Mr.

 Stanislaw Szarzynski

President of the Association

 In Memory of Polish Thermopylae and the Borderlands

and the Club of Catholic Intelligentsia

in Przemyśl

Dear Mr. President,

Thank you very much for your invitation to take part in the commemorative ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of the genocide in Huta Pieniacka and Korościatin, as well as other places in the Kresy and Podkarpacie regions.

For several decades, the crimes of Ukrainian nationalists against the Polish population were erased from the pages of our history. It was forbidden to speak out about the bestial massacres committed on the inhabitants of Polish villages. The few who miraculously escaped death always carried in their hearts the images of these horrifying crimes, and the pain of the loss of their loved ones was intensified by the indifference of the authorities.

A conspiracy of silence reigned, forbidding the telling of the truth about those events. The perpetrators of crimes against innocent children, women and the elderly were never given deserved punishment.

The commemorative ceremonies taking place in Przemyśl on the 75th anniversary of the genocide in Huta Pieniacka, Korościatin and other places in the Kresy and Podkarpacie proves that no order or time has been able to erase this cruel crime from the memory of successive generations. It is with great gratitude that I think of the people who have spent decades preserving the truth. At the same time, I extend my appreciation to the organizers and participants in the commemoration of these tragic events, with special thanks to the representatives of the Przemysl Kresy Families.

Not being able to participate in the ceremonies with you, I join in prayer in this symbolic way and bow my head before the victims of nationalist crimes.

   Best regards

  Marek Kuchciński