It was erected under the initiative of the Katyn Committee, which has been in existence since September 1979, even before the truth about the Katyn massacre and its perpetrators was officially recognised. It was a massacre carried out by NKVD of 22,000 Polish citizens whom the Red Army captured or arrested after 17th September 1939. Then, on the basis of a secret decision by the highest Soviet authorities, executed 15,000 captives and 7,000 prisoners.

The Committee had the goal of commemorating the victims of this crime and nurturing the memory of the Poles murdered in the east. Its leader was Stefan Melak, who led the organisation until his death in the presidential plane crash on 10th April 2010 which was on its way to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Katyn Massacre.

At the time of the „Solidarity” movement it was decided that a Monument to the Victims of Katyn be constructed which was to stand in Katyn Hollow at the military cemetery at Powazki in Warsaw. This effort resulted in a huge granite monument which was erected on 1st July 1981, the first of its kind in Poland. It was stolen shortly afterwards but eventually returned in 1989. The monument was returned to its original site in 1995.

Monument to the Victims of Katyn – Warsaw (woj. Mazowieckie)

www.um.warszawa.pl