
On September 19, 2020, at the Polish Military Cemetery near Dytiatyn in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, which is cared for by the Franciscans from the Bolshovtsi monastery, ceremonies were held to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the battle with the Bolsheviks.
The Holy Mass for the heroes was led by Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki. The joint prayer was attended by Poles and Ukrainians, representatives of the authorities of both countries, Polish diplomats from Kiev and Lviv, and local Greek Catholics, the parish priest, and the faithful.
- The history of the world is filled with signs of the times that shape the history of individual nations. – said the Lviv Metropolitan in his homily. – One of these signs is the place of today's prayer, where a hundred years ago a heroic deed was committed by a Polish soldier defending his homeland from the Bolshevik onslaught. Therefore, today, on the hundredth anniversary of this great, heroic deed, later called the "Polish Thermopylae", we gather with a prayer of gratitude, commending to God all those who rest in this war cemetery.
The hierarch quoted the order of Bolshevik general Michal Tukhachevsky, who wrote: "I call for a merciless fight against the forces of the White Eagle, for drowning in blood the crushed Polish army [...]. The fate of the world revolution is being decided in the West. Over the corpse of Poland leads the road to a general world conflagration". On the other hand, the Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army, Marshal Józef Piłsudski, seeing the enormous threat, wrote in his order: "Boys! Forward! For life or death, for victory or defeat - go with a warlike act to awaken Poland to resurrection".
The Metropolitan also recalled the voice of the Polish bishops at that time, who addressed the following words to the Nation from Jasna Góra: "Give the homeland what God wills to give it. Not by word alone, but by deed, declare that you love it. Become worthy of the most precious gift of freedom through your dedication to Poland. Sacrifice for it all party envy, all desire for domination by some over others, all festering and all poisonous acids that eat into its soul and its organism. Unite in its common love and in its common need."
- And it was in such circumstances that the "Polish Thermopylae" was born on the fields of Dytiatyn. – emphasized Archbishop Mokrzycki. – That is why, after a hundred years, I find in this event a great message for us and I ask that we do not disregard history, let us not disregard God's Providence. In memory of our heroic deeds, we must not disregard the sacrifice of the lives of those by whose graves we stop today. Therefore, looking to the future, with St. John Paul II I cry out: "May our path be common, may our prayer be humble, may our love be powerful, may our hope be greater than anything that can oppose this hope." In all this, may Mary, Mother of Peace and Reconciliation, Mother of the Holy Scapular of Bołszowce, support us, leading us on the path of memory and gratitude. Amen.
Flowers were laid at the monument at the Polish War Cemetery by the Deputy Marshal of the Senate of the Republic of Poland Michał Tomasz Kamiński, the Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Lviv Eliza Dzwonkiewicz, the Defense Attaché of the Polish Embassy in Kiev Lieutenant Commander Maciej Nałęcz, the Deputy Chairman of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administration Yevheniy Ferbey, the Rector of the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University Prof. Igor Tependa and representatives of Polish organizations in Ukraine.
Letters were read to the participants of the ceremony, addressed by the Marshal of the Republic of Poland Elżbieta Witek, Deputy Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland Małgorzata Gosiewska, Head of the Office for War Veterans and Victims of Repression of the Republic of Poland Jan Józef Kasprzyk, Minister in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland Jan Dziedziczak, and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland Jarosław Selin. They could not participate in the ceremony in person due to the difficulties and restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Lviv Eliza Dzwonkiewicz read a letter from Deputy Speaker of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland Małgorzata Gosiewska, addressed to Fr. Marian Gołąb, Provincial of the Kraków Province of St. Anthony and Blessed Jakub Strzemię of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (Franciscans). She mentioned with gratitude that she participated in last year's celebrations of the 99th anniversary of the Battle of Dytiatyn and is still impressed by this event, and her stay at the Center for Reconciliation and Peace in Bołszowce and Dytiatyn was an extremely valuable experience for her, both in terms of content and socially.
- Thanks to the lovers and guardians of this piece of native land, defended by Polish soldiers to the last drop of blood against the Soviet invader, I learned a lot about the history of this place – wrote Małgorzata Gosiewska. – The hosts of the celebrations and the local residents turned out to be wonderful people, full of passion and in love with their traditions. I am also full of appreciation and admiration for the Franciscan Fathers, who so actively and consistently participate in organizing the anniversary celebrations at the war cemetery in Dytiatyn. Thanks to all the extraordinary people I mentioned, the defense of Dytiatyn in 1920 was saved from oblivion and has survived in our memory as a symbol of a soldier's duty fulfilled to the end. But we must also remember that there were many more such places in these lands. However, they were not as lucky as Dytiatyn and today no one remembers their names, their history, or the Polish soldiers who created it. I am sure that the Reverend Father will agree with me that this beautiful gesture of gratitude, repeated by contemporaries every year at the war cemetery in Dytiatyn, is also a tribute to the silent, anonymous heroes, who, by a twist of fate, have probably passed into oblivion forever, and to whom we owe so much. I am convinced that this year's anniversary celebrations in Dytiatyn, due to the beautiful jubilee anniversary, will have a special character, as will the moods and emotions that will accompany them. Although I cannot participate in them personally, I assure you that on September 19, I will be among the invited guests in my heart and thoughts. – wrote Deputy Speaker of the Sejm Małgorzata Gosiewska.
Words of gratitude were addressed to Wiesława Holik, who was unable to attend the ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic, as were many other guests from Poland. Mrs. Holik made every effort to find funds for the construction of a new pantheon in Dytiatyn. Also current senator Michał Kamiński, vice-marshal of the Senate of the Republic of Poland, thanked the Franciscan fathers for maintaining this place and for maintaining this historical memory, and for what they do on this land for Ukrainians and Poles, their common life and common memory.
- Let us remember that our great countryman, Józef Piłsudski, started this war in 1920, and the aim of the Kiev expedition was to establish an independent Ukrainian state. – said Michał Kamiński. – Today, this dream of Józef Piłsudski has come true. Today, there is an independent Ukrainian state. Today, the goal for which Poles and Ukrainians died in 1920 has been fulfilled. Not only is Poland free. Not only is Europe free from Bolshevism, but there is a strong Ukrainian state, which today on its eastern borders must fight against the same barbarity that the heroes of a hundred years ago fought here, near Warsaw, near Zamość. Wherever Poles and Ukrainians, Roman Catholics, Greek Catholics, Orthodox Christians, but also Tatars stood shoulder to shoulder against the Bolshevik onslaught and defended not only Poland, but also Europe. Just as today, the heroes of Donbas defend not only Ukraine, they defend all of Europe, they defend our entire civilization against those who, in their pride, are able, as yesterday, to decree that Venus is a Russian planet. – noted the Polish senator.
- Today, remembering the sacrifices of the Polish heroes of this battle, which we call the "Polish Thermopylae", we bow our heads before their sacrifice, we bow our heads before this effort, which, it would seem, has been thwarted after only twenty years. – continued Michał Kamiński. – Today, although a hundred years have passed, Poles and Ukrainians still live in a common Europe and must, just as our great compatriot Józef Piłsudski did then, direct to the east that famous saying among Poles: "For our freedom and yours!" Because there will be no free Poland without a free Ukraine. And none of us in Warsaw will feel free as long as the grim hand of imperialism, which brought so much blood and so much destruction to Poles, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Jews, but also to Russians themselves, who were also victims of Bolshevism, hangs over our part of Europe. Today, on this land sanctified by the blood of our heroes, which should never divide anyone again, and should unite us all for eternity, it is worth repeating these words about the blessing for free countries with this faith and awareness that the death was not in vain. Remembering history, drawing strength from this history, we should look to the future and build a common future for Poles and Ukrainians – added the senator.
Then, the deputy chairman of the Ivano-Frankivsk regional state administration, Yevhen Ferbey, took the floor. In his speech, he said: We are standing in the place where a hundred years ago a battle took place, in which Ukrainian and Polish soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder against the invasion of the eastern enemy. At the cost of their own lives, they saved their loyal friends, defending the Bolshevik offensive in Ternopil. The Battle of Dytiatyn is our common history, our common pain and our common heroism. This is an example of fighting for the interests of our lands and nations. Dytiatyn has become a place of Ukrainian-Polish brotherhood and today, as never before, we must remember this, defending the eastern borders of Ukraine and all of Europe. – he noted.
After the dignitaries from Ukraine and Poland spoke and laid flowers, Fr. Andrzej Wanat OFMConv, guardian of the monastery and custodian of the sanctuary of Our Lady Queen of Peace and Reconciliation in Bołszowce, said to journalists: Since the Franciscans arrived in Bołszowce, they began to take care of this place. Of course, it did not look the same as it does today. There was no memorial. There was a cross. And at first, there was only a Holy Mass for the fallen soldiers, and later the initiative to create a pantheon was born. We did not return to the original appearance of this place, where the chapel of St. Catherine stood, although the very appearance of this place pays tribute to the soldiers who died for the freedom of Poland. In Bołszowce, we created the Center for Peace and Reconciliation to unite two nations. In that place, in Dytiatyn, Polish and Ukrainian soldiers fought against the Bolsheviks. And this also unites us. This was one of the initiatives to conduct our activities here in this way - such a patriotic and at the same time uniting two nations – emphasized the Franciscan. – Every year we try to invite the Polish authorities to these celebrations, thanks to whom we can actually celebrate every anniversary, but also the Ukrainian authorities of the Galician district, Ivano-Frankivsk region, where we live and work. I had a lot of phone calls that 5 or 6 buses were supposed to come from Poland, but due to the pandemic they could not take part in the celebrations. Today, the family of one of the soldiers who died in this place is still alive in Poland. Last year they visited us, and this year they only wrote greetings and said that they could not come because of the coronavirus. Our Father Provincial, Marian Gołąb, invites us to this celebration, and we work in this place and implement this project in such a tangible way. Every year, the Father Provincial, if he can, is also present, but this year many things overlapped, plus of course the pandemic, so he could not come. But he had his representative, who was Fr. Stanisław Kawa, our delegate from Lviv. – added Father Andrzej.
Also present was the rector of the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, Prof. Igor Cependa, who added that the topic of the centenary of the Battle of Dytiatyn would also be discussed during the 13th Polish-Ukrainian Meeting – Yaremche 2020, which will be held in Ivano-Frankivsk and Przemyśl on September 24-25 online.
Many guests present at the ceremony were very moved by the solemnity of the moment and the history of the place. – Unfortunately, due to the quarantine, we could not come in large numbers, as every year. - he said Vladimir Hulai, Vice President Polish Societies Cultural Center of Adam Mickiewicz in Kolomyia. – I laid flowers on behalf of all Poles in Pokucie and our Ukrainian friends.
- I was here for the first time in 2011, I think. – recalled Danuta Stefanko from the Centre for Polish Culture and European Dialogue in Ivano-Frankivsk (formerly Stanislavov). – I remember this place when there was only a cross in the middle of the field. Now, looking at this place, my heart rejoices, because we remember the people who died for the independence of their homeland, but also - as was mentioned many times today - for the independence of Ukraine. They are duly honored. Every year, the elderly and young people come here. They pray together.
Anita Sirkowa came to Dytiatyn for the first time. She was very moved by the visit: – I felt like I had to be here because I wanted to thank the people who gave their lives so that we could live in peace. - she pointed out. - It was very interesting to listen to people who told about this event from 1920. Each person put their emotions into the story. There were also very nice Polish patriotic songs. It is worth adding here that the ceremony was honored with singing by the youth from the Society for Aid to Poles "Big Heart" in Nowy Rozdół.
- These are the songs of my childhood – said Zofia Semianów (née Stecka) from Stanisławów. – My father loved them very much and I sing them all too, these war songs. We should remember these events and pass on the memory of how this independence was gained. This is very important, because this is patriotism.
After the Battle of Warsaw, the Polish Army was far from a complete victory. The Red Army was still not completely defeated. In mid-September 1920, another offensive was launched against the Bolshevik forces from the Dniester. Its goal was to close the Red Army's road to Tarnopol. On the night of September 15, units of the 13th Infantry Regiment moved towards Podhajce. Near Dytiatyn, they encountered an enemy who occupied one of the hills. The Bolsheviks fired at the Polish forces. With a bayonet charge, the 9th Infantry Company pushed the Red Army soldiers back, taking the elevation. However, on September 16, at around 9 a.m., the Bolsheviks, with 2-3 thousand soldiers, began a counterattack. The hill was defended by about 600 Poles at the time. The battle lasted 8 hours. After many attacks by the Red Army and with ammunition running out, the Polish troops gradually retreated, but delayed it enough to prevent the Bolsheviks from further attacking the XVI Infantry Brigade. 97 Polish soldiers died and 86 were wounded. In memory of their heroism, a plaque was placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw with the inscription "Dytiatyn 16 IX 1920".
Konstanty Czawaga, member of the Association of Polish Journalists and the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine
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