The Smolensk air disaster, included Polish Air Force Flight 101 in 2010 killing all 96 people on board. The Polish delegation was heading to Katyn to attend a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre, in which the Soviet NKVD killed about 22,000 Polish military officers.
Among those killed in the crash of Flight 101 were Polish President Lech Kaczyński, his wife Maria Kaczyńska, former President-in-exile Ryszard Kaczorowski, Poland's highest-ranking military officers, lawmakers, heads of the Polish National Bank and other central institutions, presidential aides, bishops and priests of various denominations, relatives of those killed in the Katyn massacre, as well as officers of the presidential security detail and crew members.
Many of the casualties received posthumous recognition and several places were named after them.
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Fatalities NameImage Age Notes President of the Polish Bar Council Representative of the Katyn Families Commander of the Air Force Deputy Marshal of the Senate (PO) Representative of the Katyn Families Commander of the Land Forces Archbishop, Orthodox Ordinary of the Polish Armed Forces President of the World Association of Home Army Soldiers Co-founder of the Union of Warsaw Insurgents Member of the Sejm (PSL) Member of the Sejm (PO) Press office staffer at the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland Secretary General of the Union of Sybiraks 39 Interpreter at the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland Senator (PiS) 41 Close protection officer 39 Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces Member of the Sejm, former Minister of Regional Development (PiS) Commander of the Warsaw Garrison Member of the Sejm, former Deputy Prime Minister (PiS) Personal Roman Catholic chaplain to President Kaczorowski and parish priest of St. Andrew Bobola in Hammersmith, London Co-pilot Undersecretary of State at the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland Personal Roman Catholic chaplain to President Kaczyński 37 Close protection officer Staffer at the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland Flight attendant Member of the Sejm, former Deputy Prime Minister (SLD) Roman Catholic priest, Piarist father Former president of the Republic of Poland in exile Wife of President Kaczyński President of the Republic of Poland Member of the Sejm (PO) Commander of the Navy Director of Diplomatic Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ombudsman for Civil Rights Chancellor of the Order of Virtuti Militari Deputy Minister of National Defence 35 Close protection officer Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Roman Catholic priest, member of the Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites Head of the Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression President of the Institute of National Remembrance Roman Catholic police chaplain and chaplain to the Katyn Families Commander of the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces Personal physician to President Kaczyński Representative of the Katyn Families Flight attendant Director of the Personnel and Decorations Office at the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland President of the Polish Katyn Foundation Head of the Katyn Committee Deputy Minister of Culture and National Heritage, General Conservator of Monuments Flight engineer 35 Close protection officer Deputy Head of the Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites Flight attendant Member of the Sejm (PiS) Social activist 35 Close protection officer President of the Polish Olympic Committee Representative of the Katyn Families Roman Catholic priest, Vice-Chancellor of the Curia of the Military Ordinariate Lutheran military chaplain Representative of the Katyn Families Member of the Sejm, former Marshal of the Sejm (independent) Roman Catholic Bishop of the Military Ordinariate of the Polish Armed Forces 35 Close protection officer Commander of the Special Forces Capt. Pilot Secretary of the Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites Deputy Marshal of the Sejm (PiS) Roman Catholic priest, Rector of the Card. Wyszyński University Member of the Sejm (PO) President of the Federation of Katyn Families Sculptor, author of the Katyn Monument in Chicago President of the National Bank of Poland 75 Representative of the Katyn Families Head of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, former Minister of the Interior and Administration 36 Close protection officer Head of the National Security Bureau Deputy Marshal of the Sejm, former Defence Minister (SLD) Member of the Sejm, former Head of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland (SLD) Head of the Protocolar Unit at the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland 35 Close protection officer Co-founder of the Solidarity trade union 72 Deputy President of the Golgotha of the East Foundation Member of the Sejm, former Minister for Intelligence Coördination (PiS) Member of the Sejm (PSL) Secretary of State at the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, former President of the Social Insurance Institution Senator (PiS) Theatrical and film actor, member of the Program Board of the Union of Piłsudskiites Navigator Representative of the Katyn Families
Posthumous recognition NameImage Promotion Decoration Col. Capt.
Not on board Some early reports were wrong about the number or composition as the official list of victims was corrected in stages; most notably because the flight manifest of passengers only, without names of the crew, lacked the name of the only female member of the nine Biuro Ochrony Rządu (Government Protection Bureau bodyguards), Agnieszka Pogródka-Węcławek. She was listed incorrectly among the stewardesses. Also, a female presidential aide, Zofia Kruszyńska-Gust, was supposed to fly but did not do so due to illness. Additionally, Michael Schudrich, the Chief Rabbi of Poland, was invited but did not board the flight due to its conflict with the Jewish Sabbath, which prohibits flight on Saturday.
References
External links Federacja Rodzin Katyńskich National Katyn Memorial Foundation Text of President Kaczynski's planned speech commemorating Victims of the Katyn Forest Massacre