The memorial commemorates the Katyn massacre of tens of thousands of Polish officers with shots to the back of the head. The bronze statue depicts a Polish soldier gagged, bound and impaled in the back with a bayonet. Created by Polish-American monument sculptor Andrzej Pitynski, the statue has been a fixture since 1991 at Exchange Place in Jersey City just across the Hudson River from New York City. He said the memorial “speaks of Polish heroism, Polish heroes, and also speaks of tragic events.”Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop scoffed at the criticism, saying Karczewski is a “known anti-Semite” and alleging the Polish government has no moral authority to criticize his city. The Katyn massacre came after the Soviet Red Army invaded eastern Poland in September 1939 took the Polish officers prisoner.

Source: National Post May 04, 2018 17:02 UTC