Difficult questions in Kiev
On Wednesday, November 11, Janusz Kurtyka, the President of the Institute of National Remembrance began his visit to Ukraine. The most important part of the visit was the Thursday (November 12) meeting with the Polish and Ukrainian historians, which was entitled: Poland-Ukraine. Shared destiny – shared historical experience. The meeting was launched with the participation of the Presidents of the Polish and the Ukarainian Institutes of National Remembrance and Jacek Kluczkowski, Polish ambassador to Ukraine.
So far 13 historic conferences entitled “Poland-Ukraine: difficult questions” were held. Also, joint research programs are being undertaken, as well as intense cooperation between the IPN and the SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) in the archival field (regarding the exchange of archival copies and document edition).
During his recent visit to Kiev, on September 25, 2009 the President of the Institute met with Viktor Yushchenko, the Ukrainian President. An important declaration, especially from the viewpoint of the common painful history, was made: no matter how bloody events took place in the past, talks about them cannot be avoided. After the meeting, the President Kurtyka emphasized that the truth about the conflicts cannot be concealed, nor should they be resuscitated. It is significant to research and analyze the events in all their historical conditioning.
In this context the visit of Kataryna Yushchenko, Ukraine's first lady in Institute of National Remembrance in September has gained a symbolic meaning. While exploring the IPN archives on the victims of World War II from Bad Arolsen, Yushchenko has found information about her father, a victim of German repression.
1. Polish underground 1939-1941. Lvov, Kołomyja, Stryj, Złoczów, Warsaw 1998
2. The resettlements of Poles and Ukrainians 1944-1946, Warsaw 2000
3. Polish underground 1939-1941. From Wołyń to Pokucie, Warsaw-Kiev 2004
4. Poles and Ukrainians between two totalitarian systems 1942-1945, Warsaw-Kiev 2005
5. Operation Vistula 1947, Warsaw-Kiev 2006
6. Operation “Sejm” 1944-1946, Warsaw-Kiev 2007
7. Great Famine in Ukraine 1932-1933, Warsaw-Kiev 2008 (the English version is in preparation).
Currently, works are being carried out on publishing the 8th volume of the joint series on The Great terror in Ukraine: Polish operation 1936-1938. Its release is planned for January 2010.
Moreover, joint research is under way regarding the persecution of the Churches and the clergy. The agreement will allow disclosing the evidence on the Soviet Union’s intentional destruction of the Ukrainian documents on the Katyń massacre. These documents will also be used in the IPN’s Katyń massacre investigation, which has been carried out since 2004.
2. The experience of World War I and its impact on the processes of national building
3. Polish-Ukrainian relations in the interwar period. Agreement attempts and the nationalism challenge
B. The Second Polish Republic’s policy on the Ukrainian minority
C. The Ukrainians in the Second Polish Republic - the Ukrainian minority, and emigration
D. The role of the Ukrainian government in exile
E. The Polish minority in Ukrainian SRS
F. USRR policy regarding Poland and the Polish minorities
G. Prometheism. "The microscopic Cold War”
A. The Soviet occupation of the years 1939-1941
B. The Polish-Ukrainian conflict of World War II. Summary attempts
5. The role of the Church in the reconciliation attempts
A. Metropolitans - Andrej Szeptycki, Archbishop Józef Bilczewski, Archbishop Bolesław Twardowski
B. Attempts on cooperation and agreement during World War II
6. The situation of the Church in a totalitarian state
A. Banning of the Greek-Catholic Church in USRR and PRL
B. Communist repression against the clergy and the worshipers
7. The experience of communism. Fighting the resistance and the opposition. Attempts at cooperation in the field of culture.