The Smolensk saga: a storm of memory on the sea of unresolved history

8:41 Polish time, April 10, 2010. Is there anyone who doesn’t remember exactly what they were doing fifteen years ago at that moment? Each year, Poland sets sail on a voyage of sentiment, memory, and reflection. Yet with every passing year, this journey grows heavier with pain and resentment, a storm that will rage on as long as the tragedy in the forest near Smolensk-Severny airfield remains unresolved. Today, April 10, 2025, we honor the fallen and keep alive the memory of those who boarded that flight to pay tribute to souls whose fate went unclaimed for far too long.

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10 april 2025   |   20:33   |   Source: Gazeta Morska   |   Prepared by: Kamil Kusier   |   Print

fot. Maxim Shemetov / Forum / MID

The presidential couple – a symbol of service and devotion

Aboard the Tu-154M were Lech Kaczyński, President of Poland, and First Lady Maria Kaczyńska. President Kaczyński was a man deeply committed to preserving Poland’s history, especially the Katyn massacre. He sought to ensure the truth of the past would never fade. Maria Kaczyńska, admired for her warmth, empathy, and grace, stood by his side in this mission of remembrance. Their presence on that flight was a testament to their reverence for history and an unwavering care for justice.

Admiral Andrzej Karweta – a commander by calling

Among the victims was Admiral Andrzej Karweta, Commander of the Polish Navy. A man of unyielding spirit, he devoted his life to serving his country at sea. His leadership was marked by professionalism, dedication, and passion. The admiral’s death in the Smolensk crash was a profound loss to Poland’s naval forces and its entire military.

The Polish military in mourning

The Smolensk disaster claimed the lives of the Polish Armed Forces’ highest-ranking commanders, leaving a gaping void in the nation’s defense. Among them were:

• General Franciszek Gągor – Chief of the General Staff, a strategist and leader of vast experience.
• General Andrzej Błasik – Air Force Commander, devoted to modernizing military aviation.
• General Tadeusz Buk – Land Forces Commander, a figure of remarkable charisma and courage.
• General Włodzimierz Potasiński – Special Forces Commander, respected for his professionalism and commitment.
• General Bronisław Kwiatkowski – Operational Forces Commander, a key figure in operational planning.

Their loss was not just a blow to the military but to the entire nation, which will forever honor them as heroes of selfless service.

Smolensk – a site of double tragedy

Smolensk, stained with the blood of Polish officers murdered in Katyn in 1940, became the stage for another national calamity. It was there, where a delegation aimed to honor the victims of a crime from - then - 70 years prior, that the disaster of April 10, 2010, unfolded. History turned a cruel circle, and Smolensk stands eternal as a symbol of Poland’s dual suffering – a place where past and present collide in unimaginable grief.

Full list of smolensk crash victims

1. Lech Kaczyński – President of the Republic of Poland
2. Maria Kaczyńska – First Lady, Spouse of the President
3. Joanna Agacka-Indecka – President of the Supreme Bar Council
4. Jerzy Andrzejewski – Officer of the Government Protection Bureau
5. Ewa Bąkowska – Representative of Katyn Families
6. Jerzy Bajgrowicz – Representative of Katyn Families
7. Witomir Bieńkowski – Representative of Katyn Families
8. Janusz Bieńkowski – Representative of Katyn Families
9. Andrzej Błasik – Air Force Commander
10. Krystyna Bochenek – Deputy Speaker of the Senate
11. Maria Borowska – Representative of Katyn Families
12. Bartosz Borowski – Representative of Katyn Families
13. Tadeusz Buk – Land Forces Commander
14. Mirosław Chada – Representative of Katyn Families
15. Miron Chodakowski – Orthodox Military Ordinary
16. Czesław Cywiński – President of the World Association of Home Army Soldiers
17. Grzegorz Dolniak – Member of Parliament
18. Katarzyna Doraczyńska – Staff of the Presidential Chancellery
19. Edward Duchnowski – Representative of Katyn Families
20. Janina Fetlińska – Senator
21. Jarosław Florczak – Officer of the Government Protection Bureau
22. Artur Francuz – Officer of the Government Protection Bureau
23. Franciszek Gągor – Chief of the General Staff
24. Grażyna Gęsicka – Member of Parliament
25. Romuald Gil – Representative of Katyn Families
26. Przemysław Gosiewski – Member of Parliament
27. Robert Grzywna – Co-pilot
28. Mariusz Handzlik – Undersecretary of State in the Presidential Chancellery
29. Witold Hatka – Representative of Katyn Families
30. Natalia Januszko – Flight Attendant
31. Paweł Janeczek – Officer of the Government Protection Bureau
32. Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka – Member of Parliament
33. Józef Joniec – President of the Parafiada Association
34. Ryszard Kaczorowski – Last President of Poland in Exile
35. Sebastian Karpiniuk – Member of Parliament
36. Andrzej Karweta – Navy Commander
37. Mariusz Kazana – Director of Diplomatic Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
38. Janusz Kochanowski – Ombudsman for Civil Rights
39. Stanisław Komorowski – Undersecretary of State, Ministry of National Defence
40. Paweł Krajewski – Officer of the Government Protection Bureau
41. Andrzej Kremer – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
42. Zdzisław Król – Chaplain of the Warsaw Katyn Families
43. Janusz Krupski – Head of the Office for War Veterans and Repressed Persons
44. Janusz Kurtyka – President of the Institute of National Remembrance
45. Bronisław Kwiatkowski – Operational Forces Commander
46. Andrzej Kwaśnik – Chaplain of the Federation of Katyn Families
47. Wojciech Lubiński – Presidential Physician
48. Tadeusz Lutoborski – Representative of Katyn Families
49. Barbara Maciejczyk – Flight Attendant
50. Dariusz Malinowski – Representative of Katyn Families
51. Barbara Mamińska – Director in the Presidential Chancellery
52. Zenona Mamontowicz-Łojek – Representative of Katyn Families
53. Jerzy Mamontowicz – Representative of Katyn Families
54. Stefan Melak – Chairman of the Katyn Committee
55. Tomasz Merta – Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage
56. Andrzej Michalak – Flight Technician
57. Dariusz Michałowski – Officer of the Government Protection Bureau
58. Stanisław Mikke – Vice-Chairman of the Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites
59. Justyna Moniuszko – Flight Attendant
60. Aleksandra Natalli-Świat – Member of Parliament
61. Piotr Nurowski – President of the Polish Olympic Committee
62. Bronisława Orawiec-Löffler – Representative of Katyn Families
63. Jan Osiński – Priest, Representative of the Military Ordinariate
64. Adam Pilch – Evangelical Military Chaplain
65. Katarzyna Piskorska – Representative of Katyn Families
66. Maciej Płażyński – Member of Parliament, former Speaker of the Sejm
67. Tadeusz Płoski – Military Bishop
68. Agnieszka Pogródka-Węcławek – Officer of the Government Protection Bureau
69. Włodzimierz Potasiński – Special Forces Commander
70. Arkadiusz Protasiuk – Aircraft Captain
71. Krzysztof Putra – Deputy Speaker of the Sejm
72. Ryszard Rumianek – Rector of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University
73. Arkadiusz Rybicki – Member of Parliament
74. Marek Rzodkiewicz – Representative of Katyn Families
75. Jacek Sałkowski – Representative of Katyn Families
76. Andrzej Sariusz-Skąpski – President of the Federation of Katyn Families
77. Wojciech Seweryn – Representative of Katyn Families
78. Sławomir Skrzypek – President of the National Bank of Poland
79. Leszek Solski – Representative of Katyn Families
80. Władysław Stasiak – Head of the Presidential Chancellery
81. Jacek Surówka – Officer of the Government Protection Bureau
82. Aleksander Szczygło – Head of the National Security Bureau
83. Jerzy Szmajdziński – Member of Parliament, Deputy Speaker of the Sejm
84. Jolanta Szymanek-Deresz – Member of Parliament
85. Gabriela Szewerniak – Representative of Katyn Families
86. Jarosław Szczygieł – Representative of Katyn Families
87. Izabela Tomaszewska – Director of the Protocol Team, Presidential Chancellery
88. Marek Uleryk – Officer of the Government Protection Bureau
89. Anna Walentynowicz – Democratic opposition activist, co-founder of NSZZ “Solidarity”
90. Teresa Walewska-Przyjałkowska – Representative of the Golgotha of the East Foundation
91. Zbigniew Wassermann – Member of Parliament
92. Zdzisław Wassermann – Representative of Katyn Families
93. Edward Wojtas – Member of Parliament
94. Paweł Wypych – Secretary of State in the Presidential Chancellery
95. Stanisław Zając – Senator
96. Janusz Zakrzeński – Actor, artist
97. Stefan Zielonka – Representative of Katyn Families
98. Artur Ziętek – Navigator

Lost in the political tide

Fifteen years have passed since the Smolensk crash, yet in the clamor of politics and endless disputes, we increasingly lose sight of what matters most. We forget those who perished 85 years ago in Katyn, those who died 15 years ago in Smolensk to honor them, and those who still carry the grief, sorrow, and mourning of these tragedies in their hearts. Amid the fervor of debates and divisions, we drift from the memory of their sacrifice, their lives, and the legacy they sought to pass on. Perhaps it’s time to drop anchor and recall that above politics stands humanity – those who are gone and those who still remember.

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