Pilsudski Mound. Photo: Hubert.w /wikipedia.orgAn urn containing earth from the site of the Smolensk catastrophe, in which President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others died on 10 April, has been placed at the Pilsudski Mound in Krakow, southern Poland.
The ceremony took place on Wednesday evening, and was attended by Defence Minister Bogdan Klich as well as close relatives of those who perished in the air crash.
The Pilsudski Mound is a special place on the patriotic map of Krakow, Mayor Jacek Majchrowski said, claiming it was the “Grave of Graves” where urns full of earth from battlefields, and later the place of mass murders of Poles, are traditionally placed.
“Earth from Katyn [where 20,000 Polish officers were murdered by the Soviets in 1940] lies here, today we deposit an urn with earth from Smolensk,” said Majchrowski.
Minister Klich said that those who lost their lives in Smolensk “were the very best Polish politicians and citizens of the highest order.”
Wojciech Wassermann, son of Law and Justice poltician Zbigniew, who was from Krakow and died on 10 April, spoke on behalf of the families, underlining that the people who died served their Fatherland with devotion, “and that is why this loss is so great.”
Earth from the crash site nearby Smolensk’s North Airport was collected following the crash on 10 April by Deputy Head of the Committee for the Protection of the Pilsudski Mound, Andrzej Fischer who was in Katyn to commemorate the murder of Polish officers there 70 years ago. (jb)
Source: PAP
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