Moscow Patriarch Makes Historic Visit to Katyn

Zenit News Agency ^ | 7/18/12 | Father Mariusz Frukacz

[marshmallow]

Kirill Will Be in Poland Next Month

KATYN, Russia, JULY 18, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Katyn is a common grave for Russians and Poles, a place of grief, said Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, after the liturgy celebrated last July 15 in the place where at the beginning of the second world conflict a tragic massacre was carried out.

"Nothing unites persons as sorrows do," said the patriarch, adding that beginning today a new era can begin in the relations between the two nations.

The Katyn massacre took place in the spring of 1940 and its victims numbers over 21,000 Polish citizens, among whom were more than 10,000 military and police officers. It was carried out by the Soviet Union, following a secret resolution of the Political Office of the Communist Party of the Soviet Regime on March 5, 1940.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church went to Katyn as part of his pastoral journey to the Diocese of Smolensk. He also consecrated the new Orthodox church of the Resurrection of Christ.

Placed on one of the side altars of the new church will be an image of Our Lady of Czestochowa, which Patriarch Kirill will receive as a gift from the Polish Episcopate during his visit to Poland, which will take place in August. In front of the altar, Catholic Masses will also be celebrated.

[yarddog]

The movie “Katyn” probably should be seen by anyone interested in Communism and it’s fruits.

[dfwgator]

If you can't find it in a store, you can download it from iTunes.

[jmacusa]

There isn't anything in the American Experience or psyche that there is in the Polish when it comes to Katyn. I've known and worked with many Poles and Katyn is something they can never forget or forgive. Few Americans know of the abject hatred Poles have for Russians.

[yarddog]

I got it from Netflix.

[dfwgator]

One of my favorite Polish artists, Pawel Kukiz recorded this song about Katyn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6iZhif46Qg

English Translation

The first line, “Kurica - nie ptica, polsza nie zagranica” (An old Russian saying that was ‘A hen is not a bird, and Poland is not foreign’, which basically meant that Russians considered Poland to be a part of Russia)

Another round of vodka.
Before the next round
In the back of the head
And down the pit they go
Body on body in a pile
And Vanya will tread ‘em down
‘Cos the bulldozer’s bust.

So pour out another, Grisha,
To Vanya, with Russian cheers
‘Cos the bulldozer’s bust,
So many of them still to go,
And we’re getting sleepy and slow.

Work, work, too much work
The old man’s going mad,
And the weather’s getting bad,
And we’ve still so many to do,
My trigger finger’s aching,
The gun’s burning into my hand,
And how many more will they send?
We don’t get a moment’s rest.

Well, what’s up Grisha?
Not saying you’re sorry for ‘em?
“Kurica - nie ptica”
It’s only a Pole.

Let Vanya sprinkle a li’l lime
On that last heap,
Lime’ll let the memories off,
Then our consciences will sleep,
And then, the pain to ease
On top they’ll plant a grove of trees
The truth will never come out,
And Stalin will decorate each of us.

So many of ‘em still left,
What with the bulldozer bust,
Some still moving down below,
Drink down, Grisha, and let’s go.

[Texas Fossil]

“In 1989, with the collapse of Soviet Power, Premier Gorbachev finally admitted that the Soviet NKVD had (in April-May 1940) executed the Poles, and confirmed two other burial sites similar to the site at Katyn. Stalin's order of March 1940 to execute by shooting some 25,700 Poles, including those found at the three sites, was also disclosed with the collapse of Soviet Power. This particular second world war slaughter of Poles is often referred to as the “Katyn Massacre” or the “Katyn Forest Massacre”. “ (He executed 22,000 Polish officers)

http://katyn.org.au/

—

In 2011 on the 70th anniversary of the Kaytn massacre a Polish deligation on the way to the site near Smolensk (Russia) crashed. I do not believe it was an accident and most Polish do not either. They despise the Russians with great cause.

“The Smolensk Air Crash & The Fateful Legacy of Katyn.”

http://thevieweast.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/the-smolensk-air-crash-one-year-on/

[Cronos]

No, they aren’t — but it is a nice gesture by the Patriarch.

[Cronos]

what Katyn doesn’t adequately depict is how FDR and Churchill sacrificed the Poles though they fought valiantly for the allies in the Battle of Britain, in Monte Cassino, etc.

[Cronos]

well, I live in Poland (but am not Polish, just married to one :) and I can tell you that Poles do not hate Russians. I've not met one Pole who hates the Russian people -- but the Russian state is a different matter.

I know it seems difficult to distinguish but Poles do distinguish between the Russian people (who also suffered terribly under the Tsar and hte communists) and the Russian (or rather Moscowite) political system

And, yes, they can never forgive Katyń -- or the Nazis. On 1 August at 5 pm here there is the anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising and everything and everyone in the city will stop for 2 minutes.

I even see teenagers putting the PW sign and Pamiętamy graffiti ("we remember") everywhere.

Katyń was a Muscowite aim to kill off the Polish intelligentsia and make the Poles as subservient as the Russian people were (Russia had been under tyrannical rule since the Mongols - the Muscowites inherited that) -- but they couldn't cow down the Polish spirit (there's a joke that if there are two poles there are 3 opinions and 5 political parties) -- Stalin himself said that to put communism on Poland is like putting a saddle on a cow

but in a way the sacrifice of the Poles ensured that communism would fall -- because Stalin was correct -- communism crumbled in Poland due to Pope John Paul II and Solidarność (Solidarity). They started it in 1979 and that ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Poland with it's boisterous democracy which it has had for centuries is at complete contrast to the autocracy of Muscowy. THAT is the root of the dispute between Muscowy and Poland and there is no way to get around that...

[Cronos]

and the Polish history of fighting against oppressors goes back to the Swedish invasion. Imho they have the second best national anthem (after the Italians) in terms of tune and the best for lyrics:Mazurek Dąbrowskiego -- this was written after the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth was partitioned by Russia, PRussia and Austria

Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła,Kiedy my żyjemy. Co nam obca przemoc wzięła,Szablą odbierzemy.

Poland has not yet died while we are still alive. What the foreigners have seized from us, we will recapture with a sword!"

I also love their song Hej sokoły

[Da_Shrimp]

My wife's grandfather, an officer in the Polish army, narrowly avoided being at Katyn. He realised that the train the Russians had put the officers on, promising to send them home, was heading the wrong way. Him and some others managed to escape when the train slowed at a junction: it was only lightly guarded as it was one of the first to be sent to Katyn. Once he'd escaped, he removed his officer's insignia and managed to make his way home.

I'm grateful fo this, otherwise his beautiful grand-daughter would not exist and I'd never have met her ;-)

[jmacusa]

Not the Poles I met, here in America and they were recent immigrants. They expressed no love of Russians to me.

[Cronos]

don’t get me wrong — I didn’t say they love Russians, I just pointed out that the Poles I know here don’t have an “abject hatred” for Russians — for the Russian government, yes, but not for the people. Did the people you met express hatred for Russians? Or just “we don’t like them much”