Cemetery in Powązki, the names of those who died under Smolensk were read. The Deputy Prime Minister besides placed flowers at another memorial sites connected with the disaster: at the graves of Stanisław Jerzy Komorowski, who was Deputy Minister of Defence in 2010, and Jerzy Szmajdziński, erstwhile Minister of Defence, as well as at the plaque dedicated to president Kaczyński, his spouse and another victims of the disaster associated with the military and defence department, which is located in the MON building at Klonowa Street.
Today's celebrations at the Katyn Museum began a series of events related to the celebration of the 85th anniversary of the Katyn crime. On 13 April, the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Katyn Crimes falls, and 2025 was established by the Sejm. Year of Polish Heroes from Katyń, Kharkiv, Mednoje. During the ceremony in Citadel, the Minister of National Defence opened the exhibition “Criminal Testimonies – mass-extracted documents the grave in Mednoje, Kharkiv and Katyn.” The exhibition is dedicated to archives found during the exhumation of victims in the 1990s. Over 20,000 relics were extracted from the pits of death. Among them were almost 3,000 documents, which were entered on the Polish National List of the UNESCO Programme "Memoir of the World", covering the treasures of the national heritage," said Sebastian Karwat, head of the Katyń Museum. He added that most of the papers were presented to the public for the first time, as they were maintained, secured and readable for years. 2649 mass grave papers in Katyn, Kharkov and Miednoje were entered on the Polish UNESCO programme list. Among them are newspapers, fragments of books, authoritative prints, photographs, identity cards, metrics, as well as records left by prisoners, e.g. their correspondence with families. The exhibition will be open until mid-August.
