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10th Anniversary of the Smolensk Tragedy
Nations and states endure and deserve a place in history as long
as they preserve the memory of their ancestors and as long as
they are able, in the name of deeply understood values of truth
and goodness, to pay homage to those who proved their love and
devotion to their homeland through their lives.
In the name of such a memory, a delegation of representatives
of the elite of a free Poland, headed by the President of the Republic
of Poland, Lech Kaczyński, the First Lady, Maria Kaczyńska,
and the last President of the Republic of Poland in exile, Ryszard
Kaczorowski, went to Katyń on 10 April 2010. They intended to
pay tribute to the victims of the Katyń massacre, citizens of the
Second Republic of Poland murdered by a shot in the back of the
head by Soviet soldiers in 1940. The presidential delegation included
deputy Speakers of the Sejm and Senate, representatives
of the Parliament, commanders of all branches of the Polish Armed
Forces, employees of the Chancellery of the President, heads of
state institutions, including NBP President Sławomir Skrzypek, representatives
of ministries, of veterans’ and social organisations,
as well as clergy and accompanying persons.
At 8:41 a.m. Polish time, the presidential plane crashed when attempting
to land at the Smolensk airport. 96 people died.
We do not yet have full information on the causes of the disaster.
The plane wreck was not handed over to Polish investigators by the
Russian authorities. It is not possible to interrogate the Russians
from the control tower, and any attempts to reach the truth are
thwarted by Russian propaganda versions of the tragedy.
Although being 70 years apart, two events in our history are connected
forever: the Katyń massacre and the tragic death of the
members of the official presidential delegation near Smolensk.
On the 10th anniversary of the Smolensk tragedy and the 80th
anniversary of the Katyń massacre, it is worth recalling the words
of Bishop Antoni Pacyfik Dydycz delivered in Warsaw Cathedral
during his homily dedicated to the victims of the tragedy: “Memory
cannot be suppressed. This has failed in relation to the martyrs of
Katyń, and it cannot succeed in relation to those who made their
pilgrimage to the site of the massacre. And despite not reaching the graves themselves, with their martyrdom in a just cause they first
revealed the horror of what happened 70 years ago and then laid down
their lives, making a pilgrimage with a sense of duty to shake the conscience
of the whole world”.
Memory understood in this way is one of the cornerstones of the nation’s
and state’s existence. Such an understanding of the duty to
cultivate memory is a proof of sovereign thinking, which creates an
independent state. This is how President Lech Kaczyński understood
the importance of cultivating memory.
The following words, which still remain valid today, were supposed to
be spoken in the undelivered speech: “It is thanks to the Katyń Families.
Their efforts to preserve the memory of their loved ones, and
thus also the memory and identity of Poland. Thanks to the young. [...]
Thanks to those teachers who – despite the prohibitions – told children
the truth. Thanks to the priests [...]. Thanks to printers of underground
publications. Thanks to many independent initiatives of the
»Solidarity« movement. Millions of parents telling their children the
true history of Poland”.
Our patriotic duty is to preserve in our personal and collective memory
those who died in Smolensk. They wanted to bear witness to the truth
about the Katyń massacre. The tragedy of their death puts a responsibility
on us to commemorate and remember them with dignity. Over
the years we have been united in prayer for the victims of the tragedy
on the consecutive tenth days of the month, on successive anniversaries.
We remember with sadness, but also with respect, the 96 people who
represented the majesty of the Republic of Poland with dignity.
Narodowy Bank Polski