DISINFO: Poland rewrites history erasing the names of Polish soldiers, who fought against Nazism
SUMMARY
Taking attempts to rewrite history, Warsaw erases from remembrance the names of Polish soldiers, who fought against Nazism. Usually, such things are done by vandals and Russia also calls them acts of vandalism. The actions of the Polish authorities qualify to this definition, but we do not use these words towards the Polish Government only because we give it a chance to make amends for its actions.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative casting Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic States as countries which do not respect the history of WWII and its heroes.
Background: The Polish Institute of National Remembrance took legal action to have the name of Sergiusz Iliaszewicz removed from the monument to Soviet paratroopers in Sokołów as this person took an active part in the fight against the Polish anti-Communist underground forces during and after WWII.
In 2017, Poland introduced new laws to ban totalitarian propaganda. According to this Law, up to 230 Soviet monuments may be replaced, a decision to be made by Polish local authorities. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs underlines that the Red Army's burial places and cemeteries located in Poland will be carefully protected. It is possible to dismantle and remove only symbolic monuments to the Red Army.
In 2015, Paweł Ukielski, Deputy Head of the Polish Institute of Historical Remembrance, published an open letter to the Russians, in which he explained the need to remove the symbolic monuments to the Red Army from Polish public places (text in Polish and Russian). According to him, free Poland perceives these monuments as symbols of captivity by the totalitarian USSR. In some cases, the Soviet monuments glorify the Red Army officers and generals, who were involved in war crimes against the Poles.
The Polish Government does not implement the centralised policy of replacement of the Red Army monuments, such decisions are taken by the local authorities.
Read similar cases connected to the issue of the Red Army monuments - Monuments to Soviet soldiers are massively demolished and damaged in Ukraine, Poland and Baltic countries; Polish “war” against Red Army monuments compares to the actions of the Islamic State and Red Army monuments and cemeteries are methodologically destroyed in Poland.