On August 31, 1920, one of the decisive battles of the Polish-Bolshevik war took place near Komarów. The association, thanks to which a 20-meter monument was erected here, wants the 500-hectare battlefield to be placed under the protection of a monument conservator. The proceedings have already begun.
– In accordance with the procedures, we are collecting evidence, we have applied for substantive opinions from various institutions. It is difficult to determine how long these proceedings will last and when they will end – says the provincial conservator of monuments in Lublin, Dariusz Kopciowski.
He is conducting proceedings in the case entering the Komarów battlefield landscape into the register of monuments fought on August 31, 1920. The Association “Battle of Komarów” filed an application for entry. It was on its initiative that in 2022, on the range of hill 255, for which fighting took place in 1920, the Monument of Glory of Cavalry and Horse Artillery was erected. It is a nearly 20-meter-high monument visible from afar.
The entry would cover an area of 500 hectares Association “Battle of Komarów”
The battlefield is located on the territory of two villages and one colony.
The application for protection of the cultural landscape of the battlefield concerns the area around the monument, which together cover almost 500 hectares. It is located in the villages of Wolica Śniatycka and Antoniówka Komarowska (Komarów Osada commune) and Kolonia Cześniki (Sitno commune) in Zamość County. According to documents published by the conservator of monuments, “the substantive justification of the decision taken in this case will be subject to assessment by 170 parties to the proceedings in the future.”
The president of the association, Tomasz Dudek, informs that the area designated in the application is only a part of the former battlefield, the least changed and built-up part, and its conservation protection would involve the least inconvenience.
What about building houses and cultivating fields?
As he explains, the form of protection of the cultural landscape of the battlefield does not mean excluding this area from use, prohibiting the construction of houses or cultivating fields.
– The point is to exclude such changes and elements that will drastically disturb this landscape, such as the construction of a wind farm – emphasizes Dudek.
In 2022, a monument was erected on the hill 255, which was fought over in 1920. Association “Battle of Komarów”
In his opinion, protecting this place and cultivating the memory of the Battle of Komarów and cavalry traditions can contribute to the development of tourism in this area. He noted that after the construction of the monument, interest in this place has increased, and tourists are visiting it more and more often.
Municipal authorities: the entry cannot cover such a large area
As Stanisław Siek, deputy mayor of the Komarów Osada commune, emphasises, no one is against protecting the place commemorating the Battle of Komarów, but it cannot cover such a large area.
In his opinion, protection of the plot on which the monument stands would be understandable, but conservation protection of such a large area would be too far-reaching an interference in privacy and the exercise of property rights for farmers, residents of these areas, owners of plots, and also an obstacle for the local government, because the conservator of monuments would have to be aware of every decision concerning a given property, and in the case of, for example, building a house or a road investment – it would be necessary to obtain his consent.
– 500 hectares is a lot. The goal is noble, but let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater – says Siek.
Dudek admits that the need to obtain the conservator’s consent for each investment would be an inconvenience for residents.
– On the other hand, we have a guarantee that where we have a house or are planning to build it, no one will build an industrial pigsty or windmills for us – he adds.
The Battle of Komarów was one of the decisive battles of the Polish-Bolshevik War.Association “Battle of Komarów”
The local plan does not prohibit wind turbines. The commune would have income from taxes
Siek emphasizes, however, that this is an area where there are mainly agricultural lands, and the commune must look for development mechanisms and in a situation where the economy is switching to renewable energy sources, the possibilities of such investments cannot be underestimated.
– Wind turbines have been built all over the world for a long time (…) When issuing a permit for the construction of a wind turbine, the investor is obliged to reclaim the area after the end of the use of such a device to the condition it was in before its construction – adds the deputy mayor.
When asked whether there were any plans to build wind farms in the commune, he replied that there currently were none, but the current study of conditions and directions of spatial development of the commune contains a provision that allows for this.
– If such an investor were found, the residents could earn money by leasing the plots, and the commune would have income from taxes – Siek emphasizes.
The greatest cavalry battle of the 20th century
The battle took place on August 31, 1920. Association “Battle of Komarów”
August 31st marks the 104th anniversary of the Battle of Komarów. This year's anniversary celebrations – organized by, among others, the “Battle of Komarów” Association – are taking place on August 24th and 25th. The program includes a concert by the Representative Choir of the Artistic Ensemble of the Polish Army and reenactments of episodes from the battle.
The Battle of Komarów was the largest cavalry battle of the 20th century and one of the decisive battles of the Polish-Bolshevik war. On August 31, 1920, the Bolshevik 1st Cavalry Army of Semyon Budyonny, marching towards Warsaw to aid Mikhail Tukhachevsky's Western Front, clashed here with the Polish 1st Cavalry Division under the command of Colonel Juliusz Rómmel. The Polish forces numbered about 1.5 thousand soldiers, the Bolshevik forces over six thousand. Despite such an advantage, the Polish cavalry defeated the enemy, and Budyonny's army was forced to withdraw from Poland. Since 2009, the day of the battle has been celebrated as Polish Cavalry Day.
Main image source: Association “Battle of Komarów”