On December 9, Polish diplomats confirmed the destruction of three burial sites of Polish soldiers who died in Soviet labor camps during WWII. The graves are located a few kilometers apart from each other.
"We regret to inform you that we have received the sad news of the devastation of the memorial complex commemorating Polish AK soldiers in the village of Borowicze-Jogła (Novgorod region)," reads the statement.
According to representatives of the Polish consulate in St. Petersburg and the Polish embassy in Moscow, "this was the only nearly fully memorialized labor camp complex in Russia," which was frequently visited by Poles.
Z żalem zawiadamiamy, że dotarła do nas smutna wiadomość, o zdewastowaniu kompleksu pomników upamiętniających polskich...
Opublikowany przez Konsulat Generalny RP w Sankt Petersburgu Poniedziałek, 9 grudnia 2024
During and after World War II, many individuals from various nationalities were sent to NKVD labor camps in the Borowicze region, located in northwestern Russia.
Between 1944 and 1946, over 600 Poles died from starvation, disease, or exhaustion in one of the harshest labor camps in the area. This year marks the 80th anniversary of these atrocities.
Poland-Russia diplomatic tensions rise over consulate closures
On December 5, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the Polish side through a note that in response to the closure of the Russian Consulate General in Poznań on November 30, Russia has revoked its approval for the operation of the Polish Consulate General in St. Petersburg, effective January 10, 2025.
The day after, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski walked out of the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Malta when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov began his speech.
In his remarks, the Polish FM emphasized, "Today, Russia respects neither borders nor human rights. There is no free press in Russia, no fair elections, and more political prisoners than there were in the Soviet Union under Leonid Brezhnev."
Sikorski also pointed out that Russia was given the opportunity to become more European, to reform and civilize, but unfortunately, its tyrannical political culture prevailed. "You are trying to rebuild the Russian empire. You are succeeding in destroying Ukraine, but you are also destroying the future of your own country," said Radosław Sikorski.
December 10: International Human Rights Day
The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Poland actively engages in international forums to promote human rights, noting that every year on December 10, International Human Rights Day is observed to mark the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN General Assembly in 1948.
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Source: The Polish Consulate in St. Petersburg/X/@MSZ_RP/@PolandMFA
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