World's Day of Remembrance for Victims of Katyn Massacre Date in the current year: April 13, 2024

The Katyn massacre was a series of mass executions of Polish internees and prisoners (primarily military officers) carried out by NKVD (the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs, the Soviet law enforcement agency) in spring 1940.

The executions took place in the Katyn forest near the Russian city of Smolensk. They were prompted by Lavrentiy Beria, chief of NKVD, who wanted to execute all captive Polish officers who had been taken prisoner during the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939. The estimated number of victims is about 22,000.

On April 13, 1945, the Germans officially announced to the world that their military forces has uncovered mass graves in the Katyn forest. On the 47th anniversary of the discovery, the Soviet Union formally admitted its responsibility.

This day was declared a worldwide Katyn Memorial Day. On this day, solemn ceremonies are held at Katyn memorials throughout the world. In Poland, it is considered a national holiday, although it is not a non-working day.