British Poles

A Polish war hero, the insurgent of the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, has completed his last mission - by proudly walking his granddaughter down the aisle. Two days later, Major Bronisław Karwowski retired to the eternal guard at the age of 94.

Tadeusz Kościuszko, one of the most renowned Polish figures in world history, was a steadfast fighter for freedom, democracy and equality. On 4 April 1794, he achieved a significant victory over Russian forces at the Battle of Racławice. britishpoles.uk/a-hero-to-reme…

Polish Soldiers of the 1st Armoured Division at the Easter food blessing on Holy Saturday. United Kingdom, Easter 1944. Far from Poland, these soldiers upheld tradition. Many never returned, exiled or fallen. We honour them with gratitude and sorrow. Photo: AIPN Colourisation: Mikołaj Kaczmarek - Kolor Historii

In Poland, on Holy Saturday, we take a basket of food to church to be blessed — a tradition known as Święconka. Each item in the Easter basket has a symbolic meaning. Today, the traditional blessing of Easter baskets took place at Polish Church of Christ the King. Happy Easter to all!
Wesołych Świąt!

🇬🇧 Easter is the most significant festival in Christianity. In Poland, it is associated with many symbols, folk traditions and ancient Slavic beliefs. Happy Easter! 🇵🇱 Wielkanoc to najważniejsze święto w chrześcijaństwie. W Polsce wiąże się z wieloma symbolami, tradycjami ludowymi i dawnymi wierzeniami słowiańskimi. Wesołych Świąt!

“Święconka”, meaning the blessing of the Easter baskets, is one of the most enduring and beloved Polish traditions. The baskets are taken to the church to be blessed on Easter Saturday. Happy Easter!

Huge crowds gathering in Trafalgar Square for the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday! A powerful 100-strong cast from the Wintershall Players bringing the final days of Christ to life in the heart of London, free for all to witness. True Easter drama in the open air.

The Soviet NKVD began the mass execution of Polish officers and intelligentsia on 3 April 1940. The Katyń Massacre, a symbol of the criminal policy of the Soviet system against the Polish nation, was the murder of nearly 22,000 Poles – prisoners of war and civilians – carried out in April and May 1940 in Katyń, Kharkiv, Kalinin (Tver), and other Soviet sites. The painting "Katyń" by Zdzisław Beksiński is one of the most powerful depictions of this atrocity. #KatynMassacre

Holy Week in Poland offers a unique blend of solemn reflection and joyful anticipation of the celebrations to come. Today is Good Friday, the day when Jesus Christ died on the cross for our salvation. Are you familiar with the Polish Easter traditions? britishpoles.uk/polish-traditi…

🇬🇧Today is Good Friday, the day when Jesus Christ died on the cross for our salvation. Christians around the world commemorate His crucifixion on this solemn day. “There is no greater love than this, than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” - John 15:13 🇵🇱Dzisiaj jest Wielki Piątek, dzień, w którym Jezus Chrystus umarł na krzyżu dla naszego zbawienia. Chrześcijanie na całym świecie upamiętniają Jego ukrzyżowanie w tym uroczystym dniu. „Nikt nie ma większej miłości od tej, gdy ktoś życie swoje oddaje za przyjaciół swoich.” – Jan 15:13

On 3 April 1940, the Katyń Massacre started. The Soviet NKVD murdered 22,000 Polish officers and members of the intelligentsia. The crime was denied by the Soviets for decades. The secret about The Katyń Massacre was kept for too long (in the UK as well). britishpoles.uk/katyn-massacre…

Saint John Paul II emerged as a spiritual protagonist in two global transitions: the fall of European communism, which began in his native Poland in 1989, and the passage to the third millennium of Christianity. He defended human rights and was a champion of peace. Beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011 and declared a saint by Pope Francis in 2014, he remains an inspiration to billions worldwide. Pope John Paul II passed into eternity on 2 April 2005 at the age of 84. Forever in our hearts! [*]

Saint John Paul II was a symbol of spiritual and personal freedom for Central European nations enslaved by Soviet communism. He played a key role in breaking the Iron Curtain and became a powerful spiritual force behind the fall of communism in Europe. britishpoles.uk/john-paul-ii-t…

Józef Mackiewicz witnessed the exhumations of Polish officers murdered in Katyń. Nearly 22,000 POWs fell victim to the #KatyńMassacre in 1940, a Soviet crime aimed at eliminating Poland’s military and intellectual elite. He was an outstanding writer, novelist, and political commentator who opposed the pre-WWII policies of Polish authorities, testified about German and Soviet crimes during WWII, and was banned, along with his books, in communist Poland. Mackiewicz was born on 1 April 1902.

The @RoyalAirForce celebrates its anniversary. During the Battle of Britain, pilots from many nations, including the outstanding Polish airmen of No. 303 Squadron, fought alongside the RAF and helped secure a historic victory against the German Luftwaffe. britishpoles.uk/the-birth-of-t…

145 Polish fighter pilots flew for the RAF in the Battle of Britain. No 303 Polish Fighter Squadron entered the Battle of Britain, credited with 126 kills, and was rated the highest-scoring fighter squadron of the battle. Winston Churchill said: "Never was so much owed by so many to so few". It is worth recalling the Polish contribution to the UK war effort in WW2. On 1 April 1918, the @RoyalAirForce was officially established, marking a turning point in military history.

Józef Mackiewicz, a leading Polish writer of WW2 and its aftermath, was a fierce anti-communist and chronicler of Central European nations under Soviet terror. His opposition to communist oppression led to the censorship of his work for about 50 years. britishpoles.uk/jozef-mackiewi…

Eight-year-old Różyczka Goździewska was born on 31 March 1936. She served as the youngest nurse during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. Always brave and helpful, she endured the horrors of the Uprising and passed away at the age of 53. Glory to the Heroes!

In 2018, the statue of legendary Gen. Stanisław Maczek was unveiled at Edinburgh Council Chambers, thanks to the efforts of Lord Fraser of Carmyllie and his wife, Lady Fiona. The sculpture was created by Bronisław Krzysztof. In the picture: Maria Byczynski, Editor-in-Chief of British Poles, sitting on the bench dedicated to the Polish commander. Stanisław Maczek was born on 31 March 1892. Read more: britishpoles.uk/general-maczek…

Spain’s Supreme Court has ruled that a non-consensual kiss on the hand amounts to sexual assault, not mere harassment. This marks a change in the legal definition of personal boundaries. In Poland kissing a woman’s hand is still a respected tradition. britishpoles.uk/spanish-court-…

“We are not fighting for Poland. We fight for a free world and a free Europe, because Poland has been betrayed,” said General Stanisław Maczek to his soldiers in 1944. Gen. Maczek and his renowned 1st Polish Armoured Division made history in WWII with a string of victories. They closed the Falaise Pocket, liberated Breda and the Oberlangen POW camp, and ended the war by capturing the Kriegsmarine naval base in Wilhelmshaven. After the war, stripped of his Polish citizenship by the communist regime, General Maczek settled in Edinburgh. Denied combatant rights and a military pension by the British authorities, he worked as a bartender at the Learmonth Hotel until the 1960s to make ends meet. Maczek was born on 31 March 1892.