Congresswoman Kaptur and Congressman Smith Statement on the 78th Anniversary of the Katyn Massacre

"As co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Poland Caucus, we deeply value the importance of remembering Poland’s historical struggle for liberty. This spring, we commemorate the 78th anniversary of the Katyn Massacre, and honor the lives of around 20,000 Polish officers, soldiers, and other innocents murdered at the hands of the Soviet secret police at Katyn forest and other sites. The truth of this event was covered up far too long by the Soviet propaganda machine, which makes remembering this event so important today.

"Tragically, this event led to the murder of many nationalities, and continues to affect many communities today across the United States and the world. As Dr. Timothy Snyder notes in his book Bloodlands, “Poland was a multinational state, with a multinational officer corps, and so many of the dead were Jews, Ukrainians, and Belarusians. Some eight percent of the victims were Jews…”

"Through honoring the victims of Katyn, we are showing that these lives were not lost in vain, and that we must pursue historical truth. On this anniversary, let communities of all heritage come together in dialogue to pay respect to this solemn occasion so that the wounds may continue to heal."