The red, a Bolshevik… a human? – Symbolic commemoration and the graves and places of remembrance of Red Army soldiers in the territory of Poland. Violations of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Poland and the Government of the Russia

Abstract

As one party to the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Poland and the Government of the Russian Federation on the graves and places of memory of victims of war and repression, Poland has pledged to undertake various activities concerning the graves and places of commemoration, including the graves of 600,000 Red Army soldiers located on Polish territory. In the face of the increasing number of acts of vandalism directed at these places, it is worth analysing the nature of such behaviour.

The paper enumerates the motives indicated by perpetrators of such acts of vandalism, the reactions of representatives of the political elite, the steps taken by law enforcement agencies and the content of media coverage of these acts. The paper also forecasts the possible reversal of such tendencies and compares the activities occurring in Poland with those in other states that are parties to corresponding international agreements.