Tag Archive: Katyn

Apr 22

Europe view on Poland. Politics as normal?

In the churches of Warsaw and other Polish cities, the funerals continue but questions are looming. Why were so many of the country’s top brass on the plane that crashed on April 10th, killing President Lech Kaczynski, his wife and 94 others, including some of the country’s brightest and best military officers? Some of the relatives are, privately, furious. They say that their menfolk were ordered to travel to the Katyn memorial service as a backdrop for the launch of Mr Kaczynski’s re-election campaign.

Bosses often waste busy people’s time for reasons of their own. But every decision that led to the crash now looks questionable.

Apr 20

A Lithuanian view on Katyn and Smolensk

For 70 years the word Katyn is an open wound in the memory of the Polish nation. It can be healed only by the victory of truth against lie. This battle lasts since 1943, when Goebbels wrote in his diary on the day the Germans were retreating from Katyn: with no doubt the Russians shall blame the Germans for this crime. The Nazi ideologist guessed right because there was no difference in the essence of these enemies. During the trial in Nurnberg the Soviets tried to accuse Nazis of the Katyn massacre but the allies didn’t dare to confirm the fake, and it was nonsuited due to the “lack of evidence”.

Mar 05

Katyn update

The Kremlin is gradually sorting out (or at least defusing) its historical rows with the ex-captive nations. First it was Putin’s visit to Hungary on the anniversary of ’56 (see this report). Then it was Prague for 40 years after the 1968 invasion see this one, in Russian. Now comes Katyn, with official confirmation that …

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Sep 04

Putin in Gdansk

Russia, Poland and history Mr Putin regretsSep 3rd 2009 From The Economist print edition Russia bandages a wound in Poland IT IS hard to imagine modern Germany haggling with Poland about opening wartime archives, let alone over who started the war. With Russia, it is different. Vladimir Putin’s visit to Gdansk, where a ceremony this …

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Sep 04

leading article on Russia and history from this week’s Economist

Russia’s past The unhistory manSep 3rd 2009 From The Economist print edition Russia should do more to condemn Stalin’s crimes—for its own sake EVERY country highlights the good bits in its history and ignores the bad. Russia’s keenness that none should forget the great sacrifices its people made in the second world war—it did more …

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Jun 12

europe view 136 on history (again)

Europe.view Let us have no liesJun 11th 2009 From Economist.com Using the law to salve a guilty national conscienceYOU automatically lose an argument if you call the other person a Nazi, states an adage coined by Mike Godwin, a writer about the internet, in 1990. With that in mind, it is wise to proceed with …

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Jun 06

Europe view 134, history

EUROPE Europe.view Magistra vitae?May 28th 2009 From Economist.com The fine line between disagreement and propagandaFORGET gas, nukes or Iran. The deep divide between Russia and its western neighbours is about history. President Dmitry Medvedev has set up a commission to look at “falsifications of history that damage Russia’s interests” (he should use a comma: this …

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Jun 06

History, again

Europe.view Mentioning the war Jun 4th 2009 From Economist.com Misaligned histories in Britain and eastern Europe BRITAIN is gripped by a feeling of historical injustice. The 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings has been hijacked by the ungrateful French and self-obsessed Americans. President Nicolas Sarkozy wants to grandstand with Barack Obama. Neither country wants to …

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Jun 19

Katyn

Poland, Russia and history Dead leaves in the wind Jun 19th 2008 | WARSAWFrom The Economist print edition Russia inches towards reconciliation with Poland over the Katyn massacre FEW things symbolised the Soviet attitude to truth more than the Katyn massacre: having shot 20,000 Polish officers in cold blood, the Kremlin then blamed it on …

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Feb 08

Piece for Fakt

Publicysta „The Economist” dla “Faktu” piątek 8 lutego 2008 03:19 Lucas: Nie dajcie się oszukać Moskwie » Lucas: Nie dajcie się oszukać Moskwie Zamknij X zobacz galerię Spadkobiercy tajnej stalinowskiej policji rządzą dziś Rosją. Z ich prawdziwą naturą mieliśmy do czynienia w ubiegłym miesiącu, kiedy to pracownicy British Council byli wyciągani z łóżek w związku …

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