Open lecture at the Centre for Historical and Patriotic Education of the Polish Army Museum: “I Still Read Your Letter…”
On 5 March 2025, marking the 80th anniversary of the so-called Katyń decision, a large group of secondary school students from across the Mazovian Voivodeship gathered at the Centre for Historical and Patriotic Education (Centrum Edukacji Historyczno-Patriotycznej) of the Polish Army Museum to take part in an open lecture entitled “I Still Read Your Letter…” . The event was devoted to the reading and interpretation of diaries excavated at Katyń during the 1943 exhumations.
Among those in attendance were representatives of the Katyń Families, veterans, members of the Polish Association of War Invalids, as well as teachers and staff from the Pilecki Family Home Museum in Ostrów Mazowiecka.
The guest of honour was Dr Izabella Sariusz-Skąpska, President of the Federation of Katyń Families, who delivered a lecture titled “I Still Read Your Letter…” — a reflection on the diaries recovered from the Katyń mass graves. Her inspiring presentation provided a valuable introduction to the historical evidence, documents, and photographs featured in the exhibition “They Escaped to Manchuria”.
The event was also attended by Monika Kapa-Cichocka, curator of the exhibition, and Mirosław Koźlakiewicz, initiator of the construction of the Katyn cemeteries and Chairman of the Government Committee responsible for their establishment in Katyn, Kharkiv, and Mednoye.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Dr Izabella Sariusz-Skąpska received a commemorative medal from the Director of the Polish Army Museum, Professor Bogusław Pacek, and signed the honorary visitors’ book.
