"Bykivnia is unique, as it is the only Katyn cemetery not subject to political or wartime restrictions," said Poland’s ambassador to Ukraine, Piotr Łukasiewicz.
He contrasted the respectful atmosphere in Ukraine with the recent hostility shown to Polish officials visiting memorials in Russia.
The ceremony opened with a Catholic Mass, during which air raid sirens wailed, warning of a potential Russian ballistic missile strike.
In September, missile debris landed near the cemetery, sparking a fire.
The Polish parliament has declared 2025 the Year of Polish Heroes from Katyn, Kharkiv, Mednoye, Bykivnia, and other sites.
Ambassador Łukasiewicz warned of historical parallels, saying: "Eighty-five years ago, and today, the Kremlin remains a source of cruelty, aggression, and instability," referring to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Sławomir Wysocki, who lost two relatives in the massacre, traveled from Poland to attend.
"History is a wheel. We are again at a dangerous point," he said.
The Katyn massacre was ordered on 5 March 1940 by the Soviet Politburo, resulting in the execution of thousands of Polish officers and intellectuals by the NKVD secret police.
Approximately 3,500 of them lie buried in Bykivnia, among 150,000 victims of Soviet repression.
The Katyn cemetery in Kharkiv remains closed due to ongoing Russian attacks.
Saturday’s ceremony took place on the eve of the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Katyn Massacre.
On Sunday, 13 April, President Andrzej Duda is set to mark the anniversary with a commemoration in Kraków.
(ał)
Source: PAP