History: Judgment On Katyn

Judgment On Katyn

The black marble monument stands in a grove in the Katyn Forest outside Smolensk, a memorial to the more than 4,000 Polish officers massacred at that spot during World War II. But the dedication etched in the marble tells a lie that mocks the very lives it memorializes: "To the victims of Fascism -- the Polish officers shot by the Hitlerites."

For almost 50 years, the Soviets have blamed the Germans for the Katyn massacre, despite evidence pointing unmistakably to Stalin's secret police, the NKVD. Last week a prominent American visitor rendered his own verdict. At the foot of the monument,...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!