12 April 2010

Poland's President and other senior figures die in a plane crash in Russia

Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria were killed in a plane crash on Saturday 10th April 2010 along with 95 others, including senior Polish political, military, business and cultural figures, when a plane they were travelling on crashed in Western Russia near Smolensk.

The Polish contingent were on route to a Second World War memorial service for Polish victims of a massacre by Soviet secret police at Katyn, in Smolensk when the plane they were travelling on is thought to have been flying too low in heavy fog and crashed into trees.

Among the dead were:
  • Anna Walentynowicz, the women sacked in the Gdansk shipyard in 1980 which led to the strike and creation of the Solidarity movement.
  • Aleksander Szczyglo the Chief of National Security.
  • Franciszek Gagor the Chief of the General Staff.
  • Andrzej Blasik, head of the air force.
  • Andrzej Karweta the head of the navy.
  • Tadeusz Buk land forces commander.
  • Aleksander Szczyglo, head of the National Security Office.
  • Slawomir Skrzypek the Governor of the National Bank of Poland
  • Ryszard Kaczorowski the former Exiled President.
Lech Kaczynski's body has been returned to Poland where it was driven through packed streets to the presidential palace where it will lie in state for a week, acting Polish President, Bronislaw Komorowski has called for a week of mourning.

Poles around the UK have attended services to pay their respects to those who lost their lives, some churches were so full that people were kneeling outside during services.

The irony is that Poland should lose so many senior figures on a visit to commemorate Poland's elite officer corps who were killed in a World War II massacre in Russia in the same region, this should give the conspiracy theorists plenty to speculate about.

Though Lech Kaczynski's policies were not popular with all Polish people, the countries people will unite, as they alway do through difficult times.

Have your say, was Lech Kaczynski a good leader?  How will this affect the Polish way of life?