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The message of President Andrzej Duda on the 15th anniversary of the Smolensk disaster

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“I still have that Warsaw and the coffins standing in the palace”

Source: Chancellery of the President

The Smolensk disaster is still a great, unlucky wound – said President Andrzej Duda in the 15th anniversary of the Smolensk disaster. He also mentioned the solidarity of Poles in the days after the tragedy. “Attempts to destroy that unity by the so -called contempt industry will finally cover the curtain of disgrace,” he added.

President Andrzej Duda gave a message on Thursday to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the Smolensk disaster. On April 10, 2010, 96 people were killed in the disaster of the government's Tu-154M aircraft near Smolensk, including the president Lech Kaczyński and his wife Maria, the highest commanders of the Polish Army and the last President of the Republic of Poland in exile Ryszard Kaczorowski.

duda

President on the 15th anniversary of the Smolensk disaster: nothing will fix this loss

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Source: tvn24

President: I still have a presidential couple in front of my eyes

– Fifteen years have passed, and I still have that Warsaw in front of my eyes and the presidential couple and my dead friends standing in the palace. They created a funeral alley, which was followed by an endless procession of tribute to Poles. Lech Kaczyński's office was empty. Candles were burning at the door of the offices of those who left. The Presidential Palace, usually bustling with life, resounding with conversations and meetings, suddenly froze. He was filled with silence and despair – said the president. – I also have a great building of the dissecting room in Moscow and his dark rooms in which the bodies of the victims of the Smolensk tragedy were located – he added.

As Duda said, “the Smolensk disaster is still a great, unlucky wound in the hearts of families, loved ones and friends of the dead.” “The whole of the Commonwealth suffered a huge loss, we all Poles,” he said.

He mentioned President Lech Kaczyński, whom he called the “outstanding statesman”, his wife Maria Kaczyńska and the last President of the Republic of Poland in exile Ryszard Kaczorowski. – representatives of the Chancellery of the President, the Council of Ministers, representatives of all political forces were killed. Officials, social activists, state -owners were completely devoted to public service. Generals, commanders of the armed forces, excellent scholars, clergy, and people of culture were killed. Governmental officers and the entire crew of the aircraft were killed. The Russian land absorbed Polish blood again – said the president.

“He was the president of the future based on truth and concern”

He stated that Kaczyński “for whom an important part of a public mission was to restore the truth about our history, gave his life, wanting to pay tribute to those whose Soviets and communists tried to erase from national memory.” – He went where the intention of enemies and traitors of Poland was to triumph forever triumph of the truth – he added.

– He was the president of the future based on truth and concern for the fate of subsequent generations of Poles. A visionary who was able to recognize geopolitical challenges and threats. Already in 2008, at a rally in the besieged Tbilisi in prophetic words, he warned the world against the reviving Russian imperialism. He said: “Today Georgia, tomorrow Ukraine, the day after tomorrow of the Baltic State, and then maybe time for my country, Poland.” Unfortunately, the dangers he warned against were ignored by many politicians in Poland and those who ruled in Western Europe. The policy of a naive reset from Russia. Today everyone knows that Lech Kaczyński was right – said Duda in his message.

He said that he was a “great honor and a great commitment” that he could cooperate closely with Lech Kaczyński, and then continue his presidential mission. – realize the vision of a strong Poland, hardly striving for its interests. I have no doubt that especially in current turbulent times you have to do it. Subsequent leaders chosen by us must unite around the priorities of the Polish state of state, which President Lech Kaczyński left us in his political will – he added.

Message_warf_smolensk_internet_bez subtitles

President's message on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the Smolensk disaster

Source: Chancellery of the President

“For many of us, that time remains an open wound”

He also mentioned that Poles, mourning “victims of the greatest tragedy in the post -war history of Poland”, were able and wanted to be together. – In the chronicles of that time, there will be a memory of waking up the huge strength, which is Solidarity. But unfortunately and the memory of those who tried to break it. However, I believe that attempts to destroy that unity by the so -called contempt industry will eventually cover the curtain of disgrace. Today we know, it was not possible to erase the heritage of those who died in Smolensk. The memory of Poles strong, worthy and faithful turned out to be more powerful than any attempts to fight her – said Duda.

– For many of us, that time remains an open wound, but for the youngest generation it is history. Those who were just taking their first steps in 2010 are entering adulthood today. Therefore, our responsibility as witnesses of those days is to guard this memory and pass it on to posterity. While performing my presidential service every tenth day of the month, the Smolensk disaster is commemorated in the chapel of the Presidential Palace. I trust that my successors will continue this tradition as an expression of respect for those who died – said the president.

Andrzej Duda at the sarcophagus of Lech and Maria Kaczyński

Andrzej Duda at the sarcophagus of Lech and Maria Kaczyński

Source: Grzegorz Jakubowski/KPRP

He also thanked those who “for these 15 years fought so that this tragedy would not be silent, but commemorated with dignity.” – Respect for her victims is and will remain a measure of respect for Poland and ourselves. Therefore, it is impossible to accept the fact that to this day the Warsaw authorities have not managed to give one of the streets in the city the name of the holy memory of Professor Lech Kaczyński, the president of Poland and the president of the capital. I perfectly remember the moment when the plates with the inscription Aleja Lech Kaczyński were removed, replacing them with the Avenue of the People's Army. The communist tradition was preserved, and the president's achievements, chosen in democratic free elections, the creator of the Warsaw Uprising Museum, one of the most important institutions for the identity of the capital, were ignored. In this context, you can use the word disgrace, but it is enough to say that it is just humanly dishonest – he said.

He reminded that the Pope appealed for nurturing the memory of Katyn John Paul II. – This appeal was responded by those who went on April 10, 2010 to worship the murdered compatriots, to fulfill historical truth about the Soviet crime committed in Katyn at the Polish elite. The disaster, which happened on the road to this symbolic act of justice, took Poland 96 outstanding compatriots. And yet a community was born of this great loss. In those memorable days, many people decided to get involved in public affairs. Bottom -up social initiatives and planes of cooperation for the common good were created. Such a Polish, ambitious, sure of its place in Europe and the world, aware of its history, strong solidarity of citizens and building the power of its army, is the best response to contemporary threats and reborn Russian imperialism. Only in this way will we fill the will of those murdered in Katyn and a will of those who died on April 10 in Smolensk – summed up the president.



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