A state ceremony was held at Piłsudski Square in central Warsaw to commemorate the centenary of the monument’s establishment.
On November 2, 1925, the remains of an unidentified soldier, brought from the Cemetery of the Defenders of Lwów, now in western Ukraine, were laid to rest at the tomb in the presence of top state and military officials.
Monday’s ceremony was attended by President Karol Nawrocki, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Senate Speaker Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska and senior military commanders, including Gen. Wiesław Kukuła, chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces.
The observance included a ceremonial changing of the guard, a military salute and participation by soldiers from all branches of the armed forces, along with firefighters, police officers and members of Warsaw’s city patrol force.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Warsaw's central Piłsudski Square. Photo: PAP/Albert Zawada
“In the remains of one Polish soldier are contained over a thousand years of the nation’s struggle and efforts to build its statehood—from the Battle of Cedynia to the Polish–Bolshevik War of 1920,” Nawrocki said.
He called the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier “an altar of our homeland” and “a mirror in which modern Poles can see that we remain a free and independent nation.”
But he added that the monument also challenges today’s leaders to ensure that “no new plaques, no new names of fallen soldiers” will have to be added in the future.
Nawrocki said strengthening Poland’s military must remain a national priority.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that the Polish Army becomes the strongest NATO force in the European Union,” he said, adding that the country was committed to maintaining defense spending at around 5% of GDP in response to growing security threats.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said the tomb honors past generations and serves as “a reminder of the blood shed for Poland.”
He described it as a signpost for the future, urging efforts to build a strong army and strong alliances “so that no more Polish soldiers must be laid to rest.”
“The Polish Army must be so strong that no one dares to attack it,” he said, highlighting broad public support for the country’s defense buildup
He also announced that the government would soon introduce a program of voluntary military training for civilians.
Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that "today, it is not we who die for our freedom, but others who die for our security,” referring to Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion.
“Poland’s security border lies today on the Ukrainian-Russian front line,” he said, reiterating that supporting Ukraine was in Poland’s national interest.
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Source: IAR, PAP