Polish groups hold Volhynian massacre commemorations in July

Thirty‑two motorcyclists will embark on a 3,500‑kilometre rally that begins in Romania and continues through Ukraine, visiting historic sites in Podolia, Pokuttia, Kolomyia, Stryi and Volhynia before concluding with a field mass in Ołyka on 11 July. The expedition, organised by the 14th Volhynian Motorcycle Rally, aims to remember the victims of the 1943–44 Volhynian massacre while stressing that remembrance should not fuel hatred. Participants note heightened Polish‑Ukrainian tensions after a Ukrainian army unit was named after the UPA, but they expect to complete the ride without incident.

On 4 July, the foundation Wołyń Pamiętamy will organise a March of Memory in Warsaw, starting at Plac Trzech Krzyży and proceeding to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The march calls for recognition of Poles killed by Ukrainian nationalists, demands a ban on “banderyzm” propaganda, and urges a more assertive stance from Polish authorities toward Ukraine. Organisers also seek to rename a Warsaw site in honour of the victims and to halt the exhumation of mass‑grave remains. Both events underscore the ongoing effort to keep the memory of the Volhynian tragedy alive while navigating contemporary Polish‑Ukrainian relations.