The Polish Post commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Smolensk disaster
Exactly 10 years ago, a Polish government plane crashed near Smolensk. The most important figures in the country were on board. The Polish Post has decided to issue a stamp commemorating this tragic event. "We Remember 2010–2020" is a joint issue with the Georgian Post.
Designer Roch Stefaniak depicted the late President Lech Kaczyński on the stamp. On the left side of the stamp, against the backdrop of the Presidential Palace, are the Polish flag and coat of arms, while on the right are the Georgian flag and coat of arms, with Freedom Square in Tbilisi in the background. Along the top edge of the stamp are the inscription "PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND," and along the bottom edge are the inscription "LECH KACZYŃSKI 1949-2010," the inscription "Poland," and the value "3.30 PLN."
Additionally, Poczta Polska issued an FDC envelope – issued on the first day of circulation of the stamps. It features a quote from a speech by the late President Lech Kaczyński, delivered in August 2008 in Tbilisi.
The stamps were issued jointly with the Georgian Post to commemorate the contributions of the late President Lech Kaczyński to the independence and sovereignty of this country.
In 2017, on the 7th anniversary of the tragic events, Poczta Polska introduced a stamp from the "Pamiętamy 10.04.2010" issue, commemorating the victims of the disaster.
A fragment from a philatelic occasional folder:
On Saturday morning, April 10, 2010, time stood still. The deaths of 96 passengers on a special aircraft, a TU-154M, near Smolensk shocked all of Poland, suddenly and painfully. The President of the Republic of Poland, Lech Kaczyński, along with his wife, Maria, and their companions, perished.
Among them were representatives of the Katyn Families, members of parliament from all political persuasions, clergy of most denominations, the highest commanders of the Polish armed forces, veterans of the struggle for independence on Polish soil, dedicated officers of the Government Protection Bureau, and the competent crew of the plane, under the command of the experienced pilot Captain Arkadiusz Protasiuk.
They flew to Katyn to pay tribute to the Polish victims murdered by Soviet Russia in 1940 on the 70th anniversary of the Katyn Massacre. The Polish state was deprived of its elite, led by a President comparable only to a small number of statesmen of whom the Republic boasts throughout its long history. Professor Lech Kaczyński's life was guided primarily by two values: faith and independence. He belonged to a small group of politicians who understood that Poland's liberation from Soviet communism in 1989 was only the beginning of a path to full independence based on a Christian ethos, one that would ensure Poles' sovereignty, security, truth, goodness, health, and prosperity.
President Lech Kaczyński wanted all nations that had recently suffered under the Soviet yoke to enjoy similar independence.
Source: Prezydent.pl
List of victims of the Smolensk disaster
1. Lech Kaczyński, President of the Republic of Poland
2. Maria Kaczyńska, Wife of the President of the Republic of Poland
3. Ryszard Kaczorowski, former President of the Republic of Poland in exile
4. Joanna Agacka-Indecka, President of the Supreme Bar Council
5. Ewa Bąkowska, granddaughter of Brig. Gen. Mieczysław Smorawiński
6. Andrzej Błasik, Commander of the Polish Air Force
7. Krystyna Bochenek, Deputy Speaker of the Senate of the Republic of Poland
8. Anna Maria Borowska, representative of the Katyn Families and other organizations
9. Bartosz Borowski, representative of the Katyn Families and other organizations
10. Tadeusz Buk, Commander of the Polish Land Forces
11. Miron Chodakowski, Orthodox Ordinary of the Polish Army
12. Czesław Cywiński, Chairman of the World Association of Home Army Soldiers
13. Leszek Deptuła, representative of the Polish Parliament
14. Zbigniew Dębski, accompanying person
15. Grzegorz Dolniak, representative of the Polish Parliament
16. Katarzyna Doraczyńska, representative of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland
17. Edward Duchnowski, Secretary General of the Association of Siberian Deportees
18. Aleksander Fedorowicz, Russian translator
19. Fetlińska Janina, senator of the Republic of Poland
20. Florczak Jarosław, BOR officer
21. Frenchman Artur, BOR officer
22. Gągor Franciszek, Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Army
23. Gęsicka Grażyna, representative of the Parliament of the Republic of Poland
24. Gilarski Kazimierz, Commander of the Warsaw Garrison
25. Gosiewski Przemysław, representative of the Parliament of the Republic of Poland
26. Gostomski Bronisław, priest Prelate
27. Mariusz Handzlik, Undersecretary of State in the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland
28. Roman Indrzejczyk, Chaplain of the President of the Republic of Poland
29. Paweł Janeczek, Government Protection Bureau officer
30. Dariusz Jankowski, Service Office of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland
31. Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka, representative of the Parliament of the Republic of Poland
32. Józef Joniec, President of the Parafiada Association
33. Sebastian Karpiniuk, representative of the Parliament of the Republic of Poland
Andrzej Karweta, Commander of the Polish Navy
35. Mariusz Kazana, Director of Diplomatic Protocol at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs 36. Janusz Kochanowski, Ombudsman
37. Stanisław Komornicki, Representative of the Chapter of the Order of Virtutti Militari
38. Stanisław Jerzy Komorowski, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of National Defense
39. Paweł Krajewski, Government Protection Bureau officer
40. Andrzej Kremer, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
41. Król Zdzisław, Chaplain of the Warsaw Katyn Family 1987-2007
42. Janusz Krupski, Head of the Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression
43. Janusz Kurtyka, President of the Institute of National Remembrance
44. Andrzej Kwaśnik, Chaplain of the Federation of Katyn Families
45. Bronisław Kwiatkowski, Operational Commander of the Polish Armed Forces
46. Wojciech Lubiński, physician to the President of the Republic of Poland
47. Tadeusz Lutoborski, representative of Katyn Families and other organizations
48. Barbara Mamińska, Director in the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland
49. Zenon Mamontowicz-Łojek, representative of Katyn Families and other organizations
50. Stefan Melak, Chairman of the Katyn Committee
51. Tomasz Merta, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage
52. Stanisław Mikke, Vice-Chairman ROPWiM
53. Natalli-Świat Aleksandra, representative of the Parliament of the Republic of Poland
54. Natusiewicz-Mirer Janina, accompanying person
55. Nosek Piotr, Government Protection Bureau officer
56. Nurowski Piotr, head of the Polish Committee for
the Protection of the Victims of the Katyn Massacre 57. Orawiec-Löffler Bronisława, representative of the Katyn Families and other organizations
58. Osiński Jan, Military Ordinariate of the Polish Army
59. Pilch Adam, Evangelical Military Pastoral Care
60. Piskorska Katarzyna, representative of the Katyn Families and other organizations
61. Płażyński Maciej, President of the “Wspólnota Polska” Association
62. Płoski Tadeusz, Military Ordinary of the Polish Army
63. Potasiński Włodzimierz, Commander of the Polish Special Forces
64. Przewoźnik Andrzej, Secretary of ROPWiM
65. Putra Krzysztof, Deputy Speaker of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland
66. Ryszard Rumianek, Rector of the Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Lublin
67. Arkadiusz Rybicki, representative of the Polish Parliament
68. Andrzej Sariusz-Skąpski, President of the Federation of Katyn Families
69. Wojciech Seweryn, representative of the Katyn Families and other organizations
70. Sławomir Skrzypek, President of the National Bank of Poland
71. Leszek Solski, representative of the Katyn Families and other organizations
72. Władysław Stasiak, Head of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland
73. Jacek Surówka, Government Protection Bureau officer
74. Aleksander Szczygło, Head of the National Security Bureau
75. Jerzy Szmajdziński, Deputy Speaker of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland
76. Jolanta Szymanek-Deresz, representative of the Polish Parliament
77. Izabela Tomaszewska, Director in the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland
78. Marek Uleryk, Government Protection Bureau officer
79. Anna Walentynowicz, founder of Free Unions Professional
80. Walewska-Przyjałkowska Teresa, “Golgota East” Foundation
81. Wasserman Zbigniew, representative of the Parliament of the Republic of Poland
82. Woda Wiesław, representative of the Parliament of the Republic of Poland
83. Wojtas Edward, representative of the Parliament of the Republic of Poland
84. Wypych Paweł, Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland
85. Zając Stanisław, Senator of the Republic of Poland
86. Zakrzeński Janusz, outstanding Polish actor
87. Zych Gabriela, representative of the Katyn Families and other organizations
88. Michałowski Dariusz, Government Protection Bureau officer
Pogródka-Węcławek Agnieszka, Government Protection Bureau officer
90. Protasiuk Arkadiusz, Captain
91. Grzywna Robert, crew member
Michalak Andrzej, crew member
93. Ziętek Artur, crew member
94. Maciejczyk Barbara, stewardess
95. Januszko Natalia, stewardess
96. Moniuszko Justyna, stewardess