Monument commemorating presidential plane crash victims unveiled in Warsaw

WARSAW, April 10 (Xinhua) -- A monument commemorating the victims of a presidential plane crash in Smolensk, western Russia on April 10, 2010 was unveiled here on Tuesday, marking the eighth anniversary since the tragedy.

The monument is situated on Pilsudskiego Square, in Warsaw city center and displays the names of all the victims. As well as the monument to the victims, a stone marking the site of a future monument of the late President Lech Kaczynski, who was also killed in the crash, was unveiled.

The monument was unveiled by representatives of the victims families as well as high state officials, including President Andrzej Duda, Speaker of the Sejm, Marek Kuchcinski, and Speaker of the Senate, Stanislaw Karczewski.

In his speech, Duda said the Smolensk catastrophe was a tragic moment, terrible not only for the victims' families, but for the whole country.

Earlier, Duda paid tribute to the victims at Warsaw's Powazki Military Cemetery, while Sejm and Senate Speakers, as well as government members, took part in a roll of honor. Flowers were laid at commemorative plaques outside the Presidential Palace and commemorative events were held throughout the whole country.

The Polish air force plane was heading to Russia to take part in events commemorating Polish victims of the Katyn executions in 1940, but crashed upon landing in Smolensk, killing 96 people, including the Polish presidential couple, state and military high officials and the crew. Enditem