Gallery – The Katyn Massacres

This poster in Warsaw commemorates the Ukraine List of Katyn victims in Bykownia-Kiev, where Jan Pacewicz was executed.

Anna Pacewicz

After WWII

Poland

Warsaw

Polish Navy officer executed at Katyń by the Soviet NKVD Spring 1940. Stanisław Maltze, son of Wihelm. Source: Katyn Museum, Warsaw.

Katyn Museum, Warsaw

During WWII

Poland

Polish navy

Polish Navy officer executed at Katyń by the Soviet NKVD, Spring 1940. Michał Niemirski, son of Alfred. Source: Katyn Museum, Warsaw.

Katyn Museum, Warsaw

During WWII

Poland

Polish navy

Letter from Tsvetukhin, Head of Special Section No 1 of the NKVD of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Senior State Security Lieutenant with the files of 3,435 prisoners in 5 bags (the Katyn Ukraine List) to Bashtakov, NKVD, Major of State Security, Moscow. File of Jan Pacewicz included in this.

Anna Pacewicz

Ukraine

Kiev

Tomasz Wojtkowiak was the uncle of Wanda Troman and brother of Polish Navy veteran Jozef Wojtkowiak. Tomasz was born on 17 November 1910 in Nekla in the province of Poznan. In 1939 he was a Policeman in Wysokie Litwskie in the Eastern Borderlands. When the Soviets invaded he was arrested. The family later discovered that he was murdered by the Soviets in the Katyn Massacres in 1940 in Miednoye. This postcard was written by the wife of the Commander of the Wysokie Litewskie Polish Police Station, Mrs. Olga Sidoruk, to Mr Jan Wojtkowiak (Tomasz and Jozef’s brother) in Opatow, Rynek 15. Wysokie Litewskie was then in the district of Kamieniec Litewski, the province of Brest (in Polish Brzesc). Addressed to: Germany, Generalgouvernement. The postcard (Post Office Stamp in Russian: Minsk) Kamieniec Litewski, Brest province. Sent by Olga Sidoruk. "15 February 1941. Dear Sir, I am very sorry that I cannot give you any encouraging information regarding Tomasz in answer to your letter received by me on 12 February 1941. It is almost a year ago that I had the last communication from him and since then any trace of him had disappeared, not only regarding him, as many of his colleagues were with him and neither do they write letters to their wives and children. For the time being we are waiting, may be he will get in touch and then I’ll immediately inform you. Different tales are being circulated. One thing is sure that their fate is not sweet, however, I think that he will hang on and return healthy. I remain yours faithfully. O. Sidoruk."

Wanda Troman

During WWII

Poland

Wysokie Litewskie

September 1939 Campaign

Polish Navy officer executed at Katyń by the Soviet NKVD in the Spring of 1940. Władysław Jasik, son of Jan. Source: Katyn Museum, Warsaw.

Katyn Museum, Warsaw

During WWII

Poland

Polish navy

Polish Navy officer executed at Katyń by the Soviet NKVD, Spring 1940. Henryk Sułkowski, son of Adam. Source: Katyn Museum, Warsaw.

Katyn Museum, Warsaw

During WWII

Poland

Polish navy

Polish Navy officer executed at Katyń by the Soviet NKVD, Spring 1940. Mikołaj Genzel, son of Pawł. Source: Katyn Museum, Warsaw.

Katyn Museum, Warsaw

During WWII

Poland

Polish navy

Police constable, Rowne Constabulary, Wolyn killed Katyn Massacres 1940

Anna Pacewicz

Before WWII

Poland

Rowne, Wolyn

Polish Navy officer executed at Katyń by the Soviet NKVD, Spring 1940. Idzi Grudniewicz, son of Władysław. Source: Katyn Museum, Warsaw.

Katyn Museum, Warsaw

During WWII

Poland

Polish navy

Polish Navy officer executed at Katyń by the Soviet NKVD, Spring 1940. Mikołaj Genzel, son of Pawł. Source: Katyn Museum, Warsaw.

Katyn Museum, Warsaw

During WWII

Poland

Polish navy

First page of the file of the 3,435 prisoners from the Katyn Ukraine List. The files were in 5 bags and were accompanied with a letter from Tsvetukhin, Head of Special Section No 1 of the NKVD of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Senior State Security Lieutenant to Bashtakov, NKVD, Major of State Security, Moscow. File of my grandfather Jan Pacewicz murdered in Katyn Kiev-Bykownia included in this.

Anna Pacewicz

During WWII

Ukraine

Kiev

Polish Navy officer executed at Katyń by the Soviet NKVD, Spring 1940. Janusz Podczaski, son of Józef. Source: Katyn Museum, Warsaw.

Katyn Museum, Warsaw

During WWII

Poland

Polish navy

Rear Admiral Xawery Czernicki was born near Wilno and became the Deputy Commander of the Chief of the Polish Navy in the Ministry of Military Affairs. After the German invasion of Poland in Sept 1939 Czernicki was evacuated east to Pinsk and Brody. He was captured with a group of Polish Navy officers by the Soviets and transferred to the special POW camp at Kozelsk. In the spring of 1940 he was murdered, aged 57, in the Katyn massacres. Source: Katyn Museum, Warsaw.

Katyn Museum, Warsaw

During WWII

Poland

Polish navy

Page of the file of the 3,435 prisoners from the Katyn Ukraine List detailing my grandfather Jan Pacewicz (no 2238 born in 1895). The files were in 5 bags and were accompanied with a letter from Tsvetukhin, Head of Special Section No 1 of the NKVD of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Senior State Security Lieutenant to Bashtakov, NKVD, Major of State Security, Moscow. File of my grandfather Jan Pacewicz murdered in Katyn Kiev-Bykownia.

Anna Pacewicz

During WWII

Ukraine

Kiev

Polish Navy officer executed at Katyń by the Soviet NKVD, Spring 1940. Janusz Podczaski, son of Józef. Source: Katyn Museum, Warsaw.

Katyn Museum, Warsaw

During WWII

Poland

Polish navy

Rear Admiral Xawery Czernicki was born near Wilno and became the Deputy Commander of the Chief of the Polish Navy in the Ministry of Military Affairs. After the German invasion of Poland in Sept 1939 Czernicki was evacuated east to Pinsk and Brody. He was captured with a group of Polish Navy officers by the Soviets and transferred to the special POW camp at Kozelsk. In the spring of 1940 he was murdered, aged 57, in the Katyn massacres. Source: Katyn Museum, Warsaw.

Katyn Museum, Warsaw

During WWII

Poland

Polish navy

Last page of the file of the 3,435 prisoners from the Katyn Ukraine List. The files were in 5 bags and were accompanied with a letter from Tsvetukhin, Head of Special Section No 1 of the NKVD of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Senior State Security Lieutenant to Bashtakov, NKVD, Major of State Security, Moscow. File of my grandfather Jan Pacewicz murdered in Katyn Kiev-Bykownia and is detailed in this list.

Anna Pacewicz

During WWII

Ukraine

Kiev

Letter written by Franciszek Iwanica to his wife Olga Iwanica from a prison in the Twer District of Russia (NW of Moscow) where Franciszek was imprisoned with other Polish officers in 1940. Ostashkov (Russian: Оста́шков) is a town and the administrative center of Ostashkovsky District of Tver Oblast, Russia, located 199 km west of Tver on a peninsula at the southern shore of Lake Seliger. (Info from Google Map)

Janina Iwanica

During WWII

Russia

Osztasków (Ostashkov), Oblast Kalininskaja (Tver)

Polish 2nd Corps in Italy (Gen. Anders)

The opening ceremony of the Katyn memorial & cemetery in Bykownia-Kiev, Ukraine was given a full military state funeral. Here is the Polish Honour Guard who fired three volleys into the air in honour of the victims - the 3,435 victims of the Katyn Ukraine List. This included Jan Pacewicz, PP Rowne.

Anna Pacewicz

After WWII

Ukraine

Kiev

Addressed to Olga Iwanica, Majskiego region, ... Kirow ...

Janina Iwanica

During WWII

Russia

Majskiego

Polish 2nd Corps in Italy (Gen. Anders)

Polish Navy officer executed at Katyń by the Soviet NKVD, Spring 1940. Leon Moszczeński, son of Ferdynand. Source: Katyn Museum, Warsaw.

Katyn Museum, Warsaw

During WWII

Poland

Polish navy

Polish Navy officer executed in the Katyn Massacres - Stanisław Gargul son of Józef. Source: Katyn Museum, Warsaw.

Katyn Museum, Warsaw

During WWII

Poland

Polish navy

Letter written by Franciszek Iwanica to his wife Olga Iwanica from a prison in the Twer District of Russia (NW of Moscow) where Franciszek was imprisoned with other Polish officers in 1940. Ostashkov (Russian: Оста́шков) is a town and the administrative center of Ostashkovsky District of Tver Oblast, Russia, located 199 km west of Tver on a peninsula at the southern shore of Lake Seliger. (Info from Google Map)

Janina Iwanica

During WWII

Russia

Osztasków (Ostashkov), Oblast Kalininskaja (Tver)

Plaque for Jan Pacewicz, PP Rowne, at the Polish cemetery in Bykownia-Kiev, Ukraine for the Katyn Ukraine List vicitms.

Anna Pacewicz

After WWII

Ukraine

Kiev

Polish Navy officer executed at Katyń by the Soviet NKVD, Spring 1940. Michał Niemirski, son of Alfred. Source: Katyn Museum, Warsaw.

Katyn Museum, Warsaw

During WWII

Poland

Polish navy

Polish Navy officer executed in the Katyn Massacres - Stanisław Gargul son of Józef. Source: Katyn Museum, Warsaw.

Katyn Museum, Warsaw

During WWII

Poland

Polish navy

Polish Navy officer executed at Katyń by the Soviet NKVD, Spring 1940. Henryk Sułkowski, son of Adam. Source: Katyn Museum, Warsaw.

Katyn Museum, Warsaw

During WWII

Poland

Polish navy

Polish Navy officer executed at Katyń by the Soviet NKVD, Spring 1940. Michał Niemirski, son of Alfred. Source: Katyn Museum, Warsaw.

Katyn Museum, Warsaw

During WWII

Poland

Polish navy

Polish Navy officer executed in the Katyn Massacres - Stanisław Gargul son of Józef. Source: Katyn Museum, Warsaw.

Katyn Museum, Warsaw

During WWII

Poland

Polish navy