It's not easy for me to describe this morning, due to the fact that it looked different than most of our countrymen. I've long wondered if I could describe it due to the fact that it's specified a scope for my sacrum, into my heart, into my soul! However, I thought that after 5 years, this could already be explained more.
I was there on April 10, there in Smolensk, there in Katyn.
Of course, I was not at the airport, but in the town of Smolensk I had to drive past the airport, going to Katyń to the cemetery, our most sacred place on Smolensk soil. But possibly from the beginning. ..
A fewer days earlier, I took a tour of the Kresach organized by the Warsaw branch of PTTK. I had 2 choices: either April or May. May was more indicated due to the fact that it was warmer. April in this area of our Kresów is usually cold, but I felt that it was essential to be in Katyń in April 2010, on the 70th anniversary of the execution on Polish officers, patriots, Polish intelligence. And besides to be at ceremonies in Katyn attended by our President, Mr. prof. Lech Kaczyński. To be in this historical moment, in this historical place sanctified by the blood of our finest countrymen - soldiers, foresters, policemen, teachers - our best citizens.
How we miss Poland present specified an elite!
We were expected to go with a group of colleagues, but as it happens, I was left alone on a “fightground”. I took my wife on a trip! The way led the way of the closest to us, Poles, places, places connected with wonderful, glorious events in our past - the way of our large heroes, large characters.
The way led others through Mereczowszwa, the birthplace of our large leader of Insurrection, besides the hero of the United States – Tadeusz Kościuszko. Unfortunately, the manor burned down in the 1940s. The museum was rebuilt in 2004.
The next phase of our coach tour was the Kuropaty on the outskirts of Minsk, the place of execution, as estimated, even 250 1000 people, mostly Belarusians, but besides Poles. These crosses along the road paying tribute to them, hundreds of crosses...
Prayer on graves, at any crosses lit candles, homage to the victims, mostly to our countrymen .
What we could give our murdered countrymen!!! A sheep from the group!
More places on the trail, this time the top of our foreman Adam. Newborn. I've been here for the second time, but this time I managed to visit the Adam Mickiewicz Museum, where so many memorabilia from its period. The guide did not let to take photos, but someway it managed to “solve” - how not to registry your stay here! It is mandatory that 1 of the churches where the 4th wedding of Władysław Jagiełła was held. This has been done thanks to the wonderful Polish nuns guarding this treasure of our history. We heard stories about this temple, its history, the fight for this church, its maintenance.
Lake Dawn – without it there would be an incomplete image of our witch!
The next phase is Orsza. Unfortunately, we were not on the battlefield, but at the monument where our nuns were executed in planet War II. We were able to admire a copy of the conflict of Orsa.
It was about to be like Ensign Orshanski Andrzej Kmicic. How this planet of the Flood became near, closer and closer. Church renewed by Polish priest. Mandatory drop for this purpose, as well as many another places that Polish priests or sisters take care of.
I am describing all this due to the fact that it is as crucial as this patriotic climate has grown, this lofty temper resulting from our glorious history.
And time for Smolensk.
9.04 to Smolensk. Dinner after the 18th time at a diner on the outskirts of town. Later, a drive through the city and an interesting communicative by the Russian guide about the past of the city. In Polish. After all, we remember Sigismund III Vasa, Hetman Stanislaw Żółkiewski and these top historical moments, the large victorious conflict of Kłuszyn. Our beautiful Victoria, ended with a tribute of Tsar Rusi at the Royal Castle in Warsaw.
So I was in Smolensk, on Smolensk land. Short walk at night on the streets of Smolensk, talking to a group of girls in 1 of the shops. I wanted to buy postcards from Smolensk. I wasn't given that day! We went to sleep. 1 must remember that erstwhile we were in Smolensk, we had our watches switched 2 hours earlier.
In the morning we planned to visit Smolensk. erstwhile I got up in the morning, I saw that it was a sunny day, although the sun did not look straight into the hotel room, at the Rosija Hotel. Camera battery loaded, camera loaded, due to the fact that it had to be adequate for Smolensk, Katyń and Vitebsk! Breakfast, bus rides, we arrive at the Uspieński Council in Smolensk. A beautiful monument, a painting of Our woman of Smolensk. I'm having problem taking a picture, my digital is taking blurry pictures in low visibility. As always, the camera helps to shoot the right shots. A wonderful monument, most likely remembering the times of Polish existence in any form. The monument is presently being renovated, scaffolding, but what was seen impressed me, Although I remembered the stairs we entered – the falling elements, the plaster falling out of them. I breathed, what a pity! I thought of quite a few our monuments falling apart.
W The Council met Jack Sasin, who besides came here to look, visit the monument before the arrival of the President, due to the fact that he was the 1 who organized the President's arrival in Katyń! I took pictures of Smolensk's next plan from the steps of the Council. It was about 8.30 that time, or about 6.30 ours. I was taking a image of the another side of Smolensk, specified a built-up hill (this image was utilized to check later what the weather was, if there was fog). It was sunny, but the view was not full clear, specified a certain fog. Early I thought it was a sunny day.
That's where we pulled up to a bigger store. As usual, there are people who gotta buy something, collect money from an ATM. We got on the bus and went to Katyn.
Maybe we were driving past that unfortunate airport?
The bus stopped on the side of the road, there was a local militia that controlled traffic, routed passages, parking spaces. We approached the designated location, the queue. There's been quite a few people. There were any veterans in uniform, there were scouts, they had to be mostly train visitors! We were followed by a group of parliamentarians who came a fewer minutes after us! He was MP Macierewicz, Kempa, Szczypińska, Mularczyk, Wiśniewska, Piotrowicz and many others. due to the fact that my colleague provided me with peculiar occasional postcards issued on the 70th anniversary of the Katyn crime - asking if 1 of them could go to the president - I gave them to Members, veterans, scouts, our group.
As we know, those cards didn't get to anyone on the plane!
At 1 point, the arrivals were allowed through the appropriate "gate" – a checkpoint, safety checkpoint. erstwhile we were about to come to this checkpoint, we were forced to let our Members pass, which has happened to any of our discontent. After checking on the “gate” and “feel” portable equipment, we entered the Memorial – cemetery. The commemorative photographs at the entrance to the Polish and Russian honours, the inscription “Katyń” on a stone cube lined on the road.
We're going with the guide to the cemetery. On the right side, it's a kind of journalism tent. Mrs. Joasia Lichock is sitting there talking to invited guests! We decision on, the closest to the grave, or actually the places where these grave ditches were dug, and present there are steel plates on them. The guide tells the communicative of this cemetery, tells about murdered our compatriots, how the exhumations in the Polish cemetery looked like in Russian.
Some Russian provokes, there's any Russian television, they evidence parts of our conversation. The guide shows us places where even forest plating does not want to grow, due to the fact that the earth is soaked with blood murdered and lime, which their bodies were sprinkled to cover forever the traces of this cruel crime!
At this point, 1 of our group is approaching us, who wanted to walk through this cemetery alone and says that... the plane with Mr. president fell!
I just told her not to joke. It was so unbelievable, impossible!
My friend left to bring another part of information:
- I'm sorry. The plane crashed, 3 people survived!
And then it became clear it wasn't a joke! Something highly tragic, unimaginable happened. ... . I rushed towards the main passage leading to the place of the ceremony where the main ceremonies were to be held at the altar. You should have gotten any information immediately. Only the Members of the Law and Justice - who gathered here - could have specified information. It was a group of respective Members headed by Antoni Macierewicz. I joined this group, but there was not much to learn, I don't remember who I asked. I'm certain it's the Muller, but he was kind of sprayy, that's how I got it.
The information of the MPs was laconic due to the fact that they only had dry information that the plane had crashed. How many and what are the victims? Did anyone survive?
Some had information from Poland, from television, due to the fact that individual who watched tv news had more circumstantial information, had a image of tragedy. I'm fine. but the plane crashed, most likely 3 people survived...
It yet occurred to me that... the president could have died, that he was dead. And abruptly it got stuck in my chest and I got hot, despite the cold (in Katyn it was cold, only about a fewer degrees of heat).
The president is dead! It is my Hope that has expired!!! There is no president, no 1 to fight for Poland. He was the only 1 who took that chance!
I didn't know who was on that plane outside the Presidential Couple. The most crucial individual is dead. Or did she survive? It never occurred to me at the time how tragic the balance of this disaster could be, due to the fact that then I didn't have a word in my head. assassinationOh, my God! Everyone in front of the TVs had better information about the passenger list. We don't.
Maybe the name of president Kaczorowski was among the information coming up, I don't remember.
And then a terrible question knocking in the brain, if...
And no 1 was able to answer that at the time. Neither Antoni Macierewicz, nor Arkadiusz Mularczyk, nor Beata Kemp, nor the weeping MP Szczypińska!!! Nobody said that, possibly they didn't know it yet. Is there anyone left who gives hope for my Poland!!!
Mr president is already dead!!! So Jarosław, his brother, will sustain this hope. But didn't he die, too? I passed by the wreaths prepared to deposit – others from the president of the NBP, from the IPN, from the PiS and dozens of others.
One of the priests started praying. How crucial that was at that moment. It's a relief! If not for religion and prayer, what can we do in specified a situation? Time was running. Jacek Sasin returned from the airport and reported to the cemetery that the plane had crashed, but did not talk about the President's death, did not give the number of possible casualties. He took the pressure!
Everyone was shocked. Or is that not true? possibly they survived. It was spinning in your head due to the fact that it's so unimaginable! A plane with Mr. President! We talked in our group, we wanted to be close!
At 1 point my daughter from Poland called, talking about the disaster. Friends called her due to the fact that they knew we'd be in Katyn, but they didn't know if we were on that plane!!!!? Having a camera and a camera, I tried to evidence events in the cemetery.
For all journey I take photographic equipment to perpetuate history! Now I had a unique opportunity, the most tragic event in history, though seen and experienced from the position of Katyn cemetery, not from Smolensk airport.
One of our groupmates collapsed in the cemetery after information about the crash. You should have given him medical attention. He was set up in Katyn with Janusz Kurtyka and president Kaczorowski. He wasn't allowed to do that.
The empty chairs at the altar were occupied by a group of people present. Veterans', uniforms', Boy Scouts' mails are on the side. Those who remained from the delegation were sitting at the beginning, in a place intended for the passengers of the aircraft. The service has begun. The priest gave a wonderful sermon, so we request a word of hope and comfort. That hope that for me, for us, collapsed at this terrible moment!
After mass, I went under the altar, under these steel plates with names of the murdered. The delegates arranged the wreaths there. I wanted to find a wreath from the president at all costs. I took pictures of all the wreaths that I had access to, read the sash.
I think there were only 2 wreaths without sash and I thought it was 1 of them, although both were beautiful. Later it turned out that this wreath from Mr. president was flying on a plane and rested on the slender mud.
I remember Janek Posamalski, who was preparing the kid, a verblist for the TVP. That drum voice will stay in my memory. I asked by Jolanta Szczypińska about Jarosław Kaczyński. The stone fell off my chest. He did not fly that plane!!! Joy by tears! But I didn't know who else was on the list.
I was the last 1 to come to the bus. The last photograph of this tragic place is inactive to be taken, perpetuating this tragic moment.
In 70 years Katynia, Smolensk Tragedy!!!
***
And a fewer tasks to finish the communicative of that day.
With large relief we crossed the Russian-Belarusian border, leaving this inhuman land! Despite the unimaginable tragedy, we were in Vitebsk to arrive at the accommodation place in the evening. And that's where the hecatomb came in. At the hotel we were given the chance to watch tv – Russia 24. And there was a list of people who died, although not all names were read from Russian. This list completed the image of tragedy (I met the real size of the drama in 3 days erstwhile I returned to the country!). Apart from the Presidential Couple, Mr. president Kaczorowski , Sławomir Skrzypek, Janusz Kurtyka, Janusz Kochanowski, the full generalization, and Anna Solidarność, heroine of August 1980! Another blow to the heart!
God, the Creator of the world, gave me the chance to be in this terrible place, the place of punishment of thousands of Poles in 1940, and gave me the 70th summertime of these crimes to experience a near-unimaginable tragedy of the Polish people. For the remainder of my life, I will witness her engagement in seeking the fact about her and her preaching.
Perhaps the Lord God had his intent in producing fruit from this terrible drama? possibly specified a fine fruit is the chance for me to present this evidence – a witness of history!
