History of a commemorative plaque devoted to the victims of the Smolensk Disaster

The Original plaque was founded by the Association of Families Katyń 2010. It set itself the objective of spreading and preserving memory of the tragically deceased in the catastrophe of the government aircraft at Smolensk on 10 April 2010 and taking steps to clarify all the circumstances that led to disaster.

22 April 2015

The Original plaque was founded by the Association of Families Katyń 2010. The main goal of this Association is objective of spreading and preserving the memory of all the tragically died in the Smolensk disaster of the government aircraft on 10 April 2010.

The Association of family members of the disaster arose on June 27. The administrative or supervisory board of the Association shall include Zuzanna Kurtyka (Chairman, widow of Janusz Kurtyce), Jadwiga Czarnołęska – Gosiewska (the mother of Przemysław Gosiewski), Magdalena Pietrzak – Merta (widow of Tomasz Mercie), Beata Gosiewska (widow of Przemysława Gosewski) and Andrzej Melak (brother of Stefan Melaka). On November 13, 2010, the representatives of the Association, in the presence of local Polonia and representatives of the Polish Consulate, placed a plaque and a cross on the site, commemorating all its victims. On the eve of the celebration of the first anniversary of the disaster, the plaque was removed by the Russian authorities. In return, two boards were hung in the second language in Russian.

The new boards of members removed the sentence about the Soviet crime of genocide. The Original plaque was commanded to the Polish Consulate. From there it came back to the Katyń Association 2010. In July 2011, the original plaque was transported and exhibited in Jasna Góra. As a result of all discussions with Jasna Góra, Father Roman Majewski with help of the Jasnogorska Foundation Pro Patria on 3 May 2012, the plaque was assembled in the epitaph of this tragedy.

The Epitaph of Smolensk also called as the Jasnogórski monument, is located in the courtyard of the entrance to the Chapel of Our Lady of Czestochowa. The day of 19th April 2015 is the inaugurating day of sacrificing replica of plaque in the American Czestochowa. The plaque was funded by the Committee, which started its activities in 2014 after the Celebration of the 4th anniversary of the Smolensk Disaster.

Article By: Aneta Antoniak