As part of the 81st anniversary of bloody Sunday in Volyn, on 11 July 2024 in Warsaw there will be a March of Memory of Victims of Ukrainian Genocide. The event, organized for respective years always on 11 July, gathers hundreds of participants wishing to pay tribute to the murdered Poles and request justice.
Organizers and march program
The march is organized by the Social Movement Agreement of Kresowe Generations and Volyn Foundation We remember. These organizations are headed by Andrzej Łukawski and Katarzyna Sokołowska. The event starts at 16:00 Holy Mass in the intention of victims of genocide in Kresach, which will be celebrated in St. Alexander's Church in the Square of the 3 Crosses. After Mass, around 5:00 p.m., participants will leave on the streets of Warsaw towards the Old Town, stopping at the Wołyńska Table at 64 Krakowskie Przedmieście Street, where short, commemorative speeches are planned.
Main March Passwords: Exhumation and Penalization of Banderism
Among the main demands of this year's march are 2 key demands:
- Unlocking the Exhumation of Poles “The participants request to resume the exhumation of Poles murdered during the genocide in the Kresach. These exhumations are essential for the worthy burial of the victims and their due reverence.
- Penalisation of Banderism “Under the slogan “Poland free of flagism”, the organizers are demanding the introduction of legal provisions penalising the promotion of CNS and UPA ideology. The bill, which went to the Sejm, provides for the introduction of provisions in Article 256 of the Criminal Code providing for a punishment of up to 3 years in prison for the praise of UPA and the promotion of CNS ideology.
Antoni Dąbrowski: Voice of the Survivor
Among the invited guests will be Antoni Dąbrowski, a survivor of the Volynska Reich, who is simply a well-deserved border activist. Mr Dąbrowski, who miraculously avoided death during Ukrainian genocide, openly opposes the spread of the Polish ideology. His communicative reminds of the tragedy that killed thousands of Poles.
For his views and speaking the truth, he was pursued by the territory Prosecutor's Office of Prague-North and Proc. Młynarczyk for the alleged “talk of hatred” towards Ukrainians.
Volyn Foundation Information run Remember
Volyn Foundation We remember we conduct an intensive information run throughout Poland. As part of this initiative, at the turn of June and July, about 800 volunteers placed 40,000 posters, reminding of victims of genocide and advocating justice. This action aims to rise public awareness of the tragedy of the Kresów and to mobilise society to support the demands of the march.
Historical and Modern Context
Events in Volyn and in another parts of the east Borders, where mass murders on Poles by Ukrainian nationalists occurred in 1943-1945, stay a painful chapter in Poland's history. The organizers of the march emphasize that the memory of these events and the pursuit of justice are crucial for building healthy Polish-Ukrainian relations.
The March of Memory of the Victims of Ukrainian Genocide is not only an event commemorating the past, but besides an appeal for a future in which historical fact and justice will have their place. Organizers number on broad public and political support for their demands, believing that only in this way will it be possible to close this painful charter of history.
