In the shadow of tragedy
By Mirko Kaupat
A survey published some months ago showed that Ukrainians, along with Russians and Jews, are still among the least popular ethnic groups with Poles. Only one-third of the persons polled declared they had positive feelings towards their eastern neighbors. Right or wrong, Ukrainians are still seen as one of the occupying powers that forced communism upon this country for almost half a century, not to mention the century of occupation prior to that, during the period of Poland's partitioning.
Another reason for the aversion are the massacres of Polish citizens committed by Ukrainian partisans during World War II, who were violently fighting for an independent state that included, for the partisans, territory belonging to Poland until the war started. One of these regions contains the town of Wołyń. Exactly 60 years ago, the partisans broke into a local church there and killed hundreds of men, women and children, following that up with even more slaughter. Thousands, some say even tens of thousands, died - a national wound that has not healed, although it was virtually forbidden to talk about it during the communist era.
But, as always, the other side has a different version of the story. Ukraine claims that, during the course of the fighting, Polish paramilitary divisions killed thousands of Ukrainians as well.
With Polish-Ukrainian relations growing stronger lately, moderates on both sides worked to prepare a gesture of reconciliation, to be sent out by both the Polish and Ukrainian presidents at a memorial ceremony. A joint declaration was prepared and brought to the parliaments in Kiev and Warsaw.
As was to be expected, the right-wing parties, including the Law and Justice party (PiS), attacked the draft, calling it a "shame." PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński said he couldn't accept the wording of the document, which refers to the events as "a tragedy for both countries." Kaczyński insisted that it should be called a "genocide" against the Polish people.
In the end, however, the declaration was accepted by both parliaments, and President Aleksander Kwaśniewski and his Ukrainian counterpart, Leonid Kuchma, met in the Ukrainian town of Pavlivka, formerly a Polish town called Poryck, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the killings. Kwaśniewski didn't avoid using strong expressions. He called the events a "genocide" and "civil slaughter." But, on the other hand, he said that "one can't blame the Ukrainian people" for what has happened. "I don't know if my position gives me the right to forgive and express regret in the name of all Poles. But I'd very much like the words of forgiveness and reconcilitation to be expressed by both sides." As a special gesture, Kwaśniewski ended his speech in Ukrainian. Kuchma added that extremists on both sides were to blame for the massacres.
Most observers agreed that the remembrance ceremony and the joint declaration were a milestone in both countries' relations. And with this step, Poland's future role in the EU as a "bridge" to neighbors in the East could be further strengthened.
