Captain Ryszard Kornicki’s story is one of resilience, strength and courage. As told by his grandson, Zbigniew Ziobro, the Minister of Justice, Captain Kornicki was a prisoner of the Polish secret police under Communism (UB) after World War II.
1 March is celebrated as the National Day of Remembrance of the Cursed Soldiers. It was initiated years ago by President Lech Kaczyński. The date was chosen to commemorate the fact that on 1 March 1951, in the Mokotow prison on Rakowiecka Street, by order of the communist authorities, the leaders of the 4th Board of the ‘Freedom and Independence’ Association (WiN) – Łukasz Ciepliński and his comrades in combat – were murdered with a shot to the back of the head.
Zbigniew Ziobro recalls his grandfather on this occasion
“The worst thing in the UB’s torture chamber was being beaten with an iron rod on the heels. A person felt as if they were falling apart. My grandfather, the Indomitable Soldier, Captain Ryszard Kornicki, told me,” says Zbigniew Ziobro, Minister of Justice, in his heartbreaking story of his grandfather.
This experience has left an indelible mark on his life. It is a testament to his strength of spirit that he was able to survive and eventually return to his family in Poland.
The brutal treatment that Captain Ryszard Kornicki endured is a stark reminder of the atrocities that occurred after World War II. It serves as a reminder of the courage of those who were willing to stand up to tyranny and oppression, even in the face of overwhelming odds.
It is also a reminder of the need to ensure that those who suffer such abuses are not forgotten. Captain Kornicki’s story serves as an example of the strength of the human spirit and the power of resilience in the face of adversity. It is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, hope can prevail.