11th July marks the anniversary of the so-called „Bloody Sunday”. On this day in 1943, during the mass extermination of the Polish civilian population living in the Eastern Borderlands of the Second Polish Republic, the massacres of the OUN-UPA nationalists reached their climax. On 14 July 2024, a 14-metre-high monument was officially unveiled to pay tribute to the murdered. The monument was designed by Andrzej Pityński and for seven years could not wait for its location.

The artist did not expect what obstacles would stand in its way. Successive cities refused permission for the location: Rzeszów, Stalowa Wola, Jelenia Góra, Toruń, and Kielce. Today, the monument, which has been unwanted for years, was finally unveiled in Domostawa. It is the first step of the initiative of the Chairman of the Social Committee for the Construction of the „Massacre of Volhynia” Monument, Zbigniew Walczak, and the Mayor Tomasz Podpora of the Jarosław municipality.

The Memorial was consecrated by Priest Antoni Moskal who said: 

“We are aware that only the truth can set us free. The truth that is not silent, but leads to true conversion and reconciliation. This monument, in all its painful dimensions, shows the truth that so many people, both secular and members of the clergy, want to hide. That is why it is so depreciated. Because it becomes a reproach to those who want to write a new history about those events in Kresy. This monument, the work of the master Andrzej Pityński, a gift from the Polish Army Veterans Association in America, tells it in its entirety what it was like. Nothing more needs to be added.”

“Grant us, God, that all who pray at the memorial may remember that hatred begets death, love begets life, and truth leads to God, the source of love and eternal life,” Priest Moskal added.

The truth about the Volhynia Massacre is hardly getting through to the public attention. Today, due to the war in our eastern neighbours, the topic is particularly difficult and brushed behind the carpet by most politicians.

The monument consists of a huge eagle with a crown and the names of the places where Ukrainian nationalists murdered Poles on its wings. In the central part of the eagle a cross has been cut out, and in the resulting gap, the artist has inserted an impaled child. According to the author’s intention, they are meant to symbolise the Ukrainian national symbol of “trizub”. The last element of the monument consists of figures of a father, a mother with an infant, a boy and a girl. The monument, including the plinth, measures 20 metres high.

The author of the monument, Master Andrzej Pityński, an outstanding Polish sculptor who has lived in New York since 1974, has often been called the „ambassador of Polish history in America”. Although he lived several decades outside his homeland, he never renounced his Polishness. Mr Pityński created numerous patriotic works, thus promoting Polish history, which was close to his heart. His most recognisable work is the Katyn Memorial in New Jersey. The Volhynia Massacre Monument was financed by the Polish Army Veterans Association of America, District 2 in New York. Sadly, the artist passed away on 18 September 2020 and did not live to see his work unveiled in Poland.

The statue, unwanted by most bigger towns, was decided to be brought to the Jarocin municipality by the then-mayor Zbigniew Walczak. During a session of the Jarocin Commune Council, the councillors passed a resolution to agree on the site of the monument. At that time the Social Committee for the Construction of the „Massacre of Volhynia” Monument in Domostaw was established and led by the mayor Zbigniew Walczak, supported by Father Tadeusz Isakowicz-Zaleski. Councillors from Jarocin stated that „those murdered lie in nameless graves on the unconsecrated ground and are still waiting to be commemorated with dignity in a free Poland.”

Unfortunately, another obstacle arose. The foundry in Gliwice, which manufactured the monument, refused to give it back. It was an unprecedented case for the contractor of a commissioned and paid-for work to hinder its release.

These obstructions continued for a long time. Jerzy Trzoska, director of the Gliwice Foundry, required special powers of attorney for the dismantling company, a teleconference with the Polish Army Veterans Association in New York, the presentation of the results of medical examinations of the dismantling company’s employees, approvals of all equipment involved in the dismantling operation, health and safety training. He called for no one to be allowed on the foundry site. Finally, Mr Piotr Piszczkiewicz, owner of the Artistic Foundry in Podłęża near Kraków, managed to get the 14-tonne statue out of the foundry and dismantled it. 

Mayor Zbigniew Walczak, chairman of the Social Committee for the Construction of the „Massacre of Volhynia” Monument in Domostawa, told the British Poles portal at the time: „Fortunately, the dismantling was successful, the sculpture is in parts and lays in a safe place at the territory of the municipality. I would like to point out that the monument is complete, no parts are missing. Nothing was left in the foundry.” 

Unfortunately, at that time, instead of the unveiling ceremony, on 10 July 2022, on the eve of the tragic anniversary, the initiators were only able to hold a ceremony of consecration and laying of the foundation act and urns with ashes at the site of the future monument. After obtaining all necessary permits and raising funds for the plinth, the monument was erected in Domostawa on the Via Carpathia road (near the S 19 Lublin-Rzeszów expressway towards Ukraine).

Here you can witness the full ceremony: 

On the eve of the official unveiling ceremony, British Poles were able to talk to the Chairman of the Committee, ex-Mayor of Domostawa Zbigniew Walczak.

British Poles: How would you summarise your effort after the investment has been completed?

Zbigniew Walczak: „The investment is not completely closed. But, I must say the most important objective has been achieved – the monument stands on a plinth and tomorrow we will witness its ceremonial unveiling and consecration. However, the square around the monument remains a construction site. The whole investment is called the Eastern Borderlands Genocide Memorial. In addition to the monument, there will be a memorial wall, where plaques will be placed, representing the sites where the massacres of Poles were carried out between 1939 and 1947. There are almost 3,700 of these locations outside the borders of present-day Poland. This is therefore an important task for us. The wall is already under construction, but due to tomorrow’s ceremonies, the company responsible for this work has had to temporarily interrupt it. It is also necessary to prepare the main fence from the Via Carpathia route. This will be the end of the first phase of the investment. The next will be, although it is unrealistic at present, the construction of a museum documenting the genocide. However, it is necessary to wait for the positive political circumstances as the social committee might not be able to cope financially with such a task – but I emphasise that everything we are building today comes from social collections.” 

BP: What was the cooperation with the central authorities in the preparation of this memorial?

ZW: „The central authorities were mainly silent on the matter. In the formal part, the obtaining of the building permit went without any annoyances. The problem arose with the acceptance of the monument from the foundry in Gliwice. They blocked the issue of the plans for the monument allowing it to be fused to the plinth. This delayed the placement of the monument in its present location. However, in terms of contact with the central authorities, we were mainly met with silence. Many cities also refused to accept this monument. I came up with the idea that this monument should be placed in the municipality of Jarocin, located on the Via Carpathia route. It seemed unrealistic, but Master Andrzej Pityński supported this initiative. When I questioned prominent figures among politicians about the initiative, I was met with silence. I applied twice to the Ministry of Culture for support but to no effect.” 

BP: Why is it important to commemorate the victims of the Volhynian Massacre, including and perhaps especially today? 

ZW: „It is very important because we remember the genocide on the part of the Germans and the Soviets, various ceremonies are held, and monuments are unveiled. However, the genocide by the Ukrainians has never had a good time to be commemorated. We also resent the fact that our authorities are unable to enforce Ukraine’s agreement to bury the victims of this tragedy. For me, this is inconceivable given the scale of Polish aid to that country and the instruments of pressure at our disposal. It could be done in a day if there was the will to do so. Our political elite is demonstrating a truly childish naivety in thinking that the Ukrainians themselves will reconcile their view of this history. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, new generations are being raised in the cult of those responsible for the genocide – Bandera and Shuchevych. We therefore hope that this memorial will also provide an opportunity to educate Ukrainians about those events.”

The victims of genocide have finally been commemorated with dignity. Only based on truth, memory and memory of the murdered is it possible to build a foundation that will unite the Polish and Ukrainian nations.

Those of you who can financially support the work of preparing the full site of the  Memorial to the Genocide of Poles on the Eastern Borderlands are invited to donate at the dedicated zrzutka.pl fundraising website. Payments have already been made by more than 2,700 donors. The most important needs are the fence and the wall of memory. 

Cover photo: Facebook of the Social Committee for the Construction of the „Massacre of Volhynia” Monument

Author: Maria Byczynski, Tomasz Modrzejewski