Lviv. The Cemetery of the Polish Eaglets. We Remember the Past, but We Think About the Future

For the 20th anniversary of the restoration and opening of the Polish military memorial in Lviv

In the south-eastern part of the «Lychakiv Cemetery» historical and cultural reserve in Lviv lies the military burial of Polish soldiers who fell in the course of the Polish-Ukrainian War (1918-1919), in particular in the battles for Lviv against units of the West Ukrainian People's Republic (ZUNR).

Lviv. The Memorial of Glory at the Polish military cemetery

The opening of the «Cemetery of the Eaglets» for some time provoked disputes among the public, historians, and heraldists. After lengthy research, agreements, and negotiations, the Polish and Ukrainian sides came to the conclusion that it was necessary to put an end to the conflict situation and to seek a political compromise.

 

With difficulty and obstacles, intergovernmental agreements were signed on the arrangement of the Polish military burials of 1918-1919 on the territory of Lychakiv.

Lviv. A memorial plaque as a sign of reconciliation between the Ukrainian and Polish peoples

After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the proclamation of the West Ukrainian People's Republic (ZUNR) in Eastern Galicia, the Polish-Ukrainian War began. From 31 October to 22 November 1918, fierce fighting raged for Lviv. At first the Sich Riflemen took control of the city, but the forces were unequal, and the Ukrainian defenders abandoned the city. The war left numerous casualties. On 24 November 1918 the first Polish soldier was buried, and at the beginning of December 1918 the question of creating a necropolis arose. The construction of the pantheon, designed by Rudolf Indruch, continued until 1939.

Lviv. The Memorial of the Polish Eaglets

2,589 people are buried on the territory of the necropolis, among them 27 unknown soldiers who died not only during the Ukrainian-Polish War but also in the interwar period.

 

Lviv. The Polish military cemetery

Not only Poles were buried at the cemetery. Here rest volunteer pilots from the USA and military  advisers from the French mission under the command of Charles de Gaulle, who fought as part of the Polish forces.

Monument to the French soldiers 

A monument to the American pilots of the Tadeusz Kościuszko (Kościuszko) Squadron, built with funds from the Polish National Alliance of America. Opened on 30 May 1932. Erected according to the design of the architect Józef Rudnicki and the sculptor Józef Starzyński. Buried here are the American pilot officers: Edmund Graves (Graves) (†1919), Arthur Kelly (Kelly) (†1920), McCallum (McCallum) (†1920).

Monument to the American soldiers

In 1925, the remains of an unknown Polish soldier were solemnly transferred to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw.

 

After the Second World War the necropolis suffered destruction and decay; some graves are symbolic, at the site of a former burial. In 1971 the remains of General T. Rozwadowski were transferred to a private crypt at the Lychakiv Cemetery, and now a memorial cross stands on the former grave.

 

On 24 June 2005, as a sign of reconciliation between the peoples and with the participation of the presidents of Poland and Ukraine, a memorial to the fallen soldiers of the UHA (Ukrainian Galician Army) and the Polish military memorial were opened at the Lychakiv Cemetery. On the slab located in the centre of the Polish burials, an inscription was made in Polish: «Tu leży żołnierz polski poległy za Ojczyznę („Here lies a Polish soldier who fell for the Fatherland“). On the portal of the former memorial is a Latin inscription from the interwar period: „Mortui sunt ut liberi vivamus“ („They died so that we may live free“).

 

On the elevation a chapel was built, where you can learn about the necropolis from a Polish priest.

 

In the chapel with 8 crypts, after exhumation from various places on the Polish-Ukrainian front, the bodies of 72 Polish soldiers were buried. Among the honorary burials are the graves of six soldiers who died in 1920 in a battle with the Bolsheviks near the village of Zadvirya.

 

Despite various discussions and complex political situations, the memorial is and will remain a part of Polish history, which is important for every nation. You can visit the cemetery on your own, but it is more effective with a guide. The tour lasts about two hours.