INFORMATION PORTAL OF THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE OF THE KUJAWSKO-POMORSKIE Region IN TORUŃ

The soldiers of the anti-communist underground, erased from the pages of history, live on in the memories of witnesses, relatives, and unofficial publications. On Sunday, March 1, we observed the National Day of Remembrance of the “Cursed Soldiers.” The ceremonies in Toruń were attended by Marshal Piotr Całbecki, and in Bydgoszcz by the Vice-Marshal of the Voivodeship, Zbigniew Ostrowski.

“Their courage, steadfastness, and loyalty to values deserve our highest respect. Left to their own devices, they did not allow the world to forget that freedom is a value, and the dignity of the nation is not subject to compromise. They fought for what is most precious—a sovereign Poland. May the memory of the Indomitable Soldiers inspire contemporary patriotism—responsible, rooted in history, and at the same time forward-looking,” said Marshal Piotr Całbecki during the Toruń ceremonies.

The Toruń commemorations took place at the monument in Solidarity Avenue, while in Bydgoszcz they were held at the municipal cemetery on Kcyńska Street.

“We meet today in a special place—a cemetery that bears the marks of a cruel system, which deprived people not only of life but also of name, grave, and memory. […] Here, numerous traces of secret burials were discovered, and these unmarked graves will forever remain a symbol of Stalinist terror. For some, they are a mark of history; for others, evidence of crime; and for all of us, a reminder that memory is not vengeance. Memory is our duty—toward those who did not live to see a free Poland, and toward those who today enjoy its fruits,” said Vice-Marshal Zbigniew Ostrowski in Bydgoszcz.

The National Day of Remembrance of the “Cursed Soldiers” was observed across the region over the past weekend. This holiday, established by the Sejm in 2011, honors the soldiers of the armed underground who fought for Poland’s independence between 1945 and 1956.

Press Office of the Marshal’s Office

March 2, 2026