Operation Vistula

“Wisła” (Vistula) Action was conducted in 1947 to relocate south-eastern Poland's Ukrainian, Boyko and Lemko population. Over 140,000 people mostly of Ukrainian nationality residing in south-eastern Poland at that time were resettled into places in western and northern Poland (Recovered Territories).

The goal of the action was to support Polish government in final settling of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, which was active in south-eastern territories since 1944. Evacuation put the UIA into a difficult position. Without human resources and food, Ukrainian partisans were not able to face predominant Polish Armia Ludowa. In spite of difficult conditions, the UIA fought the communist army for several more years. The last relocations took place in 1951. After that the activity of the UIA in the territory of Poland ended. Some of Ukrainian insurgents fled to the Western Europe.

The direct pretext to start the action was the assassination of General Karol Świerczewski on March 28, 1947. The General died in an ambush set in Jabłonki near Baligród in Bieszczady mountains, when he was heading to military-station in Cisna. It is alleged that the ambush was set up by the sotnia (military unit) “Bira” of the UIA. However, nothing was definitely proved and some historians are more willing to claim that it was deed of NKVD.

Merely over a dozen hours after the incident Polish communist authorities took a decision to carry deportation of Ukrainian and Lemko people from the entire south-east territory of Poland. Therefore it is obvious that in the reality “Wisła” Action was a prepared in advance operation to diffuse remaining Ukrainian minority on Polish lands.

“Wisła” Action carried by the Operational Group “Wisła”, commanded by General Stefan Mossor, started at 4 a.m. on April 28, 1947. Expulsions included 140,000-150,000 people of Ukrainian and Lemko origin remaining in Poland after removals to USSR in 1944-1946, inhabiting Polesie, Roztocze, Pogórze Przemyskie, Bieszczady, Beskid Niski, Beskid Sądecki and Ruś Szlachtowska. Intelligentsia, priests and suspicious individuals were directed from places of gatherings to prisons or the Central Work Camp in Jaworzno. In this camp almost 4,000 persons were imprisoned, out of which 200 died. The remaining people were resettled into Warmia and Mazury or the western territories.

The last removals took place yet in 1952 (in Polesie). “Wisła” Action was officially closed with the ceremonial of decoration of the most deserved soldiers, which was held on the Polish-Czechoslovakian border.

The consequence of “Wisła” Action was almost entire depopulation of Pogórze Przemyskie, Bieszczady and Beskid Niski.

See also

• Minorities in Poland after the Second World War

References

• Eugeniusz Misiło Akcja "Wisła" ISBN 8390085429

• Robert Witalec Biuletyn Instytutu Pamięci Narodowej nr 11 ""Kos" kontra UPA" ISSN 16419561, PDF format, Polish language, last accessed on 27 July 2005

• Tomasz Kalbarczyk Biuletyn Instytutu Pamięci Narodowej nr 1-2 "Powrót Łemków" ISSN 16419561, PDF format, Polish language, last accessed on 27 July 2005

External links

• Lemkos' Tragedy
• Consequences of the Deportation of Lemkos and the process of Polish-Ukrainian Reconciliation
• Military Court of Operation Group "Wisla"
• A statement of Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR of September 9, 1990, in response to the resolution of the Senate of the Republic of Poland of September 3, 1990, regarding the "Visla" action, in Ukrainian.