Moldovan President visits Katyn Massacre Museum: History helps us understand and cherish freedom

Historical memory and the lessons of the past marked the beginning of the visit of President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu to Poland. Her trip agenda started at Katyn Massacre Museum in Warsaw, a space dedicated to commemorating the more than 22,000 Polish officers and intellectuals killed by the Soviet regime in 1940. The head of state was accompanied by Minister of Culture Cristian Jardan, a member of the official delegation of the Republic of Moldova.

Maia Sandu underlined the symbolic and moral weight of the visit to the Katyn Museum, a space dedicated to the memory of the more than 22,000 Polish officers and intellectuals killed by the Soviet regime in 1940.

"These crimes took place in the aftermath of the Ribbentrop–Molotov Pact, whose consequences we also know well in the Republic of Moldova. It tore destinies apart, destroyed families and left deep wounds in the memory of our peoples. Such museums remind us how important it is to know our past. Knowing history helps us separate the wheat from the chaff, distinguish truth from lies, understand and cherish freedom. When we speak honestly about tragedies, we build a stronger, more resilient society that knows what it must defend. Our histories and tragedies, those of Moldovans and Poles, are often intertwined. That is why, in the Republic of Moldova, we want to learn from Poland how to preserve and promote memory, not to remain in the past, but so that it does not repeat," Maia Sandu wrote on her Facebook page.

Minister of Culture Cristian Jardan highlighted the essential role of the culture of memory in Polish society, emphasizing that Poland has managed to transform the acknowledgment of its past into a foundation of its democratic development.

"During the visit I am paying to Poland, as part of the delegation of President Maia Sandu, I visited Katyn museum, which evokes the massacre of 22,000 Polish officers and intellectuals by the Soviets. The museum also presents the tragedy of the thousands of Poles deported to Siberia after the Soviet Union attacked and occupied part of Poland in September 1939, based on an agreement with Nazi Germany. Our post-war history has many similarities with that of the Poles, and it is our duty not to forget these tragedies in order to build a safe and solid future at home. And Poland’s example is a compelling one," said Cristian Jardan.

The visit to Katyn Museum marks the beginning of the official visit that Maia Sandu is paying to the Republic of Poland on 25–26 January, at the invitation of President Karol Nawrocki. The official delegation also includes Minister of Defence Anatolie Nosatîi. In Warsaw, the head of state is scheduled to hold meetings with President of Poland, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, as well as with the leadership of the Polish Senate and Sejm, with the agenda of discussions focusing on bilateral cooperation, the European path of the Republic of Moldova, and regional security.