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A small investigative thread on the current status of #Soviet #WW2 military heritage in #Poland since 2017.
In 2016, the Sejm passed a decommunization legislation banning all names symbolizing the regime of 1944-1989 from public space. The law was updated in 2017 to include >
In 2016, the Sejm passed a decommunization legislation banning all names symbolizing the regime of 1944-1989 from public space. The law was updated in 2017 to include >
> monuments that glorify communism as well. #Russia& #39;s reaction: #Poland is set to destroy all Soviet heritage within its grasp. Is there any truth in this claim? Let& #39;s take a look:
11 July 2017: Sanok memorial - removed and send to Museum of the PRP
11 July 2017: Sanok memorial - removed and send to Museum of the PRP
8 September 2017: Trzcianka memorial - demolished
18 November 2017: Szczecin memorial - removed; parts moved to the Central Cemetery, while other parts were sent to the Museum of Breakthroughs
18 November 2017: Szczecin memorial - removed; parts moved to the Central Cemetery, while other parts were sent to the Museum of Breakthroughs
5 December 2017: Lublin Unknown Soldier memorial: replaced - previous version send to a local cemetery.
24 March 2018: Legnica memorial casted from Frederick II of Prussia and Wilhelm I statues - removed; sculpture was sent to Legnica Cemetery.
24 March 2018: Legnica memorial casted from Frederick II of Prussia and Wilhelm I statues - removed; sculpture was sent to Legnica Cemetery.
March 2018: Czeladź memorial - demolished
29 June 2018: Dąbrowa Górnicza memorial - removed; now part of the Cold War Museum collection
29 June 2018: Dąbrowa Górnicza memorial - removed; now part of the Cold War Museum collection
17 October 2018: Skaryszewski Park memorial - removed; now part of the Cold War Museum collection.
8 March 2019: Sarnice memorial - removed; now part of the Cold War Museum collection
8 March 2019: Sarnice memorial - removed; now part of the Cold War Museum collection
21 December 2019: Szamotuły memorial - demolished
7 February 2020: Leszno memorial - removed; now part of the Cold War Museum collection
7 February 2020: Leszno memorial - removed; now part of the Cold War Museum collection
I would like to add that the process of removing Soviet memorials in #Poland is not a new trend. Numerous memorials were removed since 1989. Other cases involved theft and vandalization. Another relevant point in this analysis, is that the removal of the memorials were >
> initiated on municipal level and granted permission on voivodeship-level. Public pressure played a big part in the removal. Some municipalities, such as Rzeszów, refused to remove the memorials.
The tale of Soviet memorials in #Poland is not only that of removal: On 21 May 2017 a plaque was unveiled at the Soviet war cemetery at Kazimierz and on 5 December 2019 a memorial of Marshal Konstanty Rokossowski (removed on 20-10-1992) was placed at the cemetery of Legnica.
Furthermore, vandalization of Soviet #WW2 graves in Jelenia Góra (8 October 2018) was condemned by local authorities. These graves are protected by law, which brings me to the last point:
In contrary to #Russia& #39;s state media reports, not a single Soviet burial site in #Poland was demolished. Soviet and Bolshevik soldiers, discovered during numerous occasions, were exhumed and reburied with (military) honour. The #Russia embassy under guidance of Alexey Fomichev >
> is still funding the maintenance of burial sites and is allowed to hire Polish contractors to accomplish their goals. Other cemeteries are being maintained by locals, such as the POW cemetery at Bialobrzegi (10.000+ burials).
