Thousands of Poles lined the streets to pay their respects to Lech Kaczynski and his wife, writes Derek Scally
THE STREETS of Krakow rang out with emotional cries of “Lech Kaczynski, we thank you!” as the late Polish president and his wife Maria completed their life’s journey yesterday.
Thousands of Poles lined the old town’s cobbled streets to throw flowers on the first couple’s coffins, a week after their fatal air crash in western Russia.
Behind the gun-carriage procession, a pale and drawn Jaroslaw Kaczynski focused his coal black eyes on the coffins carrying his late twin brother and his sister-in-law.
His niece, Marta Kaczynska, walked alongside, clearly exhausted from mourning her parents publicly for a week.
The final act began in Krakow’s old town square at 2pm, as the sun blazed in a cloudless sky. Sirens sounded, melding mournfully with the trumpeter in the church tower, playing his hourly “Hejnal” or Hymn to Our Lady.
Some 700 dignitaries in the church, 150,000 people outside and millions others on television followed the requiem Mass filled with messages of reconciliation, solidarity and life after death.
Amid dozens of Solidarity flags, homemade banners continued the theme: “Forever Alive”; “Mr President will triumph in the end.” All of Poland was here: bishops and shepherds, scouts and seminarians, old women and young men – silent in prayer.
Krakow native Boguslawa Nowak described the late president as “the best Polish patriot after the Holy Father”.
“I came here to pay tribute because I loved him and I was proud of him,” said the 72-year- old woman. “But it’s sad for me to watch young people not participating, if not to mourn the president then the other 95 victims of the catastrophe.”
Beyond the town square, 20-somethings sipped lattes and let the big event pass them by. Even among the mourners, many were torn between showing respect for Poland’s late president and maintaining their disapproval of the man who filled the role.
“The pope’s death knocked me for a week,” said Maciej, an 18-year-old scout. “But the week of mourning ended early for me with the decision to bury Mr Kaczynski in Wawel Cathedral.” Protests have subsided, but resentment lingers among some that the late president will rest alongside Poland princes, poets and wartime heroes.
But as Wawel’s sonorous Sigismund bell tolled, Poland watched in sorrow as the flag-draped coffins vanished into the crypt and the Kaczynski twins were parted.