Katyn Forest Massacre

Executions

The number of victims of the massacre was estimated to about 22 000; the lowest limit of the dead that had been confirmed was 21 768

Those who died in Katyn included an admiral, two generals, 24 colonels, 79 lieutenant colonels, 258 majors, 654 captains, 17 naval captains, 3 420 non-commissioned officers, 7 chaplains, 3 landowners, a prince, 43 officials, 85 privates, 131 refugees, 20 university professors, 300 physicians, several hundred lawyers, engineers and teachers, more than 100 writers and journalists, and about 200 pilots. In total, the NKVD executed almost half the Polish Officer Corps.

It’s estimated that about 8% of the victims were Polish Jews

Lieutenant Janina Lewandowska was the only woman executed during the massacre at Katyn.

These executions happened every night, except for the public May Day holiday (May 1st)