| Other Photos |
 |
|
 |
Poland Postpones Monument Legislation
The introduction of legislation to allow the dismantling of “monuments glorifying totalitarian regimes,” including those to Soviet soldiers, has been postponed. The authors of the draft law, members of the ruling Law and Justice Party, also decided to soften some point in the law. The Poles acknowledge that the tensions in relations between Estonia and Russia over the relocation of the monument to the Liberating Soldier in Tallinn influenced their decisions.
The Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Law and Justice faction in parliament are working on the law and will submit a conciliated version of the draft law. The Polish Institute of National Memory has already prepared a list of monument for earliest removal and distributed it to local authorities. That institute, originally set up as an archive, has taken on greater political functions since the Kaczynski government came into office. It has been proposed that the monument to Red Army soldiers in Katowice be replaced by a monument to U.S. President Ronald Reagan, who was an honorary citizen of that city.
The law was to be introduced into the parliament yesterday. However, after a sharp reaction from Moscow, even Law and Justice legislators have expressed concern over creating tension in the complicated relations between Poland and Russia. It was also noted that the proximity of Victory Day made the timing of the law poor. It is likely to be considered sometime after the end of the month.
Polish Culture Kazimierz Ujazdowski noted that “where the form and content of monuments to Soviet soldiers symbolize not liberation but communist enslavement, local authorities should have freedom of action.” Andrzej Przewozniak, chairman of the Council for the Protection of the memory of Fighting and Martyrdom, noted that 20-30 Soviet monuments are of value, such as the multistory Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, a personal gift from Josef Stalin to the Polish people.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of May 08, 2007
|
|
|
