A solemn mass in memory of victims of the Volyn tragedy was held at the Roman Catholic Cathedral in the city of Lutsk, Volyn Oblast, on Sunday 13 July. Polish diplomats attended the service.

[The Volyn (Volhynia) tragedy was a series of events that led to the ethnic cleansing of the Polish and Ukrainian populations in 1943 during World War II. It was part of a long-standing rivalry between Ukrainians and Poles in what is now Ukraine's west. Poland considers the Volyn tragedy a genocide of Poles – ed.]

Source: PAP, a Polish news agency, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The Polish Sejm recently designated 11 July as a day of remembrance for "the victims of the genocide committed by the OUN and UPA in the eastern territories of the Second Polish Republic". [The OUN (Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists) was a Ukrainian nationalist political group, while the UPA (Ukrainian Insurgent Army) was its military wing, involved in armed resistance – ed.]

As part of this commemoration, a solemn mass for the victims of the Volyn tragedy was held on 13 July at the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Lutsk.

Members of the Polish community in Ukraine, Polish diplomats and representatives of the Volyn Oblast authorities were among those present at the mass.

Bishop Edward Kawa, who celebrated the mass, said both Ukraine and Poland are prepared to engage in discussions about this painful historical episode.

Kawa emphasised the need for all the victims to be exhumed so that they can be identified and paid the respect due to the dead. He also noted that the "revival of memory" is significant not only for Poles, but for Ukrainians too.

Quote: "I believe this will not only help Poles heal their wounds, but it is also necessary that we in Ukraine face the truth and confront that truth. I am convinced that this will significantly strengthen relations between Poland and Ukraine, between our peoples. It will also help heal these wounds and finally bring closure to this issue."

Background:

• When the Polish Sejm designated 11 July as a day of remembrance for "the victims of the genocide committed by the OUN and UPA in the eastern territories of the Second Polish Republic", Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the decision contradicted the spirit of good neighbourly relations between the countries.
• In June, Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture announced that it had granted permission for Poland to exhume the remains of Polish soldiers who died in 1939 and are buried in the territory of the former village of Zboiska (now within the city of Lviv).
• In return, Poland authorised Ukraine to carry out search and exhumation work in the village of Jureczkowa.
• On 13 July, it was reported that Poland expects shortly to receive permission to begin searches for the remains of Polish victims of the Volyn tragedy at another site in the village of Puzhnyky in Ternopil Oblast.

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