Due to the latest events I will stick around Katyn for my second post too. As you all should know by now - today in Smolensk, Russia a horrific tragedy took place. A plane carrying Lech Kaczynski and other leaders crashed as it landed in the fog. Apart from any political convictions, I am absolutely positive that this event is incredibly surreal for every Pole, just like September 11th 2001 was for Americans. I mean it is a kind of event that you'd never see coming and once it happens it is impossible to get over it without any reflection.70 years after mass murder of 20+ thousand polish officers, 96 Polish dignitaries in the vanguard of Polish President lost their lives on their way to commemorate the first. Truely an overwhelming tragedy which bitter irony is that they also died on russian soil carried by russian plane.
With present information we can only speculate on what in fact had really happened. What is certain anaerobic conditions were very difficult with very dense fog. The airport in Smolensk is an adapted old military object with no automatic landing system control. On 4th landing trial, Plane with Polish delegation hit the treetops and crashed. All 96 persons onboard died. Black boxes have been already found and after analysis will provide factual information about the causes. Therefore arguing on what could fail or blaming anyone at this moment is pointless and unnecessary.
From all over the world signs of support and deep condolences are sent. World leaders pay tribute to Polish leader and delegation. Russia announced a national mourning day, Brazil three, in Poland it will be six days till Friday, 16th. Every paper, television or internet media covered this story todays as breaking news. It is really unpleasant situation in which Poland is on whole world's lips, still their reactions are appreciated. Popular football match called Gran Derbi which is a duel between best spanish teams FC Barcelona and Real Madrit was preceded with a minute of silence in memory of victims.Death toll included inter alia Lech Kaczynski, Maria Kaszynska, Jerzy Szmajdzinski, Ryszard Kaczorowski, Slawomir Skrzypek, Maciej Plazynski, Janusz Kochanowski, Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka (wife of PJIIT rector), Anna Walentynowicz, Grażyna Gęsicka, Janusz Kurtyka and many more.
I send my deepest condolences to families of victims of this ruthless accident. May all of you rest in peace. Like few comments in press pointedly noticed: Katyn is a cursed place for Polish nation.
Here you can find photos of passangers of this unfortunate flight:
http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/Wiadomosci/51,80291,7752578.html?i=0
Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka (wife of PJIIT rector) - wow, really? sad...
ReplyDeleteThe worst thing is that not only the president died, but also all of military generals, a lot of important people from polish goverment..
I can't believe what happend, this is a world tragedy. The most important people die in one second. Katyn is horrible place for Poland. This place take on a thousands important people.
ReplyDeleteI join with a heavy heart.....
Well it's hard to imagine that many of these people I've seen on TV since years are now dead. TV still shows archive videos of these people on which they are full of life, that's quite surreal .
ReplyDeleteI'm really sorry for all these people who have died there despite the fact that I haven't liked some of them from political perspective.
Such thing has never happened in history but it happened now in Poland and from the news I guess it was not a random accident, there are many factors which lead to this :
- Our government planes are very old and should be in museum.
-So many people travel in one plane, President, entire military command, deputy speakers of parliament, MPs and many others. In other circumstances our country would be in danger after such crash.
Other facts about this accident that worry me is that crew were advised first be the Belarusian air traffic controllers and then by Russians to land somewhere else because of bad weather conditions in Smolensk. They tried to approach four times and traffic control again asked them to land somewhere else which was ignored by the crew and they tried to land and we all know how it ended.
This reminds me another accident from 2008 when Lech Kaczynski was flying to Georgia during the war and he wanted to land on Tbilisi airport which was a war zone. Pilot denied president order due to safety reasons.
Now we don't know much but I suspect that pilot might have been forced to land in Smolensk which have caused this disaster.
Nevertheless I'm really sorry for the victims and their families.
I've just watched on TV thing I would never ever expect to see, Vladimir Putin putting flowers on Lech Kaczynski's coffin with Russian honour guard guarding the coffin.
ReplyDeleteI'm absolutely impressed by behaviour of Russian authorities since this disaster towards the man who was against Russia through his entire life.
This makes me feel ashamed of how our politicians behaved towards this country in past.
I don't really think that this is right time and place to judge anyone. Moreover, from what we now know the plane was after a thorough overhaul and it wasn't so old.
ReplyDeleteMy sincere condolences to the families and friends of all victims:
LECH KACZYŃSKI
MARIA KACZYŃSKA
RYSZARD KACZOROWSKI
KRZYSZTOF PUTRA
KRYSTYNA BOCHENEK
JERZY SZMAJDZIŃSKI
WŁADYSŁAW STASIAK
ALEKSANDER SZCZYGŁO
PAWEŁ WYPYCH
STANISŁAW JERZY KOMOROWSKI
TOMASZ MERTA
MACIEJ PŁAŻYŃSKI
MARIUSZ KAZANA
FRANCISZEK GĄGOR
MARIUSZ HANDZLIK
ANDRZEJ KREMER
ANDRZEJ PRZEWOŹNIK
PIOTR NUROWSKI
JANUSZ KOCHANOWSKI
SŁAWOMIR SKRZYPEK
JANUSZ KURTYKA
JANUSZ KRUPSKI
GRZEGORZ DOLNIAK
LESZEK DEPTUŁA
GRAŻYNA GĘSICKA
PRZEMYSŁAW GOSIEWSKI
ZBIGNIEW WASSERMANN
SEBASTIAN KARPINIUK
IZABELA JARUGA-NOWACKA
ALEKSANDRA NATALII-ŚWIAT
ARKADIUSZ RYBICKI
JOLANTA SZYMANEK-DERESZ
WIESŁAW WODA
EDWARD WOJTAS
JANINA FETLIŃSKA
STANISŁAW ZAJĄC
TADEUSZ PŁOSKI
MIRON CHODAKOWSKI
ADAM PILCH
JAN OSIŃSKI
ROMAN INDRZEJCZYK
BRONISŁAW GOSTOMSKI
JÓZEF JONIEC
ZDZISŁAW KRÓL
ANDRZEJ KWAŚNIK
BRONISŁAW KWIATKOWSKI
ANDRZEJ BŁASIK
TADEUSZ BUK
WOJCIECH POTASIŃSKI
ANDRZEJ KARWETA
KAZIMIERZ GILARSKI
TADEUSZ LUTOBORSKI
STEFAN MELAK
STANISŁAW MIKKE
BRONISŁAWA ORAWIEC-LOFFLER
KATARZYNA PISKORSKA
ANDRZEJ SARJUSZ-SKĄPSKI
WOJCIECH SEWERYN
LESZEK SOLSKI
TERESA WALEWSKA-PRZYJAŁKOWSKA
GABRIELA ZYCH
EWA BĄKOWSKA
ANNA MARIA BOROWSKA
BARTOSZ BOROWSKI
EDWARD DUCHNOWSKI
ZENONA MAMONTOWICZ-ŁOJEK
JOANNA AGACKA-INDECKA
CZESŁAW CYWIŃSKI
ZBIGNIEW DĘBSKI
KATARZYNA DORACZYŃSKA
ALEKSANDER FEDOROWICZ
DARIUSZ JANKOWSKI
STANISŁAW KOMORNICKI
JANUSZ KRUPSKI
WOJCIECH LUBIŃSKI
BARBARA MAMIŃSKA
JANIANA NATUSIEWICZ-MILLER
RYSZRD RUMIANEK
IZABELA TOMASZEWSKA
ANNA WALENTYNOWICZ
JANUSZ ZAKRZEŃSKI
JAROSŁAW FLORCZAK
ARTUR FRANCUZ
PAWEŁ JANECZEK
PAWEŁ KRAJEWSKI
PIOTR NOSEK
JACEK SURÓWKA
MAREK ULERYK
DARIUSZ MICHAŁOWSKI
AND CREW:
ARKADIUSZ PROTASIUK
ROBERT GRZYWNA
ANDRZEJ MICHALAK
ARTUR ZIĘTEK
BARBARA MACIEJCZYK
NATALIA JANUSZKO
JUSTYNA MONIUSZKO
It's really unbelievable what happened yesterday. In 70th anniversary of Katyn massacre,
ReplyDeletewe lost again a lot of really important people. I'm really sorry for families of those people.
I shouldn't be looking for the good sides of this tragedy, but actually, this is the first time i see all the politics talking like normal human beings, trying to cooperate, not to fight. And all the citizens of Poland together, lighting candles, crying and supporting each other.
We (as Poland) were also given condolences from around the world. Some countries for example Georgia, Brazil, Lithuania, Russia announced day or few days of national morning. This gesture shows that Poland means something in the Europe or even further.
It's a huge loss to our country, even if we were against Lech Kaczyński and we didn't uphold his beliefs.
I wouldn't like to dwell on the fact that our national fleet is old and defective. Neither I would like to point a finger on people responsible for the tragedy.
ReplyDeleteRather than doing that, let's all use the time of mourning to grow psychological strength needed to rebuild our nation's confidence and political stability after the mourning ends.
It’s hard to say anything even that was 8 days ago. That day I was working, my wife ringed to me and she asked “do you know what happen?” - it was at noon. I didn’t know about anything before this call but even now I can’t believe what happened.
ReplyDeleteI sincerely sympathize with the families of each victim.
God bless their souls.
Don't get me wrong, I really sympathize with all the families, friends, co-workers of all the victims of Smolensk crash. Nonetheless I don't understand the intensity of all the ceremonies that were taking place since that time. All the catholic services, all the people gathering in front of President's Palace and all that. Maybe that's because this death was symbolic as it is realated to Katyn massacre. Maybe it's a need for something common to all citizens. Maybe it's something different. I just don't understand all that.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that once again from a great disaster, media show was made. However people gathering in places together is a nice gesture for those who died and their families. I do not take part in such event, but understand people who does it. I guess we will never know the full truth about the accident and this is good. Does is really matter whether someone insisted on landing or not? Fact is, no one could predict such a situation.
ReplyDeleteIt;s a terrible tragedy for ouer country ant victims families ;( When first time I heard about it I just drove a car... They said on the radio that plane with Presidenial pair crashed, I don't heard which country so I called to family and they told me that this plane was our;/ I could not believe it and still I can't
ReplyDeleteThere were a lot of informations about disaster published in media. But what do you think. Do the government make public informations, what really caused disaster and how the discussions proceed in pilot cockpit?
ReplyDelete