This story was reported for the San Diego News Network on April 10, 2010.
The loss of President Lech Kaczynski Saturday night has left Polish-Americans in San Diego speechless and concerned.
The plane crash that took the lives of 97 Polish passengers – including its president and other Poland leaders – has left not only those in Poland mourning, but those locally too.
“The whole nation is in mourning right now,” said Jerzy Frydrych, pastor of the local Saint Maximillian Kolbe Polish Church. “We lost the president, his wife and many other officials yesterday. I would compare this death to the loss of Pope John Paul II five years ago.”
President Kaczynski — who was active in the Solidarity movement against a communist Poland in the early 1980s and has held the top role in a growing Democratic nation since 2005 – died when his presidential plane crashed on the way to the events marking the 70th anniversary of the Katyn forest when 20,000 Polish officers were killed by Soviet secret police.
Although initial signs pointed to an accident with no indication of foul play, the death of a Polish president and much of the Polish state and defense establishment in Russia en route to commemorating one of the saddest events in Poland’s long, complicated history with Russia, was laden with tragic irony.
In the local Polish-American community where about 63,000 reside and where some are still taking in the news, Anya Atkins of the Polish American Association of San Diego, said she is shocked.
“I’m still very shocked,” said Atkins, who moved to the U.S. from Poland in 1987. “This is just a horrible incident and I think if you ask any Poles, they will tell you this is a horrible tragedy for Poland.”
Atkins also said she is concerned as conspiracy theories rise, foreign relations may be strained. In particular, she is concerned Poland’s relationship with Russia may change given the intense history between the two nations.
“This could definitely change the relations with Russia because historically Poland and Russia have had an estranged relationship,” Atkins said. “I just hope people will wait until fair evidence is presented from the crash before creating theories.”
Moreover, she is “hoping for the best” when it comes to the post-Kaczynski leadership.
Though Atkins and possibly others are concerned about the future of Poland, Frydrych is urging the local community to spend the next couple of weeks to appropriately mourn the loss.
“We are in great, great mourning,” he said. “We are experiencing great pain in our hearts and in our nation and we will need to take time to think about the mystery of death.”
He did say though that the relations are improving between Poland and Russia and is hopeful that the U.S. will help soothe it.
The crash devastated the upper echelons of Poland’s political and military establishments. On board were the army chief of staff, the navy chief commander, and heads of the air and land forces. Also killed were the national bank president, deputy foreign minister, army chaplain, head of the National Security Office, deputy parliament speaker, Olympic Committee head, civil rights commissioner and at least two presidential aides and three lawmakers, the Polish foreign ministry said.
The Saint Maximillian Kolbe Polish Church in Pacific Beach will hold a vigil Saturday at 6 p.m. Address is 1735 Grand Ave., 92109.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Hoa Quach is the political editor for the San Diego News Network.