Polish Lawmakers Call for Accepting Volhynia Massacre Responsibility

On Tuesday, July 11, the Polish Sejm (the lower house of parliament) adopted a resolution to commemorate the victims of the Volhynia tragedy on its 80^th anniversary.

The resolution received unanimous support, with a total of 440 Sejm deputies participating in the vote. The document refers to the events of July 11, 1943, in Volhynia, where, according to the resolution, “Bloody Sunday took place – the culminating moment” of the Volhynia tragedy, which Polish deputies describe as genocide.

The Volhynia Massacre has long been an impediment to fully developed Polish-Ukrainian friendship.

As the resolution highlights, on that day, “Ukrainian units of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), often supported by Ukrainian civilians, attacked 99 villages inhabited by Poles in the former Volhynia Voivodeship and killed a significant part of their population.”

According to the document, starting from 2016, July 11 has been designated as the National Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Genocide, during which “more than 100,000 Poles were killed – often in a very brutal way.”

The resolution aims to pay tribute to the memory of all the victims of the Volhynia tragedy. It acknowledges the individuals from the Ukrainian nation who courageously opposed the crime committed by their compatriots, even risking their own lives. These brave individuals deserve special recognition, the resolution said.

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The document underscores the parliamentarians’ focus on the importance of “Polish-Ukrainian reconciliation,” a process that has been developed over the years by representatives from both nations. It should also encompass the “recognition of guilt and commemoration of the victims of the Second World War.”

The adopted resolution also stated that “the exhumation, dignified burial, and commemoration of all victims of genocide in the eastern borderlands are necessary.”

On July 9, Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and Andrzej Duda of Poland visited Lutsk together to pay their respects to the victims of the Volhynia tragedy.