5. Ogólnopolski Konkurs Historyczny dla młodzieży „Katyń 2025”
The 5th edition of the National History Competition “Katyń 2025. Commemorative Newspaper”, organized by the Parafiada Association in cooperation with the Mieroszewski Centre and the Katyń Museum, has come to a close. This year’s edition, like the previous ones, attracted great interest and engagement from young people across Poland.
The competition was addressed to students aged 13–18 and divided into two age categories: primary and secondary schools. The participants were tasked with creating a “commemorative newspaper” devoted to the Katyń Massacre, including an essay, a profile of one of the victims, and an article on Polish War Cemeteries in the East.
The jury emphasized the high quality of all the submitted newspapers. The participants demonstrated not only historical knowledge and understanding of the topic but also teamwork skills, journalistic flair, and graphic design sensibility. Editorial teams approached the task with dedication—from choosing titles and page layouts to writing, editing, and finalizing every visual and textual detail.
The competition was not only an opportunity to deepen knowledge about the Katyń Massacre, but also a valuable educational experience in journalism and creative expression. The students learned how to work in editorial teams, formulate and refine their ideas, and tell stories about the past in a responsible and thoughtful way. This form of historical education engages and inspires, helping younger generations take an active role in preserving the memory of the victims of the Katyń Massacre.
The award-winning newspapers and editorial teams were presented during the Final Gala and 5th Young Historians’ Conference, held on October 25, 2025, at the Katyń Museum in Warsaw. The event served as a space for dialogue, exchange of ideas, and reflection on memory, history, and journalism.
Competition winners
Primary schools
Gazeta Katyńska
Jan Paweł II Primary School in Konieczkowa
Supervisor: Agnieszka Strzała
Editorial team: Alicja Jakóbska (Editor-in-Chief), Magdalena Obuch, Milena Obuch
A Guzik
Mikroszkoła Włochy Primary School – Laski branch
Supervisors: Dominika Misiak, Maria Czubek
Team: Bartosz Barański, Barbara Kalisz, Dawid Kosiak, Weronika Misiak, Natalia Trojanowska
Katyń 2025
St. Jadwiga of Silesia Primary School in Żerniki Wrocławskie
Supervisors: Ewa Szczudło, Karolina Zajkowska
Team: Jeremiasz Maj, Adrian Hołda, Alicja Kordus
Secondary schools
In Search of the Truth
C. K. Norwid State High School of Fine Arts in Lublin
Supervisor: Tomasz Banaszkiewicz
Team: Andrii Hirnyk (Editor-in-Chief), Paulina Nadworska, Maria Szymczyk
The Memory Report
M. Kopernik Secondary School No. 2 in Leszno
Supervisor: Robert Robaczyński
Team: Olga Kownacka (Team leader), Patrycja Paździor, Mikołaj Stelmaszczyk, Antonina Kusior, Natalia Kowalska
Katyń Echo
A. Mickiewicz Secondary School in Piastów
Supervisor: Sebastian Malczewski
Team: Łukasz Szuplewski (Editor-in-Chief), Jakub Lech, Krzysztof Lancki
We would like to thank all the students, teachers, supervisors, and schools for their commitment and hard work in preparing the projects. We are proud that the “Katyń 2025. Commemorative Newspaper” competition creates a space where young people not only expand their knowledge of history, but also learn how to build memory and intergenerational dialogue through the power of words.
