DISINFO: The Red Army saved Kraków from destruction by Nazis
SUMMARY
The Nazi command wanted to set a trap, flooding Krakow, its inhabitants and the Soviet soldiers. These plans were not implemented thanks to the operation carried out by the group led by Lieutenant Alexei Botian. This Russian hero led the operation to save Krakow from Nazi destruction.
RESPONSE
This message is part of the Kremlin’s policy of historical revisionism and promotes a fake story about the “heroic saving of the city of Krakow from Nazi destruction by the Red Army”. For decades, the Soviet authorities have spread a story about the heroic role of the Red Army in the saving of Kraków Old Town from being blown up by retreating Nazi troops. Polish historians have established the narrative of the Nazis, preparing to blow up Kraków as a post-war myth aimed at the glorification of the Red Army among the Poles.
See similar examples of the Russian historical revisionism concerning Poland such as It is thanks to Russia that Poland today exists as a country, Nazi Germany considered Poland its best ally, the USSR was forced and reluctant to sign Molotov-Ribbentrop pact.