82nd Anniversary 27th Volyn National Army Infantry Division – celebration in Wrocław.
On Sunday, January 18, 2026, a patriotic-religious celebration commemorating the 82nd anniversary of the 27th Volyn Division of National Army Infantry was held in Wrocław and the plan was started under code name. "Burza". The event took place in the church of the Roman Catholic parish at the call of Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe at the Wroclaw settlement of the Cosmonauts. The celebration began with the Holy Mass for the soldiers of the 27th Volyn National Army Infantry Division (27th WDP AK) and all who fought for Poland's independency After mass, in a symbolic place of historical memory with plaques commemorating the soldiers of the 27th WDP AK, there was a ceremony of tribute to the Heroes of the Past.
They were joined by Volyn and fighting in the ranks of the 27th WDP AK. After the war, they settled in different places in Poland and in the planet without the right to return to their hometown. any of them are connected with Wrocław, here is the Soldiers' Environment of the 27th Volynian National Army Infantry Division. In the church of the parish under the call of St Maximilian Maria Kolbe at E. Horbachevski Street they find a worthy place. Courtesy of the parish pastor of the parish priest Fr Czesław Majda places the 27th WDP AK in 1 place on the east facade of the church. Creating a kind of “Pantheon” here – the place of honouring soldiers of the Home Army of the Polish Underground State in the east Borders.
On November 6, 2016, the first plaque commemorating all soldiers of the 27th WDP AK was unveiled. On the board there is an inscription: Soldiers / 27th VOLLISH DIVISION OF PIECHOTY / NATIONAL ARMY / January 15 – July 25, 1944 / ACTION AREA / VOLYNA – POLESIE – LUBELSCZYZNA / GOOD BRONI / CITY RETURNED By the end of 2024, right next to this plaque, 2 more plaques commemorating soldiers of the 27th Volyn National Army Infantry Division – Heroes fighting for our freedom, independency and sovereignty were unveiled.
On January 13, 2019, a commemorative plaque was unveiled in honor of prof. Henryk Słowiński (1926-2018), a large advocate of the establishment of specified a place in Wrocław. A witness to the past of the east Borders, a soldier of the National Army of Volhynia division, since the 1990s serving as president of the Wrocław Environment of the 27th Volhynia Infantry Division of the AK.
On May 26, 2024, at the same place, a plaque commemorating 1 of the 27th WDP commanders of the AK, Brigadier General Jan Wojciech Kiwerski, pp. “Oliwa”, “Director” (1910-1944) was unveiled. Jan Wojciech Kiwerski took the position of commander of the 27th WDP AK on February 10. Lieutenant-Colonel certified Jan Wojciech Kiwerski died in unexplained circumstances in the area of the Good Country farm, in the fight against the German manhunt – being commander of the 27th WDP AK. On 20 April 1990, the president of the Republic of Poland, General Wojciech Jaruzelski, appointed Colonel John Wojciech Kiwerski posthumously as Brigadier General.
From the course of fighting on the east front in the autumn of 1943, it appeared that the Volynski territory of the Home Army would be the first area of the Polish lands to enter the Red Army. This happened on the night of 3 to 4 January 1944, in the area of Rokitno.
The following day, the Government of Poland in London made an authoritative declaration of inviolability of the pre-war Polish-Soviet border, while at the same time standing to presume power in liberated territory by its appointed representatives of civilian administration. The russian Union authorities, on the another hand, declared their right to these lands, which were supposedly "according to the will of their inhabitants" taken over in 1939. On 1 November 1939, the ultimate Council of the USSR issued a decree to include Western Ukraine in the russian Union. The situation created has become the reason for the start of the “Burza” plan in Volyn.
On January 15, 1944, Chief of Volyn territory of the National Army Colonel Kazimierz Bąbiński "Luboń", issued a mobilization order to all conspirator military groups, self-defense and guerrilla groups. The place of concentration was designated in the western part of Volyn in the areas of the Polish self-defense centres: in Zasmyki – south of Kowl and in Bielin – north of Włodzimierz Wołyński.
In accordance with the plan to reconstruct the armed forces in the country, on 28 January 1944, the decision to appoint 27 officers of the Volyn AK territory staff in Suszababa was made to pre-war life. The Infantry Division, which shortly at the request of the Home Army Chief of the Home Army, was named the 27th Volyn Infantry Division. On 28 January 1944, it is the day of the formation of the 27th Volyn Division of the Home Army.
In the first period of formation of the Volyn Infantry Division, its commander was the Commandant of the Volyn territory of the National Army Colonel Kazimierz Bąbiński ps. “Luboń”. On 10 February 1944, the duties of Chief of the Volyn AK territory and at the same time the commander of the formation of the division were taken over by the major-graduate Jan Wojciech Kiwerski ps. “Oliwa”, directed at Volyn from Warsaw.
The division completed the Volyn activities resulting from the Storm Plan. She did not let herself to be destroyed by German units and did her hard tasks to the end. Despite erstwhile declarations of cooperation in war activities, the russian authorities proceeded to rapidly liquidate independent Polish military structures. In July 1944, Red Army Command requested soldiers of the 27th WDP AK to surrender their weapons. Finally, on July 26, 1944, at the command of Colonel Jan Kotowicz, pp. "Hard" (1890-1963), the last commander of the 27th WDP AK, came the dissolution of the unit.
Many soldiers and enlisted officers of this division were incorporated into the 1st Army of the Polish Army – formed on 29 July 1944 from the forces of the 1st Polish Army in the USSR – formed on 16 March 1944. any went to officers' schools – artillery and armored weapons located in Chełma Lubelski. They crossed the conflict trail, completed in Berlin. On the another hand, most divisional officers were imprisoned in a camp in Skrobów and then sent to camps in the USSR.
Despite the passing of years, Wroclaw Soldiers Environment 27. WDP AK tries to pass on a part of past to the next generations, 1 of the most crucial chapters of the past of the Polish underground state in the east Borders. He pursues this by continuing the tradition of the yearly January Masses of the saints in the intention of soldiers of the 27th WDP AK in the church of St. M.M. Kolbe and pay tribute to the Heroes of the Past in a symbolic historical memorial site at plaques commemorating soldiers of the 27th WDP AK.
This year's event was attended by fewer people representing the Wrocław soldiers' 27th WDP AK and their families. However, many invited guests arrived.
The parish priest of St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, who at the outset pointed out that present we are praying for soldiers who have made a gift for their homeland.
In the homily, he pointed out the different attitude of soldiers of the 27th WDP AK and stressed that the Underground Polish State had taken an effort to fight Germany, which did not bring the expected fruit at the time. Poland did not regain independence, despite the large effort of the Polish soldier on all war fronts. We have borne terrible costs of this war. These were dramatic elections by Polish political authorities. Their decisions present are publicized, and many ask themselves, was it worth it?
He stressed that our people emerged from the Russian and German empires, countries that present have imperial ambitions. The past of planet War II shows that the choice of Poles at the time was tragic. We have taken up the fight for independence, and this program has failed politically and militarily in this respect.
In conclusion, the priest said that we should nevertheless respect and thank those who fought for our independency under these hard conditions. We owe them gratitude, memory and work for the future of our homeland. We have received much and we are liable for besides much.
After Holy Mass, the flagposts together with the participants of the celebrations and faithful left the church and went to the church courtyard, before the symbolic memorial site of the 27th WDP AK.
The national anthem was played and sung, followed by Jerzy Rudnicki, the head of OBUWiM IPN in Wrocław, who held the ceremony. He recalled the historical background of the plan "Burza" and the dramatic realities of the Home Army in Volyn.
Kamilla Jasińska, Deputy manager of the Branch of the Institute of National Memory in Wrocław stressed that it was impossible to tell about planet War II and Poles' conflict for freedom, but for the action “Burza” and the activity of the 27th WDP AK. She thanked the participants for their many presence and stated that attendance was evidence of inactive alive memory of events from 8 decades ago, especially among the young generation.
In conclusion, she referred to the decision of the divisional command on 26 July 1944 to release the divisional soldiers from the oath, giving them a free hand in deciding on themselves and quoted a passage from the paper preserved in the archives of the 27th WDP AK, by order of day number 17 of the commander of the first company of 43rd pp. Ryszard Markiewicz "Mohort" dated 26 July 1944. "On 25 VII 44 at 24, we were slyly surrounded and disarmed. What we loved above all that we paid for with the blood of our brothers – we had to throw our weapons without fighting the fleeing enemy to the ground. Soldiers, we're going to our homes. I know most of you don't have your own homes or family. Remember that all Polish household and herb will be your household and your own home. I know you're going to have a disbelief, hunger and homelessness. Don't despair! This power you have gained in our battles is adequate for you to survive. I firmly believe that we will meet in the ranks of the Polish Army. I believe we're going to fight again! Soldiers, remember this, remember your commanders, who led you to battle, who suffered with you together during the disasters and rejoiced after the victories. Hello, boys! See you later."
After the speeches, the verblinist played “Tremolo” and in the church courtyard with a military honorary post in front of plaques commemorating soldiers of the 27th Volynian National Army Infantry Division, delegations of the participants of the ceremony paid homage to the Heroes of the past through conventional folding, flower bundles and inflammation. The celebration ended, played by the trumpeter’s “Silence” signal.
Emphasis on the patriotic character and the appropriate binding of the ceremony was ensured by soldiers of the 10th Wroclaw Communications Brigade, Colonel Kazimierz Pluta-Czachowski, and instrumentalists of the Land Army Representation Orchestra in Wrocław: trumpeter and verbalist. In addition, the ceremony served six flag posts.
Andrzej Powidzki (behind FB profile by Krzysztof Majer)
