Certain countries in Europe persist in ignoring the contribution of the Red Army to the defeat of fascism
Author: Elson Concepción Pérez | internet@granma.cu
Anyone who has visited the former Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland could never have imagined that on May 5
which liberated that Eastern European nation from the Nazis
With expressions of euphoria for some and sadness and shame for others
broadcast by the Institute of National Memory of that country
Sputnik reports that the monument now demolished was built in 1945 to pay tribute to the 676 Soviet servicemen who died fighting the Nazis in that area
They were part of the First Front that would later participate in the liberation of the prisoners of the Auschwitz concentration camp
both sites may well be lasting symbols of gratitude and respect
out of the 500 monuments erected on Polish territory to honor the heroism of the Soviet army
Following the adoption of a law against the "promotion of communism" in March 2022
an anti-history competition has been set up to destroy monuments related to the Soviet Union
The current Russophobia and hate propaganda against the Slavic nation are being exposed at a time when the United States-led countries of the European Union have bowed to Washington's mandate
both in anti-Russian propaganda and in the policy of sanctions against Moscow
as well as in sending millions in arms and ammunition to Ukraine
especially that related to World War 2 and the role played by Soviet Union troops in the liberation of that territory and the defeat of Nazi forces
seems to be aimed at making new generations forget that between 1.8 and 1.9 million Polish civilians died as a result of the irruption of German fascist forces
and no matter how much the anti-Russian hatred may be exacerbated
history will be in charge of judging these facts and fighting so that concentration camps like Auschwitz
executions and mass deaths in the gas chambers installed there by the German military
died in Auschwitz before the concentration and extermination camp was liberated by the troops of the Soviet Union on January 27
The demand for the exclusion of Cuba from the arbitrary list was also evident in the session of the Standing Committee
recently stressed that his country is cooperating with Cuban authorities to support the development of renewable energies in the Caribbean nation
Full text of the presentation by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz
Four Soviet-era monuments have been dismantled in Poland
in both condemnation of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and to remove symbols of the USSR’s power following the Second World War
The actions by the country’s Institute of National Remembrance has brought about a negative reaction from the Kremlin
The statues, which date back to 1945, were removed by workers equipped with heavy machinery. When they were erected, they were intended to memorialize the Red Army soldiers who lost their lives fighting Germany during World War II
The continued existence of the monuments and other Soviet-era memorials has been an issue of contention between Poland and Russia, with the former having taken a number of steps since the collapse of the USSR to remove symbols of the Kremlin’s power over the country and its population
While Russia claims to have liberated Poland from the Germans, the majority of Poles feel the Red Army brought with it a new form of oppression. Germany invaded the country in September 1939, signalling the beginning of the Second World War. Russia followed suit just over two weeks later
with Poland subsequently being divided between both nations for the duration of the conflict
Four more monuments to Soviet soldiers were demolished in Poland
"This is a symbol of the system that killed Polish workers, anti-communist activists and inspires the current Russian leaders responsible for the war in Ukraine," said head of the Institute of National Remembrance. pic.twitter.com/CMfdiLu6LB
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) October 27, 2022
The monuments that were removed were in Glubczyce, Bobolice, Byczyna and in a wooded area near Staszów. Speaking at one of the removals, Karol Nawrocki, the head of the Institute of National Remembrance
discussed how the statues symbolize the oppression Eastern Bloc countries suffered while under the umbrella of the Soviet Union
“This is a monument to disgrace, a monument of contempt of the winners over the victims,” he said
They were capturing Poland and treating it as booty.”
Russian Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov condemned the statues’ removal
because so many citizens of the Soviet Union died liberating Poland
[It is] another attempt to fool the younger generation of Poles
feeding them lies and provoking hatred for Russians.”
any person(s) can be prosecuted for the removal or damage of Soviet monuments
regardless of whether they are in Russia or another country
the penalty can be up to three years in prison
More from us: Over 500 UAVs Delivered to Ukraine Since Mark Hamill Began Work with ‘Army of Drones’
Poland has demolished a number of Soviet-era monuments since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022
the decision was made to remove the 60 remaining statues and memorials that remained across the country
Other Central and Eastern European countries have undertaken similar measures
Clare Fitzgerald is a Writer and Editor with eight years of experience in the online content sphere
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her portfolio includes coverage of digital media
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she also served as the Head of Content for UK YouTube publication
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heavy rains brought by Storm Boris have caused severe flooding in southwestern Poland
particularly affecting the voivodeships of Dolnoslaskie
the Council of Ministers declared a "state of natural disaster" for a period of 30 days in parts of the Lower Silesian
the areas covered by this declaration include:
In the Lower Silesian Voivodeship – the districts of Kamienna Góra
Wałbrzyski and Ząbkowice and cities with the rights of the district of Wałbrzych and Jelenia Góra
In the Opolskie Voivodeship – the districts of Głubczyce
Nysa and Prudnik and the commune of Strzeleczki in the district of Krapkowice
In the Silesian Voivodeship – the districts of Bielsko-Biała
Pszczyna and Racibórz and the city with the rights of the Bielsko-Biała district
The region experienced an extraordinary 400-500 mm of rainfall in just a few days
with Storm Boris delivering a month's worth of precipitation in 24 hours
This overwhelmed local rivers and reservoirs
the Polish Red Cross (PRC) has been actively involved
deploying teams and resources to the affected areas
seven people have been confirmed dead due to the flooding
The Prime Minister's Office reported that the disaster has directly affected 57,000 people
with 6,544 residents evacuated as waters continue to rise
with 11,502 residential buildings—both single-family homes and multi-unit structures—either flooded or damaged
6,033 agricultural and commercial buildings
These numbers are expected to change as the situation evolves and further assessments are carried out
The most vulnerable groups include older people
and rural residents with limited access to resources and emergency services
Evacuation is especially challenging for people with limited mobility
due to the swift and unpredictable nature of the floods
Children face heightened risks from disruptions to essential services like education
Communities near rivers and in low-lying areas remain at greater risk of rapid flooding
Southern Poland has experienced similar devastating floods in the past
which caused widespread destruction and significant economic losses
These events exposed the vulnerability of the region's infrastructure
and many communities have struggled to fully recover before being affected again
deepening the economic and social vulnerabilities of the population