69th anniversary of the liberation of Vilnius. Celebrations in Krawczuny

On Saturday, in place Krawczuny, near Vilnius, will take place an appeal in memory of the 69^th anniversary of the operation “The Gate of Dawn”, carried out by the Home Army (AK).

On the 13^th of July in Krawczuny there was fought a bloody battle with Wehrmacht division, in which died 79 guerillas of the Home Army and over one hundred was wounded.

Celebrations commemorating the liberation of Vilnius have been organized since 18 years by the Local Department of the Union of Poles in Lithuania (ZPL).

“It is our obligation to preserve memory about people, who fought for our independence” – pointed out eurodeputy Waldemar Tomaszewski.

During the Saturday celebrations there will be held a service for soldiers of the Home Army fighting for the land of Vilnius. After the service at 3 p.m., there will take place a concert of local folk band, there will also be porridge from cookhouse.

The operation “The Gate of Dawn”, which started at night of 6^th and 7^th of July, 1944, was a part of the action “Storm”, supposing that the Home Army would independently liberate occupied Polish land from encroachment of the Red Army. Besides infantry and cavalry of 17 thousands soldiers, Germany put into battle also armoured weapon and aviation forces. The home Army, with districts of Vilnius and Novgorod, set against about 10 thousands soldiers of infantry and cavalry only. Paying no attention to the enemy’s superiority, Poles managed to liberate considerable part of Vilnius. Until 13^th of July, with Soviet army already, the whole town was ridded of the German. The soldiers of the Home Army hung out white-red flag on the Castle Mountain, however, after several hours it was ripped off by Soviet soldiers, who hung out red banner. Later, the command and the soldiers of the Home Army were disarmed and most of them ended up in prison or were sent to Siberia.

Source: http://zw.lt/wilno-wilenszczyzna/69-rocznica-wyzwolenia-wilna-uroczystosci-w-krawczunach/

Tłumaczenie by Zuzanna Horbacz w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Zuzanna Horbacz within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.