Screening of “Katyn” during the International Children’s and Youth Parafiada
On 6 July 2025, as part of the 36th International Children’s and Youth Parafiada in Warsaw, a screening of Andrzej Wajda’s film “Katyn” took place. The screening was preceded by an introductory talk by Sebastian Karwat, Director of the Katyn Museum, who presented the young audience with the historical background of the Katyn massacre and explained the importance of preserving the memory of the Polish prisoners of war and civilian prisoners murdered by the NKVD in the spring of 1940.
In his address, the Director of the Museum highlighted the unique role of Andrzej Wajda’s film in shaping public awareness and historical memory of the Katyn massacre. He emphasised that the film, inspired not only by the director’s personal experiences but also by the stories of many Katyn families, remains one of the most significant works of Polish cinema devoted to the fate of Polish citizens under Soviet occupation and to the decades-long suppression of the truth about the Soviet crime.
The screening formed part of the project “History Lesson – Katyn 1940”, organised during the Parafiada. The project aims to promote knowledge of the Katyn massacre and preserve the memory of its victims among children and young people from Poland and abroad. The programme also included a knowledge competition entitled “The Katyn Massacre – Causes, Consequences and Contexts in 2025, the Year of the Polish Heroes of Katyn, Kharkiv, Mednoye, Bykivnia and other places”, as well as an art competition entitled “KATYN 1940 – History in Objects. Relics”, inspired by museum artefacts and mementoes connected with the victims of the Katyn massacre.
Project graphic designed by Adrianna Gajdziszewska.
