Work continues on the international public project “Memory without Borders” in the Smolensk region. Its main task is to restore and preserve the history of the joint struggle of soldiers from different countries who fought against fascism. Our story is dedicated to a Polish woman who saved the lives of soldiers and became the only foreign woman to be awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
A cozy birch-spruce grove, sprawled in the village of Nikolaevka, which is practically on the outskirts of the Krasninsky municipal district, seemed to have become a Russian home for a very young, fragile, but very brave girl, Aniela. She was not born here, did not live here, and was not buried, but a monument in her honor has stood at this place for more than 40 years, and Smolensk historians are piecing together the details of her short biography.
“She was born in the 25th year on May 27 in a small village of Puzhniki. This is Poland. The Tornopol voivodeship used to be.”
In the early 40s, Aneli’s family moved from Poland to the Irkutsk region, then to the Krasnoyarsk Territory, from where the girl voluntarily went to the front.
Svetlana Kolabskaya, historian, head of the Rusich search team:
“A decree of the USSR government was issued on the creation of Polish military units on the territory of the Soviet Union. This is how the first Polish division named after Tadeusz Kosciuszko began to be created on May 14, 1943.”
Aniela became the submachine gunner of the women’s company of this division. In the same 43rd, for her kind heart and courage, she was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, only posthumously.
The 1st Polish Division was stationed in Nikolaevka, but Aniela Kzywon died about 30 kilometers from there. During the German bombing, she rescued wounded soldiers and staff documents from a burning car. But I couldn’t protect myself. Aniela Kzywon is buried at the Polish military cemetery in Lenino, Mogilev region. Last year, participants of the international public project “Memory without Borders”, including Smolyans, visited it. Svetlana Kolabskaya is confident that such work, uniting communities of Russian, Belarusian and Polish historians, volunteers, and search engines, will help perpetuate the memory of a common victory.
Svetlana Kolabskaya, historian, head of the Rusich search team: ”
The website and the community will gradually be filled with materials. We have also established cooperation with the Mogilev Polish House and continue to seek contacts with Polish houses in Russia and Belarus.”
At the end of April, it is planned to unveil a memorial sign to the soldiers of the Polish Tadeusz Kosciuszko division and plant young birch trees in their honor. A Polish delegation has been invited to the solemn event. The organizers of the project sent a letter to the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland to the Russian Federation. I would like to note that active work is currently underway to find relatives of Polish soldiers so that the names of the heroes, as well as Aneli Kzywon, can be immortalized here.
Source: gtrksmolensk.ru