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Poland opens museum commemorating 1920 Battle of Warsaw

16.08.2025 22:30
Poland on Saturday opened a museum dedicated to the 1920 Battle of Warsaw, in which Polish forces halted the Soviet Red Army’s advance towards Europe.
The newly opened Museum of the Battle of Warsaw 1920 in Ossów, east-central Poland. The museum was inaugurated as part of the Polish Armed Forces Day celebrations.
The newly opened Museum of the Battle of Warsaw 1920 in Ossów, east-central Poland. The museum was inaugurated as part of the Polish Armed Forces Day celebrations.Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz inaugurated the new Museum of the Battle of Warsaw in Ossów near Warsaw, calling it a tribute to the tens of thousands who fought and died in what is often referred to as the "Miracle on the Vistula."

"This museum is a testimony to the resilience, courage and wisdom of the Polish nation," Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

"We open it in tribute to 4,500 who gave their lives, 10,000 missing, 22,000 wounded, and the hundreds of thousands who volunteered"

The Speaker of Parliament Szymon Hołownia said the battle should be remembered as the sacrifice of "real people, with names and life stories, who decided to risk everything for freedom."

He urged Poles to remain united in the face of challenges: "We are a nation capable of turning the course of history – but only if we act together."

Presidential aide Sławomir Cenckiewicz said the museum should "live" as a space not only of remembrance but also of military ceremonies such as oaths and promotions.

He underlined the symbolic link between the 1920 struggle against Bolshevism and what he described as today’s threat from Russia.

The new museum, part of a memorial complex featuring tall flag masts and an avenue named Victory Alley, houses over 1,000 square metres of exhibits, including uniforms, weapons and propaganda posters from both sides, as well as multimedia presentations.

The Battle of Warsaw, fought in August 1920, was one of the decisive encounters of the Polish-Soviet War.

It secured Poland’s independence and, according to British diplomat Lord d’Abernon, was one of the most important battles in world history for stopping the spread of communism into Western Europe.

(ał)

Source: PAP