On April 10, 2010 Polish President Lech Kaczynski was killed when the plane he was traveling in with his wife and a Polish delegation crashed at a western Russian airport.
There are no survivors. Ninety-six people died in the plane crash. The president had been traveling with a Polish delegation to Russia for the 70th anniversary of the massacre of Polish prisoners of war in the village of Katyn. Over 22,000 Polish officers were executed there by Russians during World War II. The plane was approaching the airport at Smolensk, Russia for the fourth approach in heavy fog -- just a few miles east of Katyn -- and hit some trees at the end of the runway.
Together with the death of the President and his wife, many elite of Polish politics were killed, including the members of the President’s cabinet, the top heads of the Polish Armed forces, the head of the Polish National Bank, the head of the National Memorial Institute, former president of Poland during World War 2, and many top politicians, as well as families of murdered Polish officers who came to take part in the memorial service.
The nation of Poland underwent deep shock and national mourning for 9 days. People in every city gathered to light candles and lay flowers in memory of those who died. Pictured below is a group from our church also obseving the time of mourning, using using it to lead the crowd there in prayer for Poland and the families that have lost someone.
Aside from the president and his wife, a large amount of Polish elite and leaders died. Here is the list
From the Presidential cabinet
The President of Poland and his wife
Head of the President’s Cabinet
Secretary of State
Director of Foreign Affairs Protocol
Director of State Protocol
Vice secretary of National Defense
Vice secretary of Internal Affairs
Vice secretary of State
Second Vice secretary of State
9 Secrete service officers
Presidential chaplain
Presidential doctor
Member of the president’s staff
Russian translator
From the Armed Forces
Chief of the Armed Forces
Commander of the Polish Army
Commander of the Polish Navy
Commander of the Polish Air Force
Commander of the Polish Special Forces
Commander of Warsaw’s Army Unit
Brigade General
Operational Commander of the Armed Forces
Catholic Field Army Bishop
Orthodox Field Army Bishop
Lutheran Army Chaplain
Vice Chancellor of Army Chaplains
From Parliament and Senate
1st Vice-Marshal of Parliament
2nd Vice-Marshal of Parliament
Vice-Marshal of Senate
15 Senators / Representatives of Parliament
Former president of Poland during World War 2
Former Marshal of Parliament and Head of the “Polish Community”
State Agencies
Head of the Polish CIA
President of the Polish National Bank
President of the Legal Bar Council
President of the Polish Olympic Committee
President of the National Memorial Institute
Head of Civil Rights Advocate
Secretary of the Preservation of National Places of War and Suffering
War Memorial Organizations
President of the Katyn Foundation
President of the Katyn Committee
President of the Katyn Family Federation
President of the Katyn Family Association
Chaplain of surviving family members of Polish Officers murdered in Katyn
General secretary of the Siberian Association
Director of Parafiada Association
Director of Katyn Affairs and repressed people
Vice Director of Katyn Affairs and repressed people
11 Representatives of murdered families of Polish Officers in Katyn
2 World War 2 veterans
Other passengers
Founding member of the Solidarity movement
President of the SW University
Polish actor
Plane crew
Plane captain
3 co-pilots
3 stewardesses
