“Mateusz left a testament to every Pole – the care for an independent and safe Homeland, the care for Poland,” read a fragment of a letter from Jarosław Kaczyński, Chairman of Law and Justice (PiS), which was read out during the unveiling ceremony of the monument dedicated to the memory of the late Sergeant Mateusz Sitek.
The monument to Sgt. Mateusz Sitek was erected in Podlasie, near the chapel in Czerlonka. The idea to build it emerged a few months after his murder on the Polish-Belarusian border. The initiative received strong support from the local community and was completed thanks to the involvement of many people of goodwill.
The Monument Was Unveiled
The consecration and unveiling ceremonies took place on Saturday afternoon. The family of the deceased soldier as well as local residents attended the event.
The monument’s composition resembles a gravestone, next to which stands a cross. Behind it rises an element symbolizing the border fence with a post marking Polish territory.
Kaczyński’s Letter
During the ceremony, a letter from Jarosław Kaczyński was read aloud.
“With our presence here, we wish above all to pay tribute to him and to thank him for his sacrifice – for the young life he offered to the Homeland. And since he made this sacrifice in our defense, it is our duty to remember him, expressed not only in this or that form of commemoration but also in our daily patriotism – in ensuring that in our everyday bustle we do not forget about our Homeland and its needs,”
emphasized the PiS leader, referring to the tragic death of Sgt. Mateusz Sitek.
Later in his letter, he referred to the words of the murdered soldier’s mother.
“Allow me to end by quoting his mother, Mrs. Emilia Sitek, who said during her son’s funeral these beautiful and moving words: ‘Let Mateusz, as a soldier of the Polish Army, be a symbol of the fight for our security. Mateusz left a testament to every Pole – the care for an independent and safe Homeland, the care for Poland.’”
Addressing those gathered, Jarosław Kaczyński concluded with the words:
“To the honorable family of the late Sgt. Mateusz Sitek, I bow deeply and share in your pain and prayer. Glory to the heroes!”
The Death of Sgt. Sitek
On May 28, 2024, while on duty, Sitek was attacked by one of the aggressive men who, in a group, attempted to breach the steel border barrier. At the moment when the soldier was securing a breach in the fence with a protective shield, the assailant thrust his hand through the fence and stabbed him in the chest with a knife.
The 21-year-old soldier was first transported to a hospital in Hajnówka and later to the Military Medical Institute in Warsaw. A few days later, the General Command of the Armed Forces announced his death.