Homage to the Victims of the Katyn Massacre

It is with great pride that we share the news that a delegation from Eliza Orzeszkowa Language School in London (Szkoła Językowa im. Elizy Orzeszkowej w Londynie) represented our community at the commemorations honouring the victims of the Katyn massacre.

The day began with Holy Mass at the Polish Garrison Church of St Andrew Bobola in west London, during which our young delegates had the opportunity to view relics recovered from the Katyn graves. We then proceeded to Gunnersbury Cemetery, where our delegation laid flowers at the Katyn Memorial on behalf of the entire school community.

After the ceremony, we had the honour of speaking with Capt. Eugeniusz Niedzielski (codename “Nead”) — the 103-year-old soldier of the 1st Polish Armoured Division of General Stanisław Maczek, and the last living veteran of that legendary formation. Our students also had the privilege of taking a commemorative photograph with Jerzy Boczkowski, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Republic of Poland to the United Kingdom, and with numerous representatives of the leading Polish diaspora organisations.

The Katyn massacre and the Katyn lie form part of the required content for the A-level examination — which made this event all the more meaningful and valuable. It allowed our students to come face to face with living history, to pay personal tribute to the victims, and to deepen the knowledge gained in the classroom through a direct encounter with an eyewitness of those times and a site of particular significance to the Polish community in the United Kingdom.

We must never let their memory fade.