LET’S PAY THE TRIBUTE TO THE MARTYRS OF THE BORDERLANDS
ALEKSANDER MARKOWSKI
On 11 July 1943, the divisions of OUN-UPA in Volyn attacked 167 defenceless towns. All Poles were murdered – men, women, elderly people and children, houses were robbed and burnt. During the Holy Mass churches were burnt. Believers and priests who were not burnt, were bestially murdered.
On 26 July 1944, the 27thWołyń Infantry Division of the National Army was surrounded and disarmed by the Soviet army. Officers and soldiers were imprisoned in post-German concentration camp in Majdanek and in Lubelski Zamek – a prison. They were murdered or transported to the Soviet gulags. Some of them were enrolled into the Army of Berling.
In 1993 in Warsaw on the Square of Volyn, at the intersection of Armia Krajowa alley with Gdańska Street, a monument of the 27thWołyń Division of the National Army was unveiled – a sword raised upwards – of knights from the Borderlands.
On its blade, there are words: the 27thWołyń Infantry Division of the National Army. On the hilt there are words: TO THE DEFENDERS OF HOMELAND. At its base, there is a tombstone plate from Volyn granite, concealing ground from battle fields and places of death of Poles in Volyn. The sword is surrounded by big stony candles, symbolizing 11 Volyn provinces of the murdered on Sunday 11 July 1943, by genocides from OUN and UPA.
In Volyn …..’graves were overgrown with grasses, instead of the cross a forest grew up’. These are words of the late Andrzej Depo, a poet, a soldier of the 27thWołyń Infantry Division of the National Army. We sing it in the Evenings of the Group of Friends of the Truth and the Rescued from Oblivion Polish Songs. Why? Because there is the spirit of the nation in the songs.
Let’s pay the tribute to the Martyrs of the Borderlands. On 11 July at the time of the Jasna Góra Appeal Prayer, let’s light candles in windows, hang out Polish flags with a black ribbon.
WOLYN IN BLOOD
Joanna Wieliczka-Szarkowa published her another book- ‘Volyn in blood 1943’. The subject of the author’s studies is history of the so-called Volyn bloodshed – a crime of genocide committed by Ukrainian nationalists on Poles from the province of Volyn during the occupation of the Second Polish Republic by the Third German Reich at the period from February 1943 to February 1944. Historians estimate that at that time about 70 Poles were killed, and other 60 thousand were murdered by Ukrainian nationalists on the area of Eastern part of Poland – Małopolska. The apogee of genocide was on 11 July 1943. Bullets, shells, knives and axes fell onto defenceless, engrossed in Sunday rest Polish villages and on the first days of harvest and on people gathered in Catholic churches. The book has nearly 400 pages, and is provided with footnotes and indexes of surnames and towns, as well as many archival photos (the merit is a big font).
Dr. Joanna Wielicyka – Szarkowa, a historian, is an author of the books: ‘The Third Reich. Births and twilight of craziness’. (2006); ‘Józef Piłsudski 1867-1935. Illustrated biography (2007); ‘A black book of the Borderlands’ (2012); ‘Soldiers cursed. Steadfast heroes’. (2013) The co-author of among the others, a book ‘In the shadow of a red star. Soviet crimes on Poles 1917 – 1956’ (2010).
A song will remind about it (1960)
words: Andrzej Depo
melody: ‘A fireplace is burning and forests are rustling’.
Wind of Volyn is bringing greetings
from all the forests, fields and meadows,
a song of hope sounds at the Bug river
connects thoughts in one circle.
Volyn will not be forgotten by none of us,
that it was Polish – the song will remind about it to us,
because there are no bad roads to a song,
It will pass through each threshold.
Because at the Bug river it will always be heard
How the forest in Volyn rustles,
How Volyn sighs to Poland wistfully,
Time will not blur memory.
Volyn will not be forgotten by none of us,
that it was Polish – the song will remind about it to us,
that graves overgrown with grass,
instead of the grass – a forest grew out.
As long as water flows in the Bug river,
Polish blood flows in veins,
Memory of Volyn will not go away,
It will be carried by wind in songs.
Volyn will not be forgotten by none of us,
that it was Polish – the song will remind about it to us,
because there are no bad roads to a song,
It will not be destroyed by any enemy.
The forest is rustling, wind is singing on graves
Of Polish towns and Polish villages,
It is singing songs about their bloody histories,
About Polish blood which was shed.
About soldiers, who for Homeland
devoted their life with honour in its defence,
about how history acknowledged
their fame, eternal honour.
Volyn will not be forgotten by none of us,
that it was Polish – the song will remind about it to us,
because there are no bad roads to a song,
It will not be destroyed by any enemy.
(AA)
"Niedziela" 27/2013