Probably, we are talking about the mass grave of those who died in battles with the Soviet troops of the NKVD members of the Ukrainian rebel Army (UPA) in the Polish monast. Unknown people hung a plate there with the inscription: “The mass grave of Ukrainians, members of the UPA, responsible for terror and genocide against the defenseless Polish, Ukrainian and Jewish population. Lord God, have mercy on them and do not blame them with the terrible deeds that they committed against their brothers. Forgiving does not mean oblivion, but healing of pain.”
“We decisively condemn the act of vandalism, committed against one of the Ukrainian places of memory in Poland. The illegally established inscriptions and signs should be inconsistently eliminated. This is a conscious provocation, which serves, among other things, the interests of the country of Russia-aggressor and have a goal to harm the constructive dialogue that has been continuing in the last months between two countries,” said Tochitsky and Senkevich.
They confirmed that work will continue to strengthen the strategic partnership between Poland and Ukraine and the solution of existing problematic issues through dialogue and mutual understanding.
“All acts of vandalism regarding the places of memory and burial are investigated by the relevant services,” the statement said.
Context
On March 2–3, 1945, near the village of Verrat Tomashevsky district of the Lublin Voivodeship, the hundreds of the UPA Avengers-2 conducted a battle with the prevailing forces of the NKVD troops, recalls “Historical Pravda”. The UPA forces were scattered and did not expect an attack. As a result, 62 (according to other sources, 66) of the UPA warrior diedas well as many civilians of Verhrat and neighboring villages. After the battle, the rebels were gathered and buried in a mass grave on Mount a Monastery.
A cross and an unfinished monument stood for a long time in this place, since the local authorities did not give consent to it. In 2000 alone, the Polish council of protecting the memory of struggle and martyrdom on the basis of an agreement between the governments of Ukraine and Poland poured a mound and erected a monument. On the memorial plate located under the cross, there was an inscription “Field for free Ukraine”, and the names, surnames and date of birth of the dead were indicated.
The object was damaged several times, writes zlubaczowa.pl. In 2015, someone broke a board with the names of the UPA members, the cross was painted in Polish national colors, and Ukrainian symbols were replaced by Polish. In 2020, the monument was again subjected to the act of vandalism. The board, already damaged, was completely broken, and its fragments were thrown into the pit. After some time, a new bilingual plate was installed without the names of the UPA members.
