During the ceremony, films were also shown recounting the history of the establishment of Solidarity and the period of the union's legal activity after its registration on 10 November 1980. The event c On 18 November 2025, the Polish Theatre in Warsaw hosted a ceremony organised by the IPN to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the registration of the Independent Self-Governing Trade Union “Solidarity.”

The event, during which the Crosses of Freedom and Solidarity were awarded, was attended by IPN Deputy Presidents, Prof. Karol Polejowski and Mateusz Szpytma Ph.D.

The Cross of Freedom and Solidarity is awarded by the President of the Republic of Poland to members of the anti-communist opposition active between 1956 and 1989, in recognition of their efforts on behalf of Poland’s independence and sovereignty, as well as their commitment to upholding human rights in the People's Republic of Poland.

On behalf of the President of the Republic of Poland, the decorations were presented by Karol Polejowski. A total of seventeen opposition activists were honoured, including two who received the award posthumously.

Agnieszka Jędrzak, Undersecretary of State in the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, read out a letter from Karol Nawrocki, the President of the Republic of Poland, who served as the honorary patron of the ceremony.

“Forty-five years have passed since Solidarity was registered. That is exactly how long communist oppression lasted - from the Manifesto of the Polish Committee of National Liberation to the partially free elections in 1989. However, despite the passage of time, we continually return, and will continue to return, to the peaceful revolution of Solidarity, because its ideas remain relevant today. Because in Poland, it is we, the citizens, who are and must always remain the rightful masters. Because the glorious pages of our history tell the truth about us - Poles, our culture and our capabilities – and not the prejudices or complexes of those who seek to perceive only weakness, frailty, or abnormality in Polishness. Solidarity – as an idea, a value and a commitment – must remain one of the fundamental principles of public life.”

The participants of the event also had the opportunity to listen to a lecture by Sebastian Pilarski Ph.D., the Director of the IPN Historical Research Office, entitled “Solidarity – Freedom, Dignity, Independence.”

During the ceremony, films recounting the history of the founding of Solidarity and the period of the union's legal activity following its registration on 10 November 1980 were screened. The event concluded with a concert by Janusz Radek and his band, dedicated to the activists of the Solidarity opposition.