In connection with the ceremony at which the President of the Republic of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, presented state decorations to members of the Polish diaspora at the National Army Museum in London, the IPN showcased the exhibition “The Seven Faces of Sergiusz Piasecki” in its English-language version.
The exhibition was prepared by the Wrocław Branch of the Institute of National Remembrance in cooperation with the Office of International Cooperation. The Sejm of the Republic of Poland has declared 2026 the Year of Sergiusz Piasecki, in honour of this outstanding writer.
The exhibition presents a concise yet comprehensive account of the multifaceted life of Sergiusz Piasecki - a writer, an agent of Polish military intelligence operating in the Soviet Union, and an officer of the Home Army in the Vilnius region. It presents his biography and activities, encompassing the Polish–Bolshevik War, intelligence service, imprisonment, involvement in the Home Army, service in the 2nd Polish Corps under General Władysław Anders, as well as his years of emigration and exile.
In connection with the exhibition, the Wrocław Branch of the IPN prepared exhibition catalogues and a 2026 calendar entitled “Sergiusz Piasecki’s Vilnius.” Participants in the event, as well as the museum’s management, were presented with copies of the English-language edition of the book The Diary of a Red Army Officer.
Thanks to the joint efforts of the staff of the IPN Office for Commemorating the Struggle and Martyrdom and Sergiusz Piasecki’s relatives - his son Władysław Tomaszewicz and granddaughter Ewa Tomaszewicz, the writer’s mortal remains were brought back to Poland in September 2025.
During the ceremony, the President of the Republic of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, presented state decorations to individuals distinguished for their contribution to the promotion of Polish history abroad and for their activities within the Polish diaspora:
Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
- Barbara Hamilton – for outstanding achievements in artistic work, the promotion of Polish culture, and activities for Polish diaspora communities in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- Justin Maciejewski – for outstanding service to Polish diaspora communities in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and for promoting Polish history, culture, and national traditions.
- Sister Teresa Sabok – for outstanding service to veterans’ communities, providing assistance to those in need, and for her activities within the Polish diaspora.
Gold Cross of Merit
- Elżbieta Barrass – for services to the promotion of Polish culture and the development of Polish education in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Silver Cross of Merit
- Małgorzata Bugaj-Martynowska
Bronze Cross of Merit
- Joanna Mechelewska
For services to Polish diaspora communities in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and for promoting Polish history, culture, and national traditions:
Gold Cross of Merit
- Tomasz Muskus
- Bartosz Piasecki
- Dobrosława Platt
Silver Cross of Merit
- Tomasz Wiśniewski
Bronze Cross of Merit
- Iwona Golińska
The event was attended by representatives of the IPN: Mateusz Marek, Ph.D. Deputy Director of the Office of International Cooperation, and Prof. Tomasz Balbus, Head of the Branch Archives of the IPN in Wrocław and author of the exhibition, as well as Adam Wesołowski and Magda Wysocka.
During the ceremony, President Karol Nawrocki also presented the Flag of the Republic of Poland to the Director of the National Army Museum, Justin Maciejewski.
“The scope of the social life of Poles in Great Britain, spanning more than one hundred years, is so vast that it requires truly exceptional individuals to keep its memory alive,” the President said, addressing the decorated guests. He expressed his gratitude and congratulations for their dedication and hard work, including preserving the memory of those Poles who, over the decades, created a “Polish, living London” - one of whom was Sergiusz Piasecki.