Polish Ministry ‘surprised’ by Russian reaction to monument removal
PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea
22.09.2015 08:36
Poland says Russia knew about the removal of Soviet General Chernyakovsky's monument from a Polish town which has angered the Kremlin.
The decision to take down the monument of Gen Chernyakhovsky (L) angered the Kremlin. Photo: Collage/Wikimedia Commons
“Without questioning the role of General Chernyakhovsky in the fight against the Third Reich, we must not forget his responsibility and active role in the liquidation of the Polish resistance Army [Armia Krajowa]. After the invasion of the Red Army [in 1944], General Chernyakhovsky, along with NKVD [Soviet secret police – ed.], were responsible for arrests [and] secret executions,” said the Polish Foreign Ministry in a statement on Monday.
On Thursday, 17 September a brass relief of Red Army General Chernyakhovksky was removed from a monument in Pieniężno in northern Poland.
The local government chose the 76th anniversary of the Red Army invasion to commemorate those killed by the Soviets.
Poland’s Foreign Ministry highlighted that Russia was informed of all the details of the removal process of the monument of Gen. Chernyakhovsky. The Ministry lamented that “neither the Soviet side, nor the Russian side has displayed interest in commemoration of the 800,000 Red Army soldiers who were killed by the Third Reich during WW2 as POWs and are buried on Polish territory.”
The Polish Ministry has insisted that Russia had been duly informed about intentions to disassemble the monument.
The Kremlin last week called in the Polish Ambassador in Russia to explain the decision. (ua/rg/rk)