The Polish monument restoration organisation 'Commonwealth of Kursk' is leading an effort to achieve the reconstruction of a demolished memorial to 56 Red Army soldiers at a mass burial ground in the city of Trzcianka in the country's West.
The chairman of the organisation Jerzy Tyc is helping the descendants of the fallen soldiers to contest the decision of the local authorities to tear down the historical monument in court. 'Commonwealth of Kursk' is citing violations of post-war agreements obliging Poland and Russia to preserve the graves of allied soldiers.
In September 2017, the authorities of Trzcianka ruled to demolish the mausoleum and greenlighted the construction of a public garden in this spot, claiming that the territory of the memorial was not a mass grave. The city officials did not present any evidence to support the allegation. However, the 'Commonwealth of Kursk' conducted a private independent examination that confirmed that the memorial was indeed a burial ground.