Opening of the Temporary Exhibition
“Evidence of crimes – documents excavated from mass graves in Mednoye, Kharkiv and Katyn”
at the Central Museum of Prisoners of War in Łambinowice
On the eve of the 86th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Poland, the Central Museum of Prisoners of War in Łambinowice-Opole hosted the ceremonial opening of the temporary exhibition “Evidence of crimes – documents excavated from mass graves in Mednoye, Kharkiv and Katyn”.
The opening ceremony began with welcoming remarks by the Museum’s Deputy Director, Dr Renata Kobylarz-Buła, who invited the honorary guest, Maria Matlachowska, to speak. Representing the Katyń Families Association in Opole, she delivered a deeply personal address, reflecting on her visits to the East in the 1990s, when exhumation works were being carried out at the burial sites of Polish officers, as well as on later visits in the 2000s during the opening ceremonies of successive war cemeteries.
The exhibition was then introduced by its curator, Dr Joanna Kurczab. In a presentation rich in historical detail, she explained the complex process of securing the recovered artefacts —particularly documents — and how these materials helped establish the identities of the victims. Most importantly, however, she brought to light the personal stories of those who, despite the hardship and tragedy of captivity, held on to hope of returning to their families and living once again in a free Poland.
The exhibition will remain open to visitors until the end of April 2026.
