Katyn memorial now symbolizes two tragedies

People are still converging at the Katyn memorial, where an official Polish delegation led by President Lech Kaczynski headed for commemoration. Residents and guests of Smolensk are gathered there to honor the memory of Polish citizens executed in 1940, as well as those killed in an April 10 air crash.
The memorial, which was built 15 years ago, is divided into two parts: on the Polish side there are five common graves, a commemoration wall and a bell. The Russian side, which, according to various sources, is the burial place of about 2,000 Soviet soldiers, features a cross, flowers and several candles.
The new tragedy outside Smolensk has wiped out any final distinction between the two parts of the memorial. Spokesmen for the Polish delegation have already described the crash of the presidential Tu-154 as a fatal coincidence. The people of Smolensk share the horror of the tragedy.