The museum is located near the Vistula and north of the Old Town. It can be reached by tram but we chose to arrive by taxi. It is in the Warsaw Citadel, a 19th century stronghold.
The museum is dedicated to the murder of around 22,000 Polish citizens murdered by the NKVD (forerunner of the KGB) in 1940. Audio guides in English are available. Many of the displays are described only in Polish, so we recommend a guide. We first saw multimedia displays relating to the general situation of Poland and the victims. Then we were taken by lift down into the Testimony area. Here were thousands of authentic artefacts recovered from Katyn graves, kept in large glass cabinets. Further on is the Avenue of the Absent, listing names, and the Katyn Epitaph. My maternal grandfather was murdered by the Russians at Katyn. With the help of a member of staff, we found my grandfather’s record – no photograph and an incomplete family file.
Finally we left the museum via deliberately steep stairs into the daylight.
Upon returning home, I emailed my grandfather’s photographs and a brief family record plus permission for these to be included in the museum’s archives.
