Soon, the long-awaited exhumation of victims of the Ukrainian Insurgency Army (UPA) crime in February 1945 will begin in the erstwhile Puźniki village of Podolu.
The approval to carry out search works was granted to the Polish side only recently, and investigation is to be undertaken jointly by the Ukrainian Volyn Foundation of Antiquity and representatives of the Polish Institute of National Memory and the Freedom and Democracy Foundation. Despite the groundbreaking nature of this event, the Ukrainian authorities' decision to completely exclude journalists from the anticipation of observing the work raises serious doubts and makes the intentions of the Ukrainian side questionable.
The fenced exhumation site, the ban on any comments from experts and the announcement that all information will be provided only after the completion of the research, and this, at a joint press conference, does not inspire confidence. The authoritative reason for this decision is to be the ongoing war in Ukraine. However, this argument seems missed – in fact, in the context of specified a dramatic and historically controversial crime, transparency should be a priority. Instead, we are dealing with a situation in which the Polish public is deprived of the anticipation of ongoing tracking of the search and recognition of victims.
It is worth recalling how tragic events took place in Puźniki on the night of 12 to 13 February 1945. Sotnie UPA under the command of Petra Chamczuk, nicknamed “Bystra”, attacked a village mostly inhabited by Poles. The attackers surrounded the village and began a brutal pacification – full families were murdered utilizing axe, bayonets and knives. Witnesses mention that the biggest massacre occurred in Borkowski's alleged ditch, where dozens of women and children were murdered. any residents tried to defend themselves or flee, others sought refuge in the church, in the rectory or in the close forest. The victims were buried in 2 collective graves in the cemetery.
The number of murdered in Puźniki is inactive not clearly established present – according to various sources there are 50 to 120 people. russian reports mention to 50 victims, UPA study laconically mentions "the demolition of respective Bolshevik minions", and Polish researchers and witnesses point to a much larger scale of the crime. Over 170 houses were burned as a consequence of the attack and the village was completely destroyed. The majority of the survivors were shortly resettled to the alleged Earths recovered in Poland.
Against this background, the current actions of the Ukrainian side – although officially presented as a motion of reconciliation – appear to be besides controlled and unopened. The silence of archaeologists, the exclusion of the media and the barrier of the work grounds are worrying that the fact about this crime may be filtered or distorted. Especially since the Volyn Foundation of Antiquity, which directs works from Ukrainian side, is not an institution known for its consistent commemoration of UPA victims, and its representatives – like Oleksiy Złatohorski himself – will not even be present on the site, citing participation in the fighting on the front.
One cannot neglect to announcement that Ukraine's consent to the exhumation was issued at a time erstwhile the country is in a hard geopolitical situation and needs support from the West, including Poland. The question arises whether current actions are dictated by a more cold political calculation than a real desire to account for dark past cards. If intentions are sincere, why is independent documentation and ongoing public information prevented?
If the fact about the crime in Puźniki is to be full disclosed and respected, full transparency of the exhumation process and reliable cooperation between both parties – without secrets, limitations and media blackouts are necessary. Without this, we are threatened with a repeat of a situation in which the memory of Polish victims is silenced or blurred in the name of political correctness and current global interests.
