Katyn Site

The USSR immediately blamed the Nazis for the killings, claiming the Poles were executed during the German advance in 1941.

NKVD officers shot victims individually in the back of the head, often using German-made Walther pistols to potentially deflect future blame. Discovery and the "Big Lie" The USSR immediately blamed the Nazis for the

The primary site of discovery and a major memorial. 000 Polish nationals

The "Katyn Lie" finally began to crumble during the era of glasnost under Mikhail Gorbachev. including approximately 4

In April 1943, Nazi German forces occupying the region discovered mass graves in the Katyn forest near Smolensk. They publicized the find to drive a wedge between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union.

Roughly 22,000 Polish nationals, including approximately 4,500 officers found in Katyn forest.