Katyń. In the footsteps of the crime
The guidebook describes not only the Polish War Cemetery in Katyn but also the history and geography of the Katyn Massacre. It is a publication intended both for those planning a visit to Katyn and for those who will never go there.
Knowledge about Katyn seems to be widespread in Poland, yet few people have actually reached the burial sites of the victims. In the Polish imagination, these places are often perceived as distant, located somewhere deep in Russia or Ukraine. The obstacles—thousands of kilometers of distance, visa requirements, and uncertainty about what awaits there—often seem insurmountable. Yet Katyn, such an important symbol in both Polish and Russian history, is also a specific, tangible place on the map.
By publishing this guide, the Center aimed to present both the history and geography of the massacre and a description of the cemetery along with practical information. Our goal was to offer readers a work that combines essential historical background with practical advice on navigating the site and understanding its local context.
Through the guide, we hope to encourage people to personally engage with the events and places known from the tragic pages of history, to look beyond the myth of Katyn and see the thousands—or even just a few—of individual Poles, heroes, real people of flesh and blood. Acknowledging that no reading can fully convey the emotional experience, we want to leave space for a personal encounter with the story of the crime—perhaps through a walk around the Katyn Cemetery, from one bronze nameplate to another, from one human story cut short in the spring of 1940 to the next.
The publication also seeks to help Polish readers better understand the significance of Katyn in Russia. While in a free Poland Katyn remains a fixed and unambiguous symbol, in Russia the memory of this event—as well as the cemetery and museum complex—has in recent years become a subject of political and ideological struggle. Katyn has once again become a living issue, a barometer of Polish-Russian relations, as well as a reflection of internal tensions within Russia.
A guidebook to these places is sorely needed for all those interested in modern Polish history and the broader context of the Katyn theme.
—Dr. Izabella Sariusz-Skąpska, President of the Federation of Katyn Families
Katyn. A Guide Along the Trail of the Crime – is a timely and thoughtful idea.
Katyn belongs to the history not only of Poland but also of Russia. This guide will help Polish readers understand where contemporary Russia stands in its own historical journey.
—Dr. Aleksandr Gurjanov, Memorial Association, Moscow
