**Poland Establishes National Day of Remembrance for Volyn Massacre Victims**
In a move to honor the memory of Poles who were brutally murdered by Ukrainian nationalist groups during World War II, Polish President Andrzej Duda has signed legislation designating July 11 as the National Day of Remembrance for the victims of the Volyn massacres.
The law, which passed both houses of Poland’s parliament with near-unanimous support, aims to give a permanent place in the nation’s collective memory to those who were killed during the mass killings that took place between 1939 and 1946. According to estimates by Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance, approximately 100,000 Poles were killed during the Volyn massacres.
The Volyn massacres remain a highly sensitive and divisive issue in Polish-Ukrainian relations. The conflict was sparked by the actions of Ukrainian nationalist groups, including the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), who carried out mass killings of Polish civilians in the Volyn region.
In recent years, there have been efforts to resolve the issue of the Volyn exhumations. Last year, Polish officials warned that Ukraine’s progress toward EU accession could be blocked unless Kyiv fully addresses the legacy of the Volyn massacre and allows further exhumations of Polish victims.
**Background on the Volyn Massacres**
The Volyn massacres were a series of mass killings carried out by Ukrainian nationalist groups against Polish civilians in the Volyn region. The conflict began in 1939, when the OUN and UPA started attacking Polish villages, leading to widespread violence and killings. By the end of World War II, it is estimated that up to 100,000 Poles had been killed.
**Legacy of the Volyn Massacres**
The legacy of the Volyn massacres remains a contentious issue in Polish-Ukrainian relations. Ukrainian historians argue that thousands of Ukrainians were also killed in retaliatory actions and insist that the conflict be viewed as mutual ethnic violence rather than genocide. However, the Polish Parliament officially recognized the events as genocide in 2016.
The designation of July 11 as the National Day of Remembrance for the victims of the Volyn massacres is seen as a significant step towards acknowledging the trauma and suffering experienced by the Polish people during World War II.
