National Katyń Memorial
National Katyń Memorial is a monument in Baltimore, Maryland, commemorating the victims of the 1940 massacre of Polish citizens in Katyn carried out by Soviet forces. The Polish-American community of Baltimore played an important role in making the monument possible. It was unveiled in 2000 and is the tallest statue in Baltimore. The statue itself stands 44 feet (13.4 m) high, and the full monument, including its base, reaches 56 feet (17 m). Created by sculptor Andrzej Pitynski, it was delivered from Poland and installed in Inner Harbour East at Aliceanna and President streets.
May 2010 © TinFoil · CC BY-SA 3.0
June 2014 © Bohemian Baltimore · CC BY-SA 4.0
June 2014 © Bohemian Baltimore · CC BY-SA 4.0
Identification | |
| Title | National Katyń Memorial |
| Alternative name | Katyński, Baltimore |
| Original title | Flame of Freedom |
| Original-language title | Narodowy Pomnik Katyński w Baltimore |
| Polish translation of original title | Płomień Wolności |
| Type | monument |
| Alternative name | National Katyn Memorial in Baltimore |
Historical context | |
| Funder | National Katyn Memorial Committee |
| Funding sources | A special grant from the state of Maryland and donations from Associated Jewish Charities |
| Fundraising method | Collection of financial donations for the monument's construction |
| Funder founding year | 1989 |
| Initiator | Retired United States Army officer Major Clement A. Knefel |
| Community support | Baltimore's Polish-American community was instrumental in getting the monument built |
| Commemorates | Victims of the 1940 Katyn massacre carried out by Soviet forces, including Polish prisoners murdered in spring 1940 by the NKVD |
| Subject | Victims of the Katyń massacre |
Creator | |
| Sculptor | Andrzej Pitynski |
| Artist's nationality/heritage | American sculptor of Polish descent |
Discovery and provenance | |
| Origin of statue | Delivered from Poland |
| Casting foundry | Gliwice Technical Equipment Works |
Physical characteristics | |
| Height of sculpture | 44 feet (13.4 m) |
| Total height including base | 56 feet (17 m) |
| Base | Granite pedestal |
Materials | |
| Material | Bronze |
Appearance | |
| Form | A sculpture depicting golden flames |
Iconography and meaning | |
| Inscription on base | KATYŃ 1940 |
| Included figures | Murdered Polish officers; Janina Lewandowska; Bolesław I the Brave; Zawisza Czarny of Garbów; Władysław III of Varna; Jan III Sobieski; Tadeusz Kościuszko; Kazimierz Pułaski; the Polish coat of arms |
Location and ownership | |
| Specific location | Inner Harbor East at Aliceanna and President streets, in front of the Marriott Waterfront hotel |
| Location | Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
History and restoration | |
| Inauguration date | 19 November 2000 |
| Foundation stone ceremony date | 29 September 1996 |
| People present at unveiling | Father Zdzisław Peszkowski and Senator Barbara Mikulski |
| Speeches at unveiling | Father Zdzisław Peszkowski and Senator Barbara Mikulski delivered ceremonial speeches |
Significance | |
| Related film award | Nominated for an Emmy Award in 2001 |
| Foundation activities | Educational work and commemorating the victims |
| Foundation origin | Formed through the transformation of the National Katyn Memorial Committee |
| Foundation in Baltimore | National Katyn Memorial Foundation |
| Website access date | 2025-01-14 |
| Website language | Polish |
| Associated website | katyn.polski-swiat.online |
| Associated memorial map | Map of Remembrance of the Victims of the Katyń Crime |
| Related film release year | 2000 |
| Related film purpose | Expressed support for the idea of building the monument |
| Related film length | 60 seconds |
| Related film director | Steven Fischer |
| Related film | Silence of Falling Leaves |
| Award connected to the monument | On 25 October 2000, President of Poland Aleksander Kwaśniewski awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland to 12 U.S. citizens for their outstanding contribution to the realization of the Katyn Victims Memorial in Baltimore |
| Additional commemoration in 2011 | Victims of the Polish Tu-154 crash in Smolensk were also commemorated beneath the memorial |
| Commemorative use | Annual ceremonies are held beneath the memorial to commemorate victims of the Katyń massacre |
| Claim about size | One of the tallest bronze sculptures on the East Coast of the United States |
| Claimed distinction | The tallest statue in Baltimore |
| Subject category | Baltimore; Polonia in the United States |