17/09/2026
🇵🇱 On September 17, 1939, 87 years ago, after Poland had been defending itself against the Third Reich since September 1, the Soviet Union launched its invasion from the east. The Soviet attack on Poland was the direct result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which outlined the division of spheres of influence in Central Europe, including the partition of the Polish state following the outbreak of World War II.
⛓️ The moment the Red Army crossed into Poland marked the beginning of mass atrocities and deportations deep into Siberia. As early as 1940, the first of four mass deportations of the civilian population into the USSR took place. NKVD officers and Red Army soldiers would burst into Polish homes in the middle of the night, giving families just a few minutes to pack their belongings. Due to the horrific conditions in the cattle cars used for transport, a significant number of the deportees did not survive the journey.
🕯️ One of the most tragic consequences of the 1939 communist invasion of Poland was the Katyn genocide, a crime the Russians denied for decades. It resulted in the murder of at least 21,768 members of the Polish intellectual elite. They were killed for one reason only: because they were Polish. The Soviet Union made every effort to completely wipe out the Polish social fabric from the territories it occupied.
🕊️ September 1939 was a deeply tragic month in Poland’s history, heralding an era of immense suffering. Despite the overwhelming superiority of the aggressors, Poles fought to defend themselves. However, without outside help, there was no chance of victory. The greatest tragedy is that the end of World War II did not bring true freedom. After 1945, Poland was forced against its will into the Soviet sphere of influence. Russian troops did not leave our country until 1993.
We will never forget.
