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Post by Bonobo on Apr 17, 2010 21:16:39 GMT 1
Thousands have gathered in Warsaw in memory of the deaths of 96 politicians and military top brass in last Saturday’s air crash in western Russia - the greatest tragedy to befall the Polish nation since WW II.
“None can remember having so many, and so important, killed in such a cruel moment,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk told the crowd of mourners at the funeral ceremony in Warsaw, midday Saturday. “We will remember them always,” he promised a crowd estimated by police at 100,000 in plac Pilsudskiego in the centre of the capital. TVP public television is reporting that “several hundred thousands” are attending.
“A week ago tragic news came to us of the disaster and its victims and we perhaps even now fail comprehend it: because the size of this tragedy, the largest in the history of post-war Poland, exceeds our ability to understand what happened.”
“We stand here to say goodbye to all those who perished in the crash, near Smolensk,” said acting president Bronislaw Komorowski under large photographs of each of those who died one week ago today, including President Lech Kaczynski, his wife Maria and many prominent politicians, military and families of the victims of the Katyn massacre.
“We tremble as we read each of the 96 names. With trembling hearts we look at the 96 photographs commemorating the victims. With trembling hearts we remember the words of Pope John Paul II, who prayed here, for the Spirit to descend and renew the face of the earth and of our Polish land,” Komorowski told the thousands of mourners in the large, open square, bathed in Spring sunshine.
Timeline of events
11.59 - Trumpet sounds
12.00 - Two minutes of silence observed. Trumpeter plays “Sleep my friend”
12.04 - Solemn reading of names of victims of the disaster
12.20 - National anthem played
12.22 - Speeches by acting president Bronislaw Komorowski, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Jaroslaw Kaczynski
Warsaw, 17.10.2010, photo: A.Skieterska
13.05 - Mass
14.55 - End of the ceremony
17.30 - Transfer of coffins with the bodies of the President and his wife from the Presidential Palace to the Warsaw cathedral
18.00 - Holy Mass for President Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria Kaczynski in Warsaw Cathedral led Metropolitan Archbishop of Warsaw Kazimierz Nycz
www.thenews.pl/national/?id=129746           
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Post by valpomike on Apr 18, 2010 17:40:54 GMT 1
May Poland live on forever. And in the hearts of the Polish-Americans over here. Freedom for Poland forever. Long live Poland, and her great people.
Mike
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Post by valpomike on Apr 18, 2010 17:48:51 GMT 1
We must all help Poland move on from this bad thing, and again, become the great place it will be forever.
Poland is strong and will rebuild, and rule again, soon.
You have our prayers.
Mike
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Post by Bonobo on Apr 18, 2010 20:39:14 GMT 1
Poland says goodbye to president
After the funeral ceremony at St Mary's, which began at 14.00 CET, the funeral procession will begin at 15.30, making its way to Wawel Castle where, at 16.30, the coffins will be put into the specially built tomb.
Though president’s from the US, Germany and top European officials cancelled their trips to Poland following the persistence of the ash cloud over Polish air space, leaders from Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Morocco and Azerbaijan are in the southern Polish city.
Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, once a close aid to John Paul II, led the funeral mass. Referring to the recent improvement in relations between Russia and Poland following the death of Lech Kaczynski, the cardinal welcomed President Dimitry Medvedev who was attending the service, and hoped the tragedy could be a force for “rapprochement and reconciliation".
Around 700 VIPs sat inside the Basilica, while some 40,000 watched on large screens in the market square. Up to 50,000 people are watching the mass in other locations in Krakow, said Krakow police spokesman Mariusz Sokolowski.
The police spokesman said the people were “very quiet, with people in deep contemplation".
The homily, by Cardinal Angelo Sodano - who could not travel from the Vatican to Krakow because of the ash cloud closing air space - was read by Archbishop Jozef Kowalczyk.
Komorowski paid tribute to the presidential couple in front of the two coffins which had been placed on the alter. He expressed hope that the deaths of so many of Poland‘s top military and politicians would "finally heal the wound of Katyn”.
The coffins were then taken on military vehicles through flag-lined streets to the Silver Bell Tower at Wawel Castle where they will be laid to rest. Crowds broke into applause and shouted “We thank you, Lech Kaczynski”. At 17.10, the Zygmunt Bell sounded at the castle.
Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz then said liturgical farewell to Lech Kaczynski and Maria at Wawel Cathedral in front of guests including Georgian President Mikhail Sakaszwili, who delayed in arriving in Krakow in Rome, where flights were disrupted by the ash cloud.
President Dimitry Medvedev told reporters before he left Krakow after the funeral mass at St Mary’s Basilica: “The tragedy that occurred near Smolensk has not left anyone indifferent. In our country it has sparked strong emotions."
He stressed that he hopes this helps build better Polish-Russian relations. www.thenews.pl/national/?id=129801           ![]() [/img]    
Poland holds state funeral for President Lech Kaczynski
The state funeral of Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria has been held in Krakow, with thousands gathering in the city to pay respects.
A funeral Mass was held in St Mary's Basilica and a procession later took the coffins to be buried in a crypt of the historic Wawel Cathedral.
Many world leaders could not attend due to volcanic ash grounding flights.
Poland's first couple and 94 other people died eight days ago when their plane crashed as they flew to Russia.
21-gun salute
In remarks at the funeral Mass, Krakow's Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz said the international fellow feeling in the wake of the deaths had shown "many layers of good between the people and nations".
AT THE SCENE
Adam Easton
Adam Easton, BBC News, Krakow
The president and his wife were buried together in a honey-coloured alabaster sarcophagus in the crypt of the Wawel cathedral. It was inscribed with their names and a cross. Earlier world leaders attended a moving and solemn funeral at the nearby St Mary's Basilica.
Outside on the medieval market square and beyond 150,000 people watched the service on specially erected TV screens. As the funeral procession began its way to Wawel cathedral many chanted: "Lech Kaczynski, we thank you, and we're with you".
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev defied the air restrictions to fly to Krakow.
Archbishop Dziwisz said he was addressing Mr Medvedev personally in stating: "The sympathy and help we have received from Russian brothers has breathed new life into a hope for closer relations and reconciliation between our two Slavic nations."
The coffins were then taken in a gun-carriage procession through Krakow and on to the walled castle and cathedral at Wawel for a 21-gun salute and the burial.
Thousands lined the streets, waving flags, applauding and chanting: "Lech Kaczynski! We thank you!"
The Krakow ceremonies were for family, friends and international dignitaries but were shown on screens across the city.
Among those unable to attend the funeral are US President Barack Obama, the UK's Prince of Wales, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Those mourners on the streets of Krakow said it was right for the funeral to take place on Sunday, despite cancellations by so many world leaders.
POLISH FUNERAL SERVICE
Not attending: US President Barack Obama; French President Nicolas Sarkozy; German Chancellor Angela Merkel; the UK's Prince of Wales and Foreign Secretary David Miliband; Spanish King Juan Carlos and PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero; Turkish President Abdullah Gul; Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and Foreign Minister Carl Bildt; Finnish President Tarja Halonen; South Korean PM Chung Un-chan; Canadian PM Stephen Harper; Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson
Attending: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev; Czech President Vaclav Klaus; Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic; Slovenian President Danilo Turk; Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych; Latvian President Valdis Zatlers; Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Andrus Ansip; Romanian President Traian Basescu; Hungarian President Lazslo Solyom and PM Gordon Bajnai
One mourner, Bartek Kargol, told Associated Press: "I wouldn't move the funeral. This event is for our president."
Maria Kurowska, mayor of the town of Jaslo, told Agence France-Presse news agency that her town had paid for three coaches to bring mourners to Krakow.
"It's an exceptional moment. Poles have to be here," she said.
Earlier, the coffins had been driven through Warsaw on a route that took in key locations of Lech Kaczynski's life, such as city hall, where he served as the capital's mayor.
The coffins were then taken from Warsaw to Krakow on a military transport plane that flew below the volcanic ash cloud.
On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people had attended an open-air memorial service in the centre of Warsaw.
The couple's final resting place is in a sarcophagus in the royal crypt in Wawel cathedral, next to Poland's revered independence leader, Jozef Pilsudski.
The decision to entomb a leader seen as divisive by many during his lifetime in such a hallowed place has drawn some protests.
The Polish government airliner crashed in western Russia on 10 April.
Investigators believe pilot error caused the plane to hit tree-tops in heavy fog in the Smolensk region, where the Polish delegation had meant to attend a memorial for about 22,000 Poles massacred by Stalin's secret police at Katyn in World War II.
Key Polish political and military leaders were killed in the air crash, including the heads of all three branches of Poland's military.
Comments
Kaczynski's burial in Wawel is controversial to many people - I understand that Kaczynski, although obviously important, was not on a par with these greats. However, the decision had to be a rushed one - this was not something Poland was prepared for - and the final choice was given to his family, and I think their wishes should be respected.
Aaron Munday, Krakow, Poland
I am in Krakow at the moment doing a TEFL course. I went to the city centre this afternoon to try and see what was happening, but only caught a few glimpses of the screens as there are so many people here and a lot of the streets are closed off. I saw people from all over Poland, including a large and visible contingent from the Gdansk branch of the Solidarity Union. Lots of people were wearing all kinds of uniforms, particularly scouts and military personnel, plus a few people wearing what I guess to be Polish national costumes. The atmosphere was respectful but not overly sombre.
Ben, Worthing, England
I actually live in Krakow. I saw the coffin of President Lech Kaczynski. It was an emotional moment for me. Goodbye Mr Lech Kaczynski. I will never forget you.
Gabriela Chorobik, Krakow, Poland
We are stranded in Krakow on the day of the funeral. We were very impressed by the organisation and scale of the event. The Polish people take great national pride and this outpoured today. I doubt we would witness such grief for a politician in Britain. It was very moving.
Lorna Nee, Hamilton, Scotland
I have to admit that it has been a beautiful ceremony and it was indeed touching to see all these people from different parts of the world gather to pay their respects to the dead. Unfortunately, I did not like the way in which the media (Polish and international ones) created the image of Lech Kaczynski - the national hero, who spent his life fighting for the common good, in the name of God and all Poles. In fact, he was a strongly polarising figure, both in and outside Poland, and since his death everybody seems to forget how questionable a politician he was.
Marta Krupinska, Kraków, Poland
I am a student in Krakow. Today's ceremony is an historic moment. The funeral was wonderful. Lech Kaczynski was buried with highest honours. He was a warrior for freedom and truth.
Albert, Krakow, Poland
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Post by coco on Apr 19, 2010 1:08:41 GMT 1
Beautiful Pictures, I will be looking for books of Polish President and First Lady soon when Poland published their history books. If you hear anything about it, let us know.
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Post by Bonobo on Apr 19, 2010 21:45:24 GMT 1
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Post by Bonobo on Apr 21, 2010 19:05:34 GMT 1
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Post by Bonobo on Apr 21, 2010 19:39:48 GMT 1
I am not nitpicking. I don`t care who came to the funeral but some jounrnalists slightly admonish leaders who prefered to play golf. President of Georgia is set as an example as the one who flew from US through Rome and Africa to Krakow. Was late 3 hours but finally turned up. Here, a campaign of a radio station: Send an absent leader a golf ball. golfball.rmf24.pl/?zQuite silly. But funny. Czech President slams EU over Lech Kaczynski’s funeral
19.04.2010 10:59
Vaclav Klaus
The President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Klaus has fiercely criticized EU officials for not turning out for president Lech Kaczynski’s funeral.
“The fact that Canada’s Prime Minister or Australia’s Governor-General did not attend the funeral [of the Polish presidential couple] is fairly understandable. But it is absolutely unforgivable that some European leaders and officials from Brussels did not come to the funeral”, Klaus told the Czech Radio. “It is a proof that solidarity within the EU is just an empty word,” added the Czech President.
Dozens of foreign delegations attended the funeral of Poland’s President Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria in the historic city of Krakow and remembered the tragic accident in which numerous Polish officials and military commanders died.
Among those who announced their participation in the burial ceremony but cancelled their visit due to volcanic ash cloud which made it impossible for them to fly were the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy.
The only representative of the EU offices at the funeral was a Polish politician Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament.
The Czech Republic paid tribute to the victims of the presidential plane’s crash near Smolensk by introducing two days of national mourning.www.thenews.pl/international/artykul129868_czech-president-slams-eu-over-lech-kaczynskis-funeral.htmlComments
* Urszula 19.04.2010 11:39 Bravo President Klaus, I will be interested to see what the EU officials have to say and explain there reasons for not attending President Kaczynski's and the First Lady's funeral. Urszula
* Maciej Skiba 19.04.2010 11:56 The man is 100% right, unforgivable along with many other words come to mind. Maciej Skiba
* Mr_Illinois 19.04.2010 12:10 President Obama spent the day golfing?!? It would have been preferable for him to:
1. Attend church and say a prayer for all the victims of one of the greatest tragedies in Polish history.
2. Stop at the Polish Embassy to share his thoughts and support in their condolence book as Vice President Biden and Secretary Clinton have already done.
3. Invite prominent Polish-Americans or Polish residents and dignitaries over to the White House.
4. Do anything not involving publicly playing games on a day of mourning for an allied country that recently lost the bulk of their leadership in a horrible accident.
5. At the very least, show the awareness to do any recreational activity privately indoors (like a basketball game at the White House away from the media) or just spend a nice day with his family and kids.
Choosing to golf instead on such a day was surprising. Very surprising. Mr_Illinois
* Luciano Gorlin 19.04.2010 12:13 Agree with President Klaus Luciano Gorlin
* Zuzia 19.04.2010 12:27 Mr_Illinois, where did you get that information from? That he was golfing Zuzia
* Maciej Skiba 19.04.2010 12:30 Mr_Illinois, I was thinking the same thing when I heard about it, the guy is a disgrace as President, he will bow down to dictators to show respect but he will go play golf during a day of national mourning for one of America's allies. I was shocked as well, even though I shouldn't be seeing as he already has slighted many of our allies. Maciej Skiba
* Maciej Skiba 19.04.2010 12:30 Here Zuzia,
www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/apr/18/obama-skips-polish-funeral-heads-to-golf-course/ Maciej Skiba
* Norm 19.04.2010 12:59 I agree with Pres. Klaus. Its a disgrace that the EU fat cats couldn't make the effort when leaders from the East were so prominent. Of course we wouldn't expect them to ride a bus ...obviously that would be beneath their dignity. So much for the Lisbon Treaty!! Hang it in the toilet where it belongs!! Norm
* bob 19.04.2010 13:16 top marks for Klaus.....brave man who got bullied by the scumbags in Brussels to sign the treaty.....
and obama is an utter disgrace....so are and even more so, all those closer to home who used the volcano as a cheap excuse to stay at home.
playing golf is an insult
i hope Poland remembers those who disrespected their nations hour of sorrow and treats them accordingly. bob
* George from the East 19.04.2010 13:27 Old silly fool .. George from the East
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Post by Bonobo on Apr 21, 2010 20:18:12 GMT 1
List of Smoleńsk crash victims 14 April 2010 Those Who Died 1. Lech Kaczyński, President of Poland 2. Maria Kaczyńska, wife of the President of Poland 3. Ryszard Kaczorowski, former Polish President-in-exile 4. Joanna Agacka-Indecka, chair of the Polish Bar Council 5. Ewa Bąkowska, granddaughter of Brig. Gen. Mieczysław Smorawiński 6. Andrzej Błasik, chief commander of the Polish Air Force 7. Krystyna Bochenek, deputy speaker of the lower house of parliament 8. Anna Maria Borowska, representative of the Katyń Families and other organizations 9. Bartosz Borowski, representative of the Katyń Families and other organizations 10. Tadeusz Buk, chief commander of the Polish Land Forces 11. Miron Chodakowski, Orthodox bishop of the Polish armed forces 12. Czesław Cywiński, chairman of the World Association of AK (Home Army) Soldiers 13. Leszek Deptuła, member of parliament (PSL-Polish People's Party) 14. Zbigniew Dębski, accompanying person 15. Grzegorz Dolniak, member of parliament (PO-Civic Platform) 16. Katarzyna Doraczyńska, accompanying person 17. Edward Duchnowski, secretary-general of the Siberian Deportee Association 18. Aleksander Fedorowicz, Russian translator/interpreter 19. Jania Fetlińska, senator 20. Jarosław Florczak, BOR (Government Protection Bureau) officer 21. Artur Francuz, BOR officer 22. Franciszek Gągor, head of the General Staff of the Polish armed forces 23. Katarzyna Gęsicka, member of parliament (PiS-Law and Justice) 24. Kazimierz Gilarski, commander of the Warsaw Garrison 25. Przemysław Gosiewski, member of parliament (PiS) 26. Bronisław Gostomski, prelate 27. Mariusz Handzlik, undersecretary of state in the President's Office 28. Roman Indrzejczyk, chaplain to the Polish president 29. Paweł Janeczek, BOR officer 30. Dariusz Jankowski, from the President's Office 31. Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka, member of parliament (SLD-Democratic Left Alliance) 32. Józef Joniec, president of the Parafiada Association 33. Sebastian Karpiniuk, member of parliament (PO-Civic Platform) 34. Andrzej Karweta, chief commander of the Polish Navy 35. Mariusz Kazana, director of diplomatic protocol at the Foreign Ministry 36. Janusz Kochanowski, Poland?s ombudsman 37. Stanisław Komornicki, representative of the chapter of the Virtuti Militari Order 38. Stanisław Jerzy Komorowski, undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Defense 39. Paweł Krajewski, BOR officer 40. Andrzej Kremer, undersecretary of state at the Foreign Ministry 41. Zdzisław Król, chaplain of the Warsaw Katyń Family 1987-2007 42. Janusz Krupski, head of the Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression 43. Janusz Kurtyka, head of the National Remembrance Institute 44. Andrzej Kwaśnik, chaplain of the Federation of Katyń Families 45. Bronisław Kwiatkowski, operations commander of the Polish armed forces 46. Wojciech Lubiński, president?s physician 47. Tadeusz Lutoborski, representative of the Katyń Families and other organizations 48. Barbara Mamińska, director in the President's Office 49. Zenona Mamontowicz-Łojek, representative of the Katyń Families and other organizations 50. Stefan Melak, president of the Katyń Committee 51. Tomasz Merta, undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage 52. Stanisław Mikke, vice-chairman of the Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites 53. Aleksandra Natalli-Świat, member of parliament (PiS-Law and Justice) 54. Janina Natusiewicz-Mirer, accompanying person 55. Piotr Nosek, BOR officer 56. Piotr Nurowski, head of the Polish Olympic Committee 57. Bronisława Orawiec-Löffler, representative of the Katyń Families and other organizations 58. Jan Osiński, priest from the Military Ordinariate of the Polish armed forces 59. Adam Pilch, Lutheran Field Chaplaincy 60. Katarzyna Piskorska, representative of the Katyń Families and other organizations 61. Maciej Płażyński, president of the Wspólnota Polska Association 62. Tadeusz Płoski, field bishop of the Polish armed forces 63. Włodzimierz Potasiński, special military forces commander 64. Andrzej Przewoźnik, secretary of the Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites 65. Krzysztof Putra, deputy speaker of the lower house of parliament 66. Ryszard Rumianek, rector of the Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University 67. Arkadiusz Rybicki, member of parliament 68. Andrzej Sariusz-Skąpski, president of the Federation of Katyń Families 69. Wojciech Seweryn, representative of the Katyń Families and other organizations 70. Sławomir Skrzypek, governor of the National Bank of Poland 71. Leszek Solski, representative of the Katyń Families and other organizations 72. Władysław Stasiak, head of the President's Office 73. Jacek Surówka, BOR officer 74. Aleksander Szczygło, head of the National Security Bureau 75. Jerzy Szmajdziński, deputy speaker of the lower house of parliament 76. Jolanta Szymanek-Deresz, member of parliament 77. Izabela Tomaszewska, accompanying person 78. Marek Uleryk, BOR officer 79. Anna Walentynowicz, accompanying person-heroine of the pro-democracy Solidarity movement 80. Teresa Walewska-Przyjałkowska, Golgota Wschodu (Golgotha of the East) Foundation 81. Zbigniew Wasserman, member of parliament 82. Wiesław Woda, member of parliament 83. Edward Wojtas, member of parliament 84. Paweł Wypych, secretary of state in the President's Office 85. Stanisław Zając, senator 86. Janusz Zakrzeński, actor 87. Gabriela Zych, representative of the Katyń Families and other organizations 88. Dariusz Michałowski, member of parliament 89. Agnieszka Pogródka-Więcławek, BOR officer THE CREW 90. Arkadiusz Protasiuk, captain 91. Robert Grzywna, crew member 92. Andrzej Michalak, crew member 93. Artur Ziętek, crew member 94. Barbara Maciejczyk, flight attendant 95. Natalia Januszko, flight attendant 96. Justyna Moniuszko, flight attendant www.warsawvoice.pl/view/21904 |
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Post by tufta on Apr 21, 2010 20:35:57 GMT 1
The most recent news are that the last bodies have been identified and will arive in Warsaw on Friday. What a relief for the families!
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Post by Bonobo on Apr 22, 2010 21:57:39 GMT 1
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Post by Bonobo on Apr 30, 2010 21:56:32 GMT 1
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Post by Bonobo on May 5, 2010 20:45:52 GMT 1
The Krakow funerals
By island1 ⋅ April 22, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment
Filed Under Cracow, funeral, Krakow, Lech Kaczyński, Maria Kaczyńska, Sigismund Bell, Wawel, Władysław Sikorski
I knew there was never any chance I would get to the centre of the action, but I wanted to be on the streets sampling the mood and eavesdropping on conversations on what was surely the biggest day this city will see in a long while. It felt like we were at the centre of the world for a few hours, a rare enough feeling anywhere in Poland and even more so down here in sleepy Krakow.
Saturday: the day before
The plan for Saturday was to see how the preparations were going for the big day, to walk the route the cortege will take, and to visit the crypt under Wawel where the Kaczynskis will be interred.
Kaczyński_funeral_1
Krakow waits
The television was on as we prepared to head out. After slowly slipping back into the routine of movies, soap operas and ads as the week of mourning progressed, most channels suddenly reverted to the wall-to-wall coverage that characterised the first two days after the disaster. Live footage of the commemorative event in Warsaw was interspersed with still more scenes from the lives of the Kaczynskis. It’s amazing how slowing down video and turning it black-and-white can make anyone look statesman-like and pivotal. The guy who composed the score for the movie Katyn must be making a fortune this week, it’s played every five minutes over yet more slow-motion images of Kaczynski saluting or having his tie straightened by his wife. Dimly overheard from my neighbour, who is obviously watching the same thing: “NATIONAL HERO! HA!”
The main square, 3pm
On any given Saturday you will find gangs of mustachioed men setting up stages, lights and camera platforms on the square. The almost weekly concerts, pageants and commemorations are the bane of city-centre dwellers. Today was no different. Giant screens, stages, floodlights, camera cranes, and serried ranks of seating were everywhere. The only difference today was that everybody was taking pictures of the scaffolding rather than tutting at it.
There was a shuffling stream of people filing in and out of the Mariacki church—the scene of tomorrow’s funeral mass. My wife went inside and reported that a wedding was about to take place. Mariacki is the administratively-favoured venue for mixed marriages, where ‘mixed’ means ‘between real people and foreigners.’ Walking past the side entrance we overheard a stressed-looking English bride in full regalia asking: “Will you be my witness?” Volcanic ash at 30,000 feet must have taken a serious toll on her guest list. I hope her parents made it at least.
Wawel, 4pm
Wawel is to Krakow what the Tower of London is to London; if you live here, you never go. I’ve walked around the free parts but never bothered to buy a ticket. I’m glad I finally did. The cathedral itself is not exceptional, it’s small and cramped compared to Europe’s great gothic examples, but the crypt is well worth a visit. It’s an extraordinary experience to walk among the sarcophagi of some of the greatest names in Polish history. They look as if they’re been there a couple of weeks rather than centuries. The chamber containing the Kaczynskis’ tomb was, unsurprisingly, closed to the public.
Władysław Sikorski tomb
The tomb of Władysław Sikorski–seeing names like this at first hand and how few of them there are raises questions about the Kaczynskis’ place down here that I didn’t have before.
The climb to the Sigismund Bell is an experience in itself. Don’t attempt it if you’re not capable of squeezing into the cupboard under your sink, there are a couple of places where you have to perform a similar manoeuvre as you climb among massive timber beams on a series of wooden staircases. It’s not a scary or long climb, but it is tight. The bell itself is just a big bell, albeit a very old one. I had always believed that it was only rung at moments of exceptional national grief or celebration, so I was surprised to discover that, in fact, there are at least 29 days every year when it sounds: three extra occasions this year.
Sigismund_Bell
The Sigismund Bell
***
More photos of preparations from Krakow Migrant
Sunday: the funerals
I learned two things about Historic Events today: they hurt your feet and the rattle of camera shutters is deafening.
We woke to the news that 14 delegations had been grounded by rampaging volcanic ash. “Poland is on its own again; our allies have been frightened away by smoke from a mountain.”
Kaczyński_funeral_8
A photogenic mourner
Only Poland could have this kind of luck. From an international event it turned suddenly into a very local affair. Medvedev was still coming and the president of Georgia who, apparently, insisted on taking off from Rome volcanoes or no volcanoes; “That’s how you lose presidents,” I thought to myself.
The first hour and a half was taken up with vain attempts to get near the main square. People were drifting from street to street in the hope of finding one that would miraculously provide a grandstand vista. None of them did. We even popped into the second floor office of the Krakow Post with vague thoughts of a window seat, but the view was no better. The crowd was chatty and lighthearted. The most common overheard phrase was “Chodżmy gdieś indziej” (”Let’s go somewhere else”). It was the very essence of milling about.
Kaczyński_funeral_7
Cameras held high and kids on shoulders were the order of the day
With little hope of success we decided to try our luck on the procession route along Grodzka. Jostling along with the crowd I heard a young student complaining to his girlfriend: “Miał być Obama, miał być czad…” (Obama was supposed to be here, it was supposed to be buzzing…”)
Kaczyński_funeral_5
A street plugged with people, just like all the others
At 3 pm, half an hour before the funeral mass was due to end, we made our stand in Mary Magdalene Square (opposite the Church of Saints Peter and Paul) just two rows back from the barricade. Loudspeakers were relaying the service. Most Poles in the crowd knelt at the appropriate moments, much to the surprise of the few tourists around.
With the end of the mass we were expecting the procession imminently. Instead, Komorowski launched into an extremely dull and worthy speech. The guy next to me under his breath: “Dobra gościu, nie jesteś jeszcze prezydentem” (”Alright mate, you’re not president yet”). Then there was something in Russian and, literally, a dozen words in English. BBC World reports that the service was conducted in Polish, Russian and English were wildly overstated.
Brief flurries of entertainment were provided by people attempting to get a better view and, more importantly, a seat by climbing on top of a wall across the street. The pioneers were chased off by the police, but that didn’t stop a new bright spark trying it every 10 minutes. Us pavement people hated the wall people and murmured approvingly every time they were deposed.
Kaczyński_funeral_9
We hate wall people
After two hours that I would never have knowingly volunteered for, the thumping rhythm of the procession finally approached. It was one of those uncanny and disturbing moments when TV-reality becomes right-here reality. The military police Humvee rolled past two arm’s-lengths away and the gun carriage bearing the president’s coffin was right where I had seen it the day before on TVN. What you don’t get on TVN is the sense of a very real wooden box containing the broken and burned remains of a very real human being, and then another one containing his wife, and then his twin brother walking right behind looking utterly exhausted and horribly vulnerable.
Kaczyński_funeral_10
Cameras and coffins
There is a strange contradiction in human behaviour on occasions like this. We want to experience it in person and will stand on hard concrete for many hours to make sure we do, but as soon as the occasion happens, the coffin passes by, or the King waves, or the superstar blows kisses to the crowd, we immediately place our camera screens between our eyes and reality. We want a record. There must have been tens of thousands of photographs taken within five metres of where I was standing. The clacking of computer-generated shutter sounds was like hail. There were no tears, there was no sobbing, there was just a raging hunger to capture the image.
And then it was all over.
There was a certain amount of chaos on the way home because the main road through the centre of town (Franciszkańska/Dominikańska) was sealed off to allow more important people to be whisked to the airport. It’s one of my undying ambitions to be whisked somewhere, preferably to the great annoyance of thousands of lesser mortals. It was impossible to get from the south of town to the north or vice-versa for 45 minutes. People passed the time sitting on the planty flicking through their photos. A shrill-voiced woman passing by said: “Wszędzie tajni agency Secret Service” (”There are Secret Service everywhere”), even though there weren’t.
It’s 2 am as I post this. There is a profound and absolute silence over the city. The story is over. What is next for Poland? Somehow, this week, the country became part of Europe in a way it hasn’t been for decades. Iconic Polish images of a new kind have become part of the modern European story.
Look here to see photos attached to the text polandian.home.pl/index.php/2010/04/22/the-krakow-funerals/
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Post by valpomike on May 5, 2010 21:34:06 GMT 1
Poland must try and move past this bad thing, and start anew. Nothing will bring them back, but Poland must move ahead to better things, and good days.
Mike
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Post by Bonobo on May 5, 2010 22:28:59 GMT 1
Whose was the extra voice recorded on Smolensk disaster black box?
05.05.2010 12:11
In a new development in the investigation into the Smolensk air disaster, it has been revealed that the black box recorder on the doomed TU-154 recorded five voices in the cockpit minutes before it crashed.
The fifth voice did not belong to any of the four members of the crew who were in the cockpit: the pilot, the second pilot, the navigator and the engineer. It might have belonged to a stewardess or a passenger but the Prosecutor’s Office does not want to reveal whose voice it was.
The revelation will add to those who allege that the pilot was put under undue pressure to land in Smolensk and not in Moscow or Minsk as was suggested by air traffic control.
Russian investigators are still examining two black boxes which contain voice recordings and flight parameters. One of the boxes recorded an alarm in the cockpit, pilots’ dramatic speech and horrific screams on the flight deck moments before the Tupolev-154 hit the ground. Meanwhile, the Military Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw is examining the third box, trying to establish whether the plane was faulty, how the flying crew behaved, whether a terrorist attack was possible and whether passengers tried to influence the pilots’ decisions.
One of the crash hypotheses assumes that the President Lech Kaczynski might have put pressure on pilots, forcing them to land in spite of bad weather conditions at the military airport near Smolensk. A similar situation occurred when Kaczynski flew to a war-stricken Georgia and insisted on landing in Tbilisi. Such course of events has not been confirmed yet for the Smolensk catastrophe.
But a spokesman from the Attorney-General warns against speculative reports which have been inundating media since the crash.
“Poles should not speculate about the black box recordings until they actually receive them,” Mateusz Martyniuk from the Prosecutor’s Office told Polish Radio.
Attorney General Andrzej Seremet and Interior Minister Jerzy Miller are meeting Russian investigators in Moscow to discuss the transfer of evidence, including black boxes, back to Poland. “We hope to receive the evidence gathered by Russian investigators as soon as possible,” said Martyniuk. www.thenews.pl/national/artykul130917_whose-was-the-extra-voice-recorded-on-smolensk-disaster-black-box.html
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Post by Bonobo on May 5, 2010 22:44:38 GMT 1
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Post by valpomike on May 6, 2010 3:15:37 GMT 1
When and if, Poland get the black box, it will be adjusted by the Russians, I am sure, since I think they did it.
Mike
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Post by Bonobo on May 15, 2010 20:36:03 GMT 1
No shots fired at Russians, says security chief
14.05.2010 15:14
Poland’s security service has denied that they fired shots at Russian officials at the Smolensk crash site.
The denial comes after an ultra-conservative newspaper claimed that officers from Poland’s Government Protection Bureau (BOR) shot at Russian officials who wanted to remove the body of Lech Kaczynski from the Smolensk site soon after the plane crashed on April 10, killing all 96 on board.
The BOR officers have been suspended for their “heroic acts”, Nasz Dziennik reported. The officers were the first to find President Kaczynski’s body, claims the paper, thanks to a special chip sewn into the president’s suit.
Nasz Dziennik – part of the controversial Radio Maryja media group – says the shots explain the mystery posed by an amateur video circulating on the internet taken soon after the crash, in which gun shots can be heard.
BOR denies shot claims
Head of the BOR protection bureau, General Marian Janicki, dismissed the daily’s allegations, however, saying that officers were not in the possession of any special device that could have located the president.
Furthermore, in an interview with Radio ZET, Janicki said that no Polish security officials fired shots when they were at the crash site.
The BOR chief did admit, however, that it was true that the Russians wanted to take the body of Lech Kaczynski to Moscow, but refrained when they learnt that Lech’s twin brother Jaroslaw was already en route from Warsaw to make a formal identification.
Interior Minister Jerzy Miller has also denounced the controversial article on TOK FM radio, saying it merely “aggravated” the situation.
“[The BOR officers] didn’t open fire, nor did they have to stop any rival activity against the passengers of the Tu-154,” Miller said, adding that the article “is unnecessarily raising emotions. What for?”
An official statement is to be released by BOR on the article published in Nasz Dziennik. www.thenews.pl/international/artykul131617_no-shots-fired-at-russians--says-security-chief.html
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Post by Bonobo on Jun 1, 2010 19:19:40 GMT 1
I can imagine the pressure that the pilots of Polish Air Force 1 were under. They were going to take part in the 70th anniversary celebration of Katyn Masacre, and the President just had to be delivered there. What is worse, they had taken off from Warsaw late, so they were in a hurry. The pilots took a risk but lost. It seems my opinion has been corroborated. Today the recordings from black boxes have been published. Experts are rather unanimous - the pilots broke major safety procedures and tried to land at any cost. They ignored warnings received from: 1. The crew of another Polish plane which had managed to land earlier in good weather conditions which worsened immediately. 2. Russian air traffic controller. 3. Electronic TAWS system. As I said, they took the risk and lost. Life. Last pages of the recording are full of TAWS system warnings: wiadomosci.onet.pl/172655,21,38,0,1,pokaz.html Unfortunately, when they decided to pull up, it was too late because such a heavy plane takes time to carry out such an order and in result, they crashed into a tall tree.    The crew made a horrible mistake. An abridged translation of the last 40 minutes of the fatal flight of PAF 101 that killed President Lech Kaczyński and 95 others
As we reported earlier, a transcript of the cockpit conversation from the crashed Polish Air Force flight 101 was released to the public earlier today. However, at the moment the document is only available in Polish and Russian. Below, we present unedited excerpts of our own English translation of the document.
The 41-page full transcript covers roughly 40 minutes of conversation, between 10:02:48,6 and 10:41:05,4 as notated in the flight data recorder.www.krakowpost.com/article/213210:06:05,0: ST: 118,975, Polish Air Force 101, thank you, good day. D: Bye. 2P: You're supposed to say, "Do swidanija". ST: Well, I don't know, is it "Do swidaija", or... 2P: Or how? ST: I wouldn't agree... 2P: "Dobroje ranieco". 2P: Say that, we'll see if he gets it (laughter). 2P: Dobroje ranieco. 10:11:01,5: 2P: No, I can see the ground... I can see something... It may not be a tragedy... 2P: Do you have something to write with? ST: Yes, I do. 2P: So? Let's start getting ready. 10:11:34,7: B/I: Can I have the air pressure and temperature too? ST: How should I know (incomp.)? 2P: I don't know. No, tell them the temperature. Coooooooold. (laughter). A: (incomprehensible) A: (incomprehensible) 2P: Coooooooold. 10:14:06,5: D: Polish Air Force 1-0-1, for information at 06:11 Smolensk visibility 400 meters fog. 10:17:40,2: KVS: Not looking good, there's fog, it's unknown whether we'll land. B/P: Yeah? (incomprehensible) A: And if we don't land, then what? KVS: We'll leave. A: (incomprehensible) A: What information do we have (incomprehensible) to Warsaw? A: Around 7. A: How much fuel? 2P: We have about 13-12.5 tonnes. A: (incomprehensible) 2P: We'll make it! 10:24:22,3: D: PLPH-2-0-1, there is fog at Korsaż, visibility 400 metres. 10:24:40,0: D: There is fog at Korsaż, visibility 400 metres. 10:24:49,2: KVS: Temperature and air pressure, please. 044: We greet you warmly. You know what, speaking honestly, it's a bitch down here. Visibility is about 400 metres and in our view the bases are below 50 metres, thick. D: The temperature (incomp.), air pressure 7-45. 7-4-5, the landing conditions are nonexistent. KVS: Thank you, if it's possible we'll try to approach, but if not, if the weather's bad, we'll circle around. 2P: Have you landed yet? 044: Yeah, we managed to land at the last minute. But speaking frankly, you can definitely try. There are two APMs, they made a gate, so you can try, but... If you're unable by the second attempt, I advise you to try, for example Moscow, or somewhere [else]. 10:25:55,1: 2P: According to them, it's about 400 visibility, 50 metres base. A: How much? A: 400 metres visibility, 50 metres base (incomp.) A: (incomprehensible) 2P: No, they made it. 2P: He also said, that the fog (incomp.) A: (incomprehensible) KVS: Mr. director, there's fog... KVS: At the moment, in the present conditions, we won't be able to set down. KVS: We'll try to approach, we'll make one attempt, but most likely nothing will come of it. KVS: If it turns out that (incomp.), what should we do? KVS: We don't have enough fuel for this (incomp.). A: Well, then we have a problem... {director Kazana} KVS: We can hang around for half an hour and fly to the reserve. A: What reserve? KVS: Minsk or Witebsk. 10:27:45,9: KVS: Ask Artur, if the clouds are thick. 2P: I don't know if they'll be there, that... If they're still there. 2P: Ok, I'll transfer. 2P: Artur, are you there? A: (incomprehensible) 044: I'm Remek. 2P: Oh, Remuś, ask Artur, whether... Or maybe you know, are those clouds thick? A: (incomprehensible) A: (incomprehensible) 2P: How many? KVS: 9-9, hold. 2P: 9-9. A: (incomprehensible) 044: About 400-500 metres. ST: Stay on course? KVS: No. ST: About 400-500 metres. 2P: But is that the thickness? A: Visible. 044: Are you there? 2P: But is the thickness of the clouds 400-500 metres?? 044: As far as I remember, at 500 metres we were still above the clouds. 2P: Ah... At 500 metres [you were] above the clouds... Good, good, thanks. 044: Ah... One more thing... The APMs are about 200 metres from the edge of the runway. 2P: Thanks. 2P: The APMs are there. 2P: 200 metres from the edge of the runway. KVS: Ask if the Russians have landed yet. 2P: Have the Russians landed yet? A: (incomprehensible) 022: They approached twice and I think they flew somewhere else. 2P: Ok, I understand, thanks. 2P: Did you hear that? KVS: Great. 10:30:10,2: KVS: Korsaz, Polish 101, holding 1500. D: Ahh... Polish 1-0-1, according to pressure 7-4-5, descend 500. KVS: According to pressure 7-4-5, descending 500. 10:30:32,7: A: At the moment, there's no decision from the president about what to do next. {director Kazana} 10:32:58.8: KVS: We're making our approach. In case of a failed approach, we ascend on autopilot. 10:34:45,2: Signal at F=500 Hz. A: 6. D: PLF (incomp.) 500 copy? KVS: We've descended 500 metres. D: 500 metres, have you landed at a military airport before? KVS: Flaps 15. A: Lit. KVS: Yes, of course. D: Reflectors on the left, on the right, at the start of the runway. KVS: Understood. B/P: Captain, board ready for landing. KVS: Thank you. 10:37:01,4: 044: Arek, the visibility is now 200. KVS: Flaps. A: (incomprehensible) KVS: Thank you. 10:39:50,2: Signal at F=845 Hz. Pursuing further. 10:40:04,7: TERRAIN AHEAD. D: 4 and on course. 10:40:32,4: TERRAIN AHEAD. ST: 200. KVS: On. ST: 150. D: 2 and on course. TERRAIN AHEAD, TERRAIN AHEAD. A: 100 metres. ST: 100. PULL UP, PULL UP. PULL UP, PULL UP. TERRAIN AHEAD, TERRAIN AHEAD. ST: 100. (2P): In the norm. ST: 90. PULL UP, PULL UP. ST: 80. 2P: We're aborting. Signal at F=400 Hz. (Unsafe altitude). PULL UP, PULL UP. ST: 60. ST: 50. D: Horizon 101. ST: 40. PULL UP, PULL UP. ST: 30. D: Altitude control, horizon. ST: 20. Signal at F=400 Hz. ABSU. Signal at F=800 Hz. Close lead. Signal at F=400 Hz. ABSU. PULL UP, PULL UP. Signal at F=400 Hz. ABSU. PULL UP, PULL UP. Sound of hitting trees. 2P: F*cking hell! PULL UP, PULL D: Abort to second approach! A: Screaming F*ckkkkkkkkkkkk..... END OF TRANSMISSION |
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Post by valpomike on Jun 1, 2010 22:00:43 GMT 1
How would one know that this is the true statements, not just what the Russians made up, and could even changed the true tape. I still say, and some day, you all will believe, and it will take many years, as the way Russians do things, that they some how are responsible for this.
Mike
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Post by Bonobo on Jun 2, 2010 8:12:20 GMT 1
How would one know that this is the true statements, not just what the Russians made up, and could even changed the true tape. I still say, and some day, you all will believe, and it will take many years, as the way Russians do things, that they some how are responsible for this. Mike Mike, you are displaying an unusual amount of stubborness of the topic. ;D ;D ;D I understand you are of Polish decent so you must be stubborn a bit. But it isn`t right. Facts are clear firm so refuting them is not so wise. Some experts claim that it was wrong to allow combat pilots fly the plane. As professional soldiers, they worry more about fulfilling their task/mission, even against all the odds, than safety and proper air traffic procedures. |
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Post by valpomike on Jun 2, 2010 17:09:09 GMT 1
If we look for a reason, we can find one, but sometimes it is not the correct one. We all of Polish background want a good, fair investigation into this, done with or by the Polish, with the help of the FBI or CIA or other outside agencies.
Don't let this lay for twenty years before the truth comes out.
Mike
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Post by valpomike on Jun 3, 2010 16:33:21 GMT 1
In reading, I find many others unhappy with the answers that the Russians gave on this so called investigation, and want the truth, as I do. We need to know, the truth and all the facts, now, not twenty years from now.
Mike
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Post by Bonobo on Jun 17, 2010 21:07:41 GMT 1
Russian Smolensk card thieves ‘in tears’
16.06.2010 12:35
Four Russian soldiers charged with stealing credit cards from a Pole who died in the Smolensk air disaster are in remorse, reports a Moscow based weekly current affairs magazine.
Zhizn magazine writes that the individuals, reportedly crying during cross-examination, have expressed readiness to financially compensate the family of the late historian Andrzej Przewoźnik, after they withdrew money at an ATM from his credit cards, which they allegedly picked up at the crash site in Smolensk just minutes after the TU 154 plunged to the ground killing all 96 on board.
The soldiers, from the garrison operating at the airport’s premises, were one of the first who reached the crash scene. The servicemen withdrew an equivalent of over 1,400 euro from the cards found near the body of Przewoźnik, the Secretary of the Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites, who had the pin numbers on a piece paper in the wallet in which he kept the cards. The stolen money was used for paying for alcohol and arcade games.
The Russian soldiers face from six months to five years in prison.
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Post by Bonobo on Jun 23, 2010 9:47:16 GMT 1
New senators to replace Smolensk victims
21.06.2010 13:05
Three new senators were elected yesterday to replace victims of the Smolensk plane crash in by-elections which ran in tandem to the presidential election ballot.
Three senators, Krystyna Bochenek, Janina Fetlinska and Stanislaw Zajac, died in the presidential plane crash near Smolensk on 10 April. During Sunday’s first round of the presidential election a by-election was held to choose new senators.
Alicja Zajac, wife of the late Stanislaw, will replace her husband in Poland’s upper house. She was unopposed in the Krosno constituency.
Deputy mayor of the southern city of Katowice Leszek Piechota won a landslide, supported by 245,000 voters. He will replace Krystyna Bochenek.
The Polish Peasants’ Party’s Michal Boszko won a seat in the Senate when he took the central city of Plock. Boszko gained 132,000 votes, while Law and Justice’s Marek Martynowski and Poland Plus’s Tomasz Kaluzynski gained 127,000 and 50,000 votes respectively. Boszko will replace Janina Fetlinska. (thenews.pl/national/artykul134015_new-senators-to-replace-smolensk-victims-.html
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Post by valpomike on Jun 23, 2010 16:45:11 GMT 1
Are these good people?
Mike
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Post by Bonobo on Jun 23, 2010 18:58:46 GMT 1
Are these good people? Mike If we are optimists, we should believe they are. |
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Post by Bonobo on Sept 15, 2010 21:07:32 GMT 1
Sad, but true - some people are blind.
Russian media: Lech Kaczynski – a second Christ?
15.09.2010 12:56
Outside Presidential Palace; photo - PAP
The Smolensk cross ‘defenders’ perceive the late president Lech Kaczynski as the second Christ, claims an op-ed article in the Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily.
According to the Russian daily, almost all defenders of the cross commemorating the Smolensk crash victims who have gathered for some weeks now outside he Presidential Palace in Warsaw believe that the 10 April plane crash was not an accident but a “carefully masterminded crime”.
The more radical defenders of the cross, writes the Russian journalist in an article which will outrage many in Poland, perceive the late president, Lech Kaczynski almost like a messiah. “Christ was whipped, and Kaczynski had mud slung at him by his opponents. Jews crucified Christ and Russians killed Kaczynski,” writes Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
“It was obviously Russians who murdered Kaczynski and passengers of the presidential TU-154 and Poland’s PM Donald Tusk and [president] Bronislaw Komorowski, who collaborated with the Russians, are trying to hush up the matter,” is how Nezavisimaya Gazeta sums up the cross defender’s argument.
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Post by tufta on Sept 16, 2010 7:59:45 GMT 1
Russian media: in an article which will outrage many in Poland, perceive the late president, Lech Kaczynski almost like a messiah. I don't think so. They exaggerate a little and are too eager to think it is some kind of super-important event. It isn't, although teh brother of the late president would like to keep the affair 'important'. The paradox was that some liberla medai did help him in this quest at the beginning.... |
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Post by Bonobo on Sept 24, 2010 22:05:48 GMT 1
I always suspected that the Russian mess is bigger than Polish. After all, it was Poles who had half of their country occupied by disciplined accurate Germans for 1.5 century. To survive, Poles had to equal German character or even surpass it.
Russians didn`t have this chance that is why they are more messy.
How? read two pieces of news:
Human bones discovered at Smolensk crash site?
23.09.2010 12:31
Five months after the Smolensk disaster, a priest claims that he found the bones of a crash victim at the crash site.
On 2 September, 150 participants of the 10th International Katyn Motor Rally gathered at the crash site of the presidential TU-154 near Severny airport to commemorate victims of the air disaster.
“While I was preparing to say a field mass, I was approached by several participants of the rally who told me that thought they found remains of the Smolensk victims near the memorial stone. They saw a fragment of a jaw with teeth and a rib bone,” Father Marek Kiedrowicz, chaplain of the rally told the TVN 24 news channel.
The priest said he collected the remains and passed them over to Polish military prosecutors.
“I didn’t want to leave them at the field, fearing that they could be desecrated. It’s an open area and everyone can enter, even animals. Besides, I hope that the remains will be identified and they will be buried,” said Kiedrowicz.
Father Kiedrowicz has already been questioned in relation to the discovery.
Meanwhile, Polish forensic scientists will start work on the site of the Smolensk air crash next Thursday, September 30, the Prime Minister’s Office has informed.
This will be the first stage of work on the site, to last several days. The visit will be organised jointly by the Polish and Russian prosecutors offices.
Poland’s chief Military prosecutor Krzysztof Parulski said that a Polish prosecutor and three experts from the Polish Academy of Sciences will be going to Smolensk.
Earlier today, Russian deputy Prosecutor General Alexandr Zviagintsev informed the Polish Embassy in Moscow that the Russian side had agreed to let Polish experts view the site.
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Poland to pay for Smolensk plane protection
23.09.2010 07:54
Poland’s Foreign Ministry says it is willing to pay Russia to protect the wreckage of the TU-154 which crashed in April after it was revealed that it lacked necessary security.
Since the Smolensk tragedy on 10 April the wreck of the Tupolev aircraft has not been properly protected against the elements, even though Polish authorities have repeatedly asked Russia to either cover the remains of the plane or move them into a hangar.
Russia claims that the delay is caused mainly by a lack of funds.
“We did not plan this kind of investment in our budget and it is quite a burden for us,” says Andrey Yevseynikov from the Smolensk Governor’s Office.
It is uncertain how much it will cost to cover the wreck - which many in Poland see not just as a vital piece of evidence into what happened that day in April when President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others died in western Russia, but an important part of Polish history - with simple a canopy.
“We haven’t chosen a company which will protect the plane yet. We’ll do it in a month and the wreck will be covered before winter comes,” assures Yevseynikov.
Col. Zbigniew Rzepa from the Attorney General’s in Warsaw claims, however, that Russians promised to choose a contractor at the beginning of September.
In order to speed up the process, the Polish government have decided to give Russian a helping hand. Justice Minister Krzysztof Kwiatkowski and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski are to meet soon to discuss transferring money to Russia to protect the remains of the presidential TU-154. Foreign Ministry has already announced that it will find money for it.
“Money is not a problem,” said Piotr Paszkowski, spokesman at the Foreign Ministry said
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