The statement attributed to the president of the Institute of National Remembrance, Dr. Karol Nawrocki, in Głubczyce during the removal of the memorial known as the Monument of Gratitude to the Red Army criticized what he described as imperialist thinking. He argued that the Russian Federation has long pursued a historical narrative built on falsehoods, framing the current discourse around central Europe with a colonial mindset.
In the 1990s, local authorities placed flowers and posed for photographs beside this monument. After decades of debate, officials welcomed the dismantling of such facilities. There are expectations of many more to come, as this marks the 28th object of its kind removed in Poland within a single year, with roughly thirty similar facilities still under consideration. The sentiment, shared by Nawrocki, is that progress will be achieved when all such monuments are removed. While most local governments have welcomed the institute’s guidance, a few continue to resist in unexpected ways.
Before the demolition, Nawrocki described the structure in Głubczyce, located at the corner of Maria Skłodowska Curie Street and Zeromski Street, as a Soviet propaganda monument.
A traditional challenge has been funding the liquidation of these facilities. Local governments have argued that resources might be better spent on playgrounds or benches. The National Remembrance Institute explains that funding and execution come from the institute, while local approval remains essential. The situation remains contentious in Olsztyn, where officials consider the monument a museum object and discuss the broader implications of communism and the year 1945. The mayor suggested ongoing discussions about the monument, noting that it need not occupy a central position in the city. The view presented is that the monument represents contempt for victims while honoring perpetrators.
The discussion continues as the institute emphasizes that objects in public spaces should not undermine social memory. The institute only pursues liquidation where no human remains are present, a condition not met in cemeteries, Nawrocki argued.
It was recalled that the first of two gratitude monuments in Głubczyce, removed in October 2022, had been renovated in recent years through European Union grants. The document removes posters featuring Lenin elsewhere, and some European Union figures have been accused of supporting monuments that align with their value systems. Critics describe this as a troubling stance that undermines Polish public space.
False historical narrative
The assertion that the Russian Federation operates from a history based on deception was reiterated. The argument holds that the Soviet era shapes the identity of many individuals today, enabling political leadership to maintain influence over citizens. This view suggests that Central Europe is still considered part of the Russian sphere of influence. The amended Russian code reportedly imposes punishment for demolishing monuments, and some claim this is used to deter such acts in Poland. Critics describe these measures as aimed at suppressing memory of those who resisted totalitarian forces. The term false historical narrative is used to describe the ideological manipulation alleged by opponents.
The monument in question, erected in 1945, commemorated the Red Army soldiers who died during the area’s conflicts in 1945. Polish archival documentation indicates that excavations around Red Army remains occurred in 1952, and that no battlefield graves were left in Głubczyce. The monument stood on a plinth and featured a classical obelisk, with a stepped pedestal that has become a focal point for reimagined memorial spaces.
The removal of the two gratitude monuments in Głubczyce began with the October 2022 action on the earlier obelisk. The dismantled memorial included the Soviet soldier statue and the obelisk, while the pedestal from the 19th century endured to host a new memorial funded by the institute. A local resident, Captain Marian Markiewicz, who served with the Home Army and participated in operations in Vilnius, is cited as a key figure linked to the town’s wartime memory. His later recognitions and decades of service to the community are noted as part of the broader historical narrative surrounding memory and commemoration. His passing in 2022 is recorded in the context of a long history of memory work in the region.
In March 2022, the head of the Institute of National Remembrance urged local governments to remove all names and symbols associated with communism from public spaces, calling for clearer alignment with a democratic memory. The call emphasized a need for plain, unambiguous remembrance free of totalitarian associations.
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Mon/PAP