Poland in Greece

On 10 April 2010, a special TU-154M plane with the President of Poland Lech Kaczyński and the First Lady Maria Kaczyńska on board took off from Warsaw to Smolensk. On that very day the members of the official delegation were to participate in the ceremonies taking place in the Katyn War Cemetery, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the crime committed there. The aircraft carried 96 people, including members of the highest state authorities, representatives of various social circles and religious denominations, high-ranking military commanders and the plane’s crew. All the flight passengers died in the air disaster which took place during landing at the airport near Smolensk.

After three weeks of intense efforts to return Polish citizens to their homeland, the #LOTdoDomu programme was completed on Sunday, 5 April 2020. As part of this initiative, in just 22 days, the Polish LOT airlines organised 388 special charter flights which brought over 55,000 people safely home.

National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German occupation was established on the initiative of the President of the Republic of Poland in 2018. This day is celebrated on March 24 and has a national character.

The Polish National Agency of Academic Exchange has announced the scholarship and fellowship program POLONISTA which objective is to promote Polish language in the world by enabling foreigners interested in Polish language and Polish culture to study or carry out research projects in Poland.

Representatives of the Senate of the Republic of Poland, with the Deputy Senate Marshal Michał Kamiński and members of the Polish-Greek Parliamentary Group of the Sejm, with the Chairman Daniel Milewski, visited Athens, where on 17-18 February met with Greek politicians: Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kostas Fragogiannis, Minister of Citizens’ Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis and members of the Greek-Polish Friendship Group operating in the Hellenic Parliament.

Two Polish shorts “Laika” and “Elizabeth” were screened in Athens during the “Petit Plan Screenings: Europa” festival, from 3rd to 6th of February.

In the Orthodox parish of St. Marina in the Athens district of Ilioupoli took place a celebration in honor of the Icon of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn. Large delegation from Poland, headed by the Deputy Speaker of the Senate, Michał Kamiński and the Chairman of the Polish-Greek Parliamentary Group, Daniel Milewski, attended the ceremony, on 16th of February.

On February 14th at the Polish School Zygmunt Mineyko in Athens took place the grand opening of the historical exhibition “In the footsteps of Sienkiewicz”, dedicated to the life and work of the Polish Nobel Prize winner, Henryk Sienkiewicz.

Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange has recently announced the call for proposals in the scholarship programme for young people of Polish decent from around the world.

January 27 is celebrated in Greece as the Remembrance Day of the Greek Holocaust Victims. On this occasion, commemorating ceremonies took place in Athens and Thessaloniki.