Today, the topic of the Smoleńsk Disaster and the attempts to present a reliable explanation to the events at the crash site remain one of the deepest divides among Polish society. When the news reached Poland on 10 April 2010 it first created a deep sense of trauma and a sharp halt to all conflicting discussions. Then, a wave of mutual accusations reshaped the social and political landscape of the country and created divisions that last until today.  

On April 10 2010, the Presidential TU-154M plane took off from Warsaw’s Okęcie airport around 7:30 am to bring the participants of the Katyń Massacre anniversary to the Smolensk airport in Russia. 

According to Polish sources, the presidential plane crashed near Smolensk airport at 8.41 (Polish time).

 The information about the crash was first delivered to the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Piotr Paszkowski reported that the plane with President Lech Kaczyński on board crashed during landing in Smolensk airport.

The Russian Emergencies Ministry reported that 87 people died in the crash. The governor of the Smolensk region informed that no one survived the crash. The Russian prosecutor’s office said the plane crashed on approach to Smolensk airport in dense fog.

The victims of the Smolensk air disaster were among the most prominent figures in the Polish state and individuals of exceptional service to the nation. Among those killed were the President of the Republic of Poland, Lech Kaczyński, and his wife Maria, as well as Ryszard Kaczorowski, the last President of Poland in exile.

The tragedy also claimed the lives of three senators, including Deputy Speaker Krystyna Bochenek, and fifteen members of parliament, among them Deputy Speakers Krzysztof Putra and Jerzy Szmajdziński, along with Maciej Płażyński, President of the Polish Community Association.

Also among the dead were the Ombudsman for Civil Rights, Janusz Kochanowski; Head of the Office for War Veterans, Janusz Krupski; President of the Institute of National Remembrance, Janusz Kurtyka; and the Governor of the National Bank of Poland, Sławomir Skrzypek. Senior officials from the President’s Chancellery perished as well, including its head, Władysław Stasiak, Paweł Wypych and Mariusz Handzlik. Aleksander Szczygło, head of the National Security Bureau, was also killed.

Deputy Ministers Stanisław Komorowski (National Defence), Andrzej Kremer (Foreign Affairs), and Tomasz Merta (Culture and National Heritage) were among the victims, as was Andrzej Przewoźnik, Secretary of the Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites.

The highest-ranking military officials — including the Chief of the General Staff, General Franciszek Gągor, and the commanders of all branches of the armed forces — also lost their lives in the crash.

Several representatives of the families of victims of the Katyń massacre were aboard the doomed flight, as were individuals dedicated to preserving the memory of that atrocity. These included Andrzej Sarjusz-Skąpski, President of the Federation of Katyń Families; Bożena Łojek, President of the Polish Katyń Foundation; and Stefan Melak, President of the Katyń Committee.

Among others who perished were legendary opposition activist Anna Walentynowicz, Czesław Cywiński, President of the World Association of Home Army Soldiers, and the field bishops: Roman Catholic General Tadeusz Płoski, Orthodox General Miron Chodakowski, and Evangelical Colonel Adam Pilch. Also killed were the President’s chaplain, Rev. Roman Indrzejczyk; Joanna Agacka-Indecka, President of the Supreme Council of Lawyers; and the distinguished actor Janusz Zakrzeński.

Following the tragedy, the duties of the head of state were assumed by the Speaker of the Sejm, Bronisław Komorowski. Russia announced it would launch an investigation into the cause of the disaster.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk convened an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers and, speaking on behalf of the Polish nation, extended his deepest sympathies to the family of President Lech Kaczyński and to the families of all those who lost their lives in the crash.

A period of national mourning was declared in the wake of the catastrophe.

The Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, decided that the investigation would proceed under Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, which would usually be used in cases of air disasters in civil aviation. 

In 2020, a survey revealed that 34% of respondents believed the death of President Kaczyński in the Smolensk catastrophe was more or less an assassination. This indicates that a significant portion of the populace questions the official findings.​

By contrast, many Poles accept the findings of official investigations, viewing the Smolensk tragedy as the consequence of tragic circumstances rather than intentional wrongdoing. This divergence of opinion highlights broader societal divisions over historical narratives and trust in state institutions.

The Smoleńsk disaster also remains the most important reason for the ongoing conflict between the two main political parties in Poland, the Law and Justice (PiS) and Civic Platform (PO), as one group accuses the other of either contributing to the catastrophe or using it for political purposes. 

The Smoleńsk disaster remains a deeply emotive and polarising issue in Poland, encapsulating wider debates over national identity, the interpretation of history, and political loyalties.

Source: Dzieje.pl, PAP, Muzeum Historii Polski

Photo:@fieggentrio

Tomasz Modrzejewski