OCHOTNICY Bitwy Warszawskiej 1920 roku
Ossow
Opening of the exhibition "OCHOTNICY Bitwy Warszawskiej 1920 roku" in Ossow
The exhibition "OCHOTNICY Bitwy Warszawskiej 1920 roku" will be presented in a sacred space, by the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Victory in Ossow. The exhibition is a tribute and remembrance of the volunteers who, with their attitude and steadfastness, successfully defied the Bolsheviks to protect their country from Soviet Russia.
The opening of the exhibition will take place on Saturday, August 12, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at the Ossow Sanctuary at 152 Matarewicza St. The exhibition will be opened by Karol Gajewski, deputy director of the "Niepodległa" Office, Adam Lubiak, Wolomin Starost, and Prof. Marcin Kruszyński, author of the texts for the exhibition
The exhibition will consist of 10 boards, which mainly present exhibition content, but at the same time have a utilitarian function. The displays by their form refer to the motif of a ribbon, which symbolizes the influx of volunteers who came from different parts of Poland and even the world, differed in age, gender, education, social status, political views, but united in a common goal - to defend Poland's independence. The energy of the volunteers brought a new spirit to the ranks of the weakened army. This fervor of spirit, zeal and enthusiasm is reflected in the orange color used in the design. The inspiration for the use of this color, were also the recollections of a participant in the Polish-Bolshevik war, Jozef Drążkiewicz, who at the age of 16, being a student of the fourth grade of the gymnasium in Sierpc, enlisted in the 221st volunteer regiment "Children of Warsaw". He arrived in the capital on July 24, 1920, and after three days received a fusillade cap with an eagle and a red-and-white bow distinguishing volunteers. He describes the moment when he marched out of Warsaw along the sandy roads and arrived at sunset in Ossow. During the march he met chaplain Ignacy Skorupka. Upon arriving at the village, which had been abandoned by local residents, he saw an elderly man hanging a portrait of Saint Agatha on top of a house, meant to protect the farm from fire. On the night of August 13-14, the volunteers observed a glow of fire in the distance, at which time one of the bloodiest clashes between the Polish Army and the Bolsheviks began. In the battle fought in the afternoon, the volunteer priest Skorupka and many other young people who of their own free will went to fight for the Fatherland fell. It was a clash within the Battle of Warsaw and at the same time a battle that brought defeat to the Red Army. The visitor, finding himself in the space of the exhibition, which is also presented in August, stands in this aura in which the volunteers were, in a way entering their path and clashing with their fate - emphasizes Karol Gajewski from the Deputy Director of the "Niepodległa" Office.
The exhibition will feature short texts in Polish and English describing particular selected groups of volunteers. Each board features a quotation, which is the voice of the participants in the Battle of Warsaw 1920, a propaganda poster, reflecting the nature of the mass mobilization of society, photographs from the resources of, among others, the Military Historical Bureau (Central Military Archives), the Museum of Independence in Warsaw, the National Digital Archive, as well as from private collections. The intention of the exhibition is to introduce visitors to the human, often individual dimension of the struggle for independence. It is to commemorate the volunteers who fought and died for Poland and the values they represented - adds Karol Gajewski.
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Accreditations by August 10 at 4pm to wlabuda@niepodlegla.gov.pl
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The originator and organizer of the exhibition is the "Independence" Office.
9 sierpnia 2023
Celebrations 2023
