Photo Report from the 102nd Anniversary BW1920

Wołomin, Ossów

On August 12-15, a number of ceremonies and events took place in the Wołomin district as part of the celebration of the 102nd anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw 1920.
The highlight was undoubtedly the hstorical reconstruction, which attracted thousands of spectators.

The Battle of Warsaw 1920, fought on the outskirts of the capital at Ossow and Radzymin, among other places, was the decisive armed act of the Polish-Bolshevik war of 1919-1921 and decided the
of preserving the independence of Poland reborn after the partitions. The heroism of Polish soldiers and the will to fight for the independence of their homeland, blocked the expansion of the communist revolution to the countries of Western Europe.

It is not without reason that Lord Edgar d'Abernon considered the Battle of Warsaw the 18th most important battle to decide the fate of the world. In an article, this former British ambassador to Poland wrote: "The modern history of civilization knows of few events possessing greater significance than the Battle of Warsaw in 1920, while it knows of not a single one that is less appreciated.... If the Battle of Warsaw had ended in victory for the Bolsheviks, there would have been a turning point in the history of Europe, for there is no doubt that with the fall of Warsaw, central Europe would have stood open to Communist propaganda and to the Soviet invasion (...). It is the task of political writers to explain to European public opinion that in 1920 Europe was saved by Poland."

On Friday, August 12, an event was held at the parish of St. Joseph the Worker in Wolomin
"In Defense of Independence - a concert of legion and lancer songs on the occasion of the 102nd anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Warsaw". The concert, which was organized by the WEST Association, was co-sponsored by the Wolomin District.

On Saturday, August 13, a Military Picnic was held in Ossow for the second time under the patronage of Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak. Then, at 6 pm, a Mass was celebrated at the Concathedral of Our Lady of Victory, followed by the Inaugural Concert in Honor of the Heroes of 1920 on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Warsaw-Praga Diocese, performed by the Concert Orchestra of the Representative Artistic Ensemble of the Polish Army.

On Sunday, August 14, a Mass presided over by Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, Apostolic Nuncio to Poland, was held at the Sanctuary of St. John Paul II in Radzymin at 1 pm.

On the other hand, in the evening, in Ossow, ceremonies were held to unveil busts in the Glade of Oaks of Remembrance of the 96 victims of the Smolensk catastrophe on the grounds of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Victory in Ossow: the late Rev. Andrzej Kwasnik, Chaplain of the Warsaw Police Prevention Unit, the 1939 Police Family Association and the Federation of Katyn Families, and the late Rev. Father Józef Jońca, President of the "Parafiada" Association, Religious of the Order of Pious Schools (Piarists), activist of non-governmental organizations, and the solemn Appeal of the Fallen and laying of wreaths at the cross commemorating the heroic death of Father Ignacy Skorupka.

On Monday, August 15, the ceremonies began with morning prayer at the cross commemorating the heroic death of Rev. Ignacy Skorupka in Ossow at 8 a.m. At 9:30 a.m. a solemn Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller and J. E. Romuald Kaminski, Bishop of the Warsaw-Praga Diocese, after which the roll call of the fallen took place at the Cemetery of the Fallen on the grounds of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Victory in Ossow. The culmination of the celebrations was the historical reconstruction of the battles of the Battle of Warsaw in Ossow and a family picnic, which attracted thousands of participants - residents and guests from all over Poland.

- When we remember the Heroes of the Polish-Bolshevik War and their historical role, our thoughts, as if by themselves, turn to Ukraine, which fought against the barbarian invaders. What modern Russia is doing in Ukraine proves conclusively that it belongs to another civilization, a civilization whose essence is cruelty and evil. Therefore, while asking the Lord God and the Victorious Mother of God to take care of our homeland, so that Poland will never again experience the horrors of war, we also pray for the fastest possible just peace in Ukraine and its fastest possible reconstruction," said Starost Adam Lubiak during the August 15 ceremony in Ossow.

The anniversary celebrations were under the national patronage of Polish President Andrzej Duda. The organization of the reconstruction was subsidized by the "Niepodległa" grant program

Photo report - August 13, 2022.
Photo report - August 14, 2022.
Photo report - August 15, 2022.

29 sierpnia 2022
Celebrations 2022