26th Anniversary of the Opening of the Polish War Cemetery in Mednoye
On 2 September 2026, the 26th anniversary of the opening of the Polish War Cemetery in Mednoye was commemorated. Due to restrictions on access to the cemetery for Polish delegations, commemorative ceremonies were held in Warsaw to honour officers of the State Police of the Second Polish Republic and other Polish citizens murdered by the NKVD in the spring of 1940.
The commemorations began with a Holy Mass at the Field Cathedral of the Polish Armed Forces in Warsaw, celebrated in memory of the officers of the State Police of the Second Polish Republic who were killed or murdered. The Mass was presided over by Bishop Wiesław Lechowicz, PhD, Field Bishop of the Polish Armed Forces and Delegate of the Polish Bishops’ Conference for Police Chaplaincy.
In the evening, a ceremonial roll call was held in the courtyard of the Polish National Police Headquarters at the Monument to the Fallen Police Officers – The Republic of Poland. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Police leadership and state authorities, relatives of the murdered officers, representatives of the ‘Police Family 1939’ Association and the Federation of Katyn Families, uniformed services, institutions and organisations, as well as invited guests. The Katyn Museum was represented by its Director, Sebastian Karwat.
The commemorations concluded with the reading of the Roll Call of Remembrance, a ceremonial salute and the laying of wreaths and floral tributes at the Monument to the Fallen Police Officers – The Republic of Poland. The ceremony paid tribute to those who were murdered and served as a reminder of the duty to preserve the memory of their fate and their loyal service to the Republic of Poland.
