The memorial of the events depicted here may not be very well known outside of the NYC area, unless you are of Polish descent. Many Americans were never taught about the Katyn Massacre in September 1940, nor the depiction on the back of the pedestal that shows the forced deportation to Siberia by Soviet Russia of Polish citizens that began on September 17, 1939. I am placing this on the anniversary of the start of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, which began on April 19, 1943.
Most Americans have been taught that Russia was an ally with the US, UK, and France (and many other smaller countries) in World War II, against Germany, Japan and Italy; however, Josef Stalin and Russia actually played both sides. After Nazi Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, Russia also flanked German forces in Poland on September 17, 1939. Russia ultimately began deporting over 1.7 million Poles to Siberia, and then secretly divided the country between Germany and Russia - with areas of what is now Ukraine and Belarus included. Those who survived the deportation were forced into labor camps, and it is estimated that 1 in 10 of the entire male population of Poland was deported.
The Katyn Massacre is very well known within Poland and those of Polish descent. Russia rounded up many Polish military, clergy, resistors and government officials and shipped them to Katyn in trains to interrogate. Those captives were forcibily coerced to give in to the Russians. When this did not work, close to 22,000 Poles were bound, shot, and buried in mass graves in the forests of Katyn. Russia tried to blame this massacre on Germany. You will notice that the soldier here is depicted in the same way that many of the captives were discovered.
This memorial was placed in 1991, and the base has soil from Katyn enclosed. There is also a plaque in rememberance of those lost on September 11, 2001, which occurred just across the river. The 9/11 memorial was placed on September 12, 2004 on the base.
The statue has had some controversy; in 2018, the head of the Exchange Place Special Improvement District asked that the statue be moved because it was "politically incorrect" and "grusome". The Polish President, Andrezej Duda, visited the city at that time, and had a meeting with the mayor of Jersey City that resulted in the statue being kept here "in perpetuity".
In Order to Claim this Virtual, Please EMAIL or Message me the answers to the following questions. IF YOU DO NOT SEND ME THE ANSWERS WITHIN TWO DAYS OF LOGGING, I WILL DELETE YOUR LOG.
DO NOT PUT YOUR ANSWERS IN YOUR LOG, IT WILL BE DELETED:
1. On the east side of the monument, that depicts "Siberia," what are the letters showing on the belt of the walking child? Bonus if you know what it stands for.
2. On one side of the monument, there is an engraved plaque that has a poem; a report; and a quote from a prisoner of one of the Russian Camps. What is the report number?
3. Who donated the September 11, 2001 plaque?
4. OPTIONAL - take a picture of the memorial with you, or the skyline from the park across the street. DO NOT post any spoilers; your picture will be erased!!!
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.