# Katyń Memorial (Niles, Illinois)

The Katyń Memorial (Polish: Pomnik Katyński) is a monument in Niles, Illinois, United States, located at the St. Adalbert Cemetery. It commemorates victims of Katyn massacre, a series of mass executions of nearly 22,000 Polish military and police officers, border guards, and intelligentsia prisoners of war carried out in 1940 by the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs of the Soviet Union. The sculpture was designed by Wojciech Seweryn, and unveiled on May 17, 2009. The monument features a statue of keeling Mary of Nazareth, holding in her arms a dead Polish soldier, with a large granite Christian cross behind her, and a sculpture made from white stone, forming outline of a military eagle, symbol of Polish Arm Forces, with a missing head.

## History

The monument was proposed and designed by sculptor Wojciech Seweryn, to commemorate victims of Katyn massacre, a series of mass executions of nearly 22,000 Polish military and police officers, border guards, and intelligentsia prisoners of war carried out in 1940 by the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs of the Soviet Union. This included his father, lieutenant Mieczysław Seweryn, an officer of the 16th Infantry Division of the Polish Armed Forces. In 1994, Wojciech Seweryn founded the Committee for the Construction of the Katyn Memorial, and received a plot of land at the St. Adalbert Cemetery in Niles, from Francis George, the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago. The foundresing activities lasted for 9 years.
The cornerstone ceremony, begging its construction, was held on October 8, 2000, during a visit of Józef Glemp, the primate of Poland. The memorial was unveiled on May 17, 2009, in a consecration ceremony held by Józef Glemp, and attended by almost 2,000 people, including representatives of the Polish diaspora, and veterans of the Second World War, and members of the scouting organizations. Witold Waszczykowski, the deputy chief of the National Security Bureau read the letter by President of Poland Lech Kaczyński, addressed to the attendants. A day prior, Seweryn was awarded the Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland by the president.
On April 17, 2010, in front of the monument was held a ceremony in memory of 96 casualties of the crash of Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft in Smolensk, Russia, including President of Poland, Lech Kaczyński, First Lady Maria Kaczyńska, and other high-ranking government officials. Among them was also Wojciech Seweryn. The plane was en route to commemorations of the Katan massacre anniversary. A day prior, Sewery was posthumously awarded with the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
On September 25, 2011, in front of the monument was held ceremony, of designating a portion of Milwaukee Avenue to Wojciech M. Seweryn Memorial Road, as well as unveiling of a commemorative plaque dedicated to him and other casualties of the air disasters. It was founded by the city of Tarnów, Poland.

## Design

The monument, revoking the motives of pietà, features a statue of keeling Mary of Nazareth, holding in her arms a dead Polish soldier who was a victim of the Katyn massacre. Behind her is a large granite Christian cross. At the back, is placed a sculpture made from white stone, depicting an outline of a military eagle, symbol of Polish Arm Forces, with a missing head, symbolising the loss of life in the Katyn massacre. Near the monument is also placed a plaque in memory of 96 casualties of the 2010 plane crash in Smolensk, Russia, including President of Poland, Lech Kaczyński, First Lady Maria Kaczyńska, and other high-ranking government officials, as well as author of the monument, Wojciech Seweryn.