The Monument to the Fallen and Murdered in the East

During the era of the People's Republic of Poland, the Polish communist authorities collaborated with the Soviet Union to suppress information about the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939 and the repressions inflicted upon the Polish population during the Soviet occupation from 1939 to 1941. This collusion extended to subsequent repressions following the Soviet takeover of Poland in 1944-1945, notably denying Soviet responsibility for the Katyn massacre of 1940. However, after the fall of the communist governments in Central and Eastern Europe in 1989, the new authorities in Poland took a different stance and officially embraced a project to establish several monuments and memorials commemorating these historical events.

One of these significant memorials is the Monument to the Fallen and Murdered in the East, meticulously designed by Maksymilian Biskupski. Situated at the intersection of Muranowska and General Władysław Anders streets in Warsaw, the monument's construction commenced on 18 August 1995, following its conception in 1991. It was ultimately unveiled on 17 September 1995, precisely marking the 56th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland. The ceremony saw esteemed figures such as the Primate of Poland, Józef Glemp, the Chief of General Staff of the Polish Army, Tadeusz Wilecki, the President of Warsaw, Marcin Święcicki, the Prime Minister of Poland, Józef Oleksy, and the President of Poland, Lech Wałęsa, in attendance.

Funding for the monument's construction was a collaborative effort, with support from the Polish government, non-governmental organizations, and private individuals alike. The monument stands as a powerful symbol of remembrance and tribute to those who suffered and lost their lives during these dark chapters of Polish history.

Crafted from bronze and standing approximately 7 meters tall (23 ft), the monument portrays a symbolic scene. A railway flatcar holds a stack of religious symbols, representing Catholic and Orthodox crosses, as well as Jewish and Muslim emblems. The flatcar is placed on tracks, signifying the journey these individuals were forced to undertake.

Each railway sleeper bears inscriptions of the names of places from where Polish citizens were deported to be used as forced laborers in the USSR. Additionally, the names of the camps, collective farms, exile villages, and various gulag outposts that served as their destinations, including the sites of mass murders conducted by the Soviet NKVD, are also displayed.

Among the religious symbols, one cross pays tribute to Stefan Niedzielak, a Katyn activist who met a mysterious fate in 1989. The monument is further adorned with the Polish Cross of Valour and a Polish eagle, depicted with a rope around it, symbolizing the oppression faced during the Soviet invasion of Poland, with the date of the invasion inscribed underneath.

Two inscriptions grace the monument: "Poległym pomordowanym na Wschodzie" ("For those fallen in the East") and "Ofiarom agresji sowieckiej 17.IX.1939. Naród 17.IX.1995" ("For the victims of Soviet aggression 17.IX.1939. The Polish nation 17.IX.1995"). These words serve as solemn reminders of the sacrifices endured and the injustice faced by the Polish people during those dark times.

Every year, on the 17th of September, a solemn memorial ceremony takes place at the monument.

During his seventh Polish pilgrimage in 1999, Pope John Paul II offered his prayers at this sacred site. Additionally, in 2006, while on his pilgrimage to Poland, Pope Benedict XVI's popemobile, along with others, passed by this significant monument on the route from the airport to Warsaw's cathedral.