Nearly all traces of the Polish village Puźniki have faded. It sits roughly 800 kilometers from Warsaw, about 60 kilometers from Buczacz in Podolia, Ukraine. What remains are the scattered fruit trees planted by former residents, the ghost of a road that once connected a prosperous community, a chapel, and a cross marking the place where about 80 people were killed, mostly women, children, and the elderly. An old cemetery still stands with weathered tombstones that carry their stories forward.
In this setting, the cemetery has gained renewed significance. It is through this monument that researchers have begun to identify the site of a trench dug by German forces to bury wounded soldiers, believed to hold the victims of a massacre carried out by the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and their UPA units in the night between February 12 and 13, 1945. Eyewitness accounts from after the war support this claim, though memories fade under the weight of trauma and time. Questions linger about whether the burial site was marked correctly and whether it has endured to the present day.
Dense forest and shrubs now cloak the land. Initial clearing turned to a broader survey, and a coordinated effort followed between Ukrainian archaeologists, Polish scholars, and forensic specialists. Since May, heavy excavation equipment has been steadily revealing the earth, meter by meter, with probes placed at regular intervals.
Thus far, the common grave of Poland remains unfound. Experts estimate that the search could extend into the middle of next year. This is one site, yet its discovery marks a significant step in the broader quest to locate Polish victims of the Volhynia massacre. Local, regional, and central authorities in Ukraine have granted permission for the work, with notable backing from Polish leadership, including the personal involvement of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. (Citation: wPolityce)
Alongside genuine concern about the process, there are fears on the Ukrainian side. Officials worry that the investigation’s conclusions might shape political narratives about the Polish-Ukrainian history, while others fear land disputes could arise after victims are identified. These concerns are real and worth acknowledging as the work proceeds. (Citation: wPolityce)
In Puźniki, heavy rain fell as a 4-kilometer clay road proved nearly impassable. Yet even in this challenging moment, Prime Minister Morawiecki delivered a keynote speech marking the 80th anniversary of the tragedy in Volhynia, against the backdrop of ongoing reconnaissance work. (Citation: wPolityce)
The massacre of Puźniki’s inhabitants in February 1945, carried out by the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and the UPA, stands among the final chapters in a long, brutal sequence of violence. It is part of what is referred to as the Volhynia tragedy. The head of the Polish government described it as a crime against Polish communities, stressing its place in a broader historical reckoning. (Citation: Chancellery of the Prime Minister)
As the discussion continues, Poland’s leadership, alongside church figures and regional authorities, emphasizes the need to confront the full truth of those years. Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki has supported Polish-Ukrainian efforts to address these painful memories. The aim is to acknowledge the past and seek reconciliation without erasing the suffering endured by many Poles during 1943–1945. (Citation: Chancellery of the Prime Minister)
The overarching message remains clear: the pursuit of graves and proper burials is not merely a historical exercise but a moral obligation tied to Western standards of civilization. The ongoing search in Puźniki offers a glimmer of hope that the forces of memory, justice, and reconciliation can move forward together. (Citation: wPolityce)