Russia expresses disapproval of the demolition of Soviet monuments in Poland – “Poles are ungrateful for liberation”

The decommunization carried out by the Institute of National Remembrance continues unabated, but another toppled Soviet monument makes Kremlin propaganda tick. The latest decommunization activities in Poland have even awakened the Russian Investigative Committee. According to an expert, its actions will reinforce the false message, which maintains anyway that… “Poles are ungrateful for liberation”.

“Westerplatte Stalingrad Berlin” and “6 II 1945 Liberation of the city of Brzeg by the Soviet Army” – were the inscriptions that appeared on a Soviet monument in the town of Brzeg, Opolskie Voivodeship. As part of the decommunization of Poland, the object was demolished with funds from the Institute of National Remembrance. This did not please the Russians, who want to draw the consequences.

According to the expert on security and Russian disinformation Dr Michał Marek – the dismantling of the Soviet monument will be handled by Russia’s Investigative Committee. According to his information, the case will be used to “develop the propaganda campaign depreciating the image of Poland, which has been going on for many months”.

“The actions of the Investigative Committee will serve to reinforce messages about Poland’s “falsification of history” and “promotion of Nazism”. The issue will probably be combined with the topic of the dismantling of Soviet monuments in the Baltic States and Ukraine,” Marek writes on Twitter. As the expert adds, Russia wants to adopt a narrative in which it defends ‘historical memory’ against ‘Nazis’.

Michal Marek recalls that Russian “propaganda centres: accentuated yesterday the ‘barbaric’” actions in Latvia. Articles about the ongoing dismantling of Soviet monuments there, are used anyway to refresh the theme of “Poland ungrateful for liberation”.

“As 1 September approaches, there will be more similar messages. The Russians are thus trying to divert attention from the issue of their co-responsibility for the outbreak of World War II,” claims the expert.