On the 81st anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising, President Andrzej Duda and President-Elect Karol Nawrocki took part in a remarkable event that has become a staple of the commemorations—the concert titled “Varsovians Sing (Un)Forbidden Songs.” Their joint presence at Piłsudski Square served as a powerful symbol of the continuity of remembrance and loyalty to national heroes.
In the evening of August 1, an hour after the symbolic halt of the city in tribute to the insurgents, Piłsudski Square once again filled with the citizens of the capital. As every year, they gathered to sing the songs of fighting Warsaw together. Among them were outgoing President Andrzej Duda and his successor, President-Elect Karol Nawrocki—an image captured in an official post by the Chancellery of the President on the platform x.com.
The “Varsovians Sing (Un)Forbidden Songs” concert, organized by the Warsaw Uprising Museum, is a phenomenon that has been connecting generations since 2006. Its goal is to actively honor the memory of the insurgents through the communal performance of songs that accompanied them during the heroic days of combat. Songs such as “Warszawianka,” “Pałacyk Michla,” and “Warszawskie Dzieci” once again echoed through the heart of the capital, carrying emotional and historical weight.
The participation of the highest state officials underscores the significance of the event for Polish identity. President Andrzej Duda, for whom this marked the tenth—and thus jubilee—meeting with the insurgents as part of the commemorations, has repeatedly emphasized that the Warsaw Uprising is one of the most pivotal events in Polish history.
The presence of President-Elect Karol Nawrocki, who will be sworn into office on August 6, sends a clear signal of the continuation of historical policy and the care for national heritage. During other Friday ceremonies commemorating the victims of the Wola Massacre, Nawrocki described the Warsaw Uprising as an “emphatically Polish uprising.” He stated: “Because that is who we are. Even in the face of German cruelty and barbarism, we were ready for a military, social uprising.” He also stressed that the revolt of August 1, 1944, was “a cry for freedom, independence, and agency.”