Symbols Under Siege: How Russia’s Monument Wars Reach Deep into Poland’s Borderlands

 In the quiet region of Warmia, nestled along Poland’s border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, a different kind of war is being waged—not with bullets, but with symbols. In his detailed and thought-provoking article, The ‘Memorial Conflict’ on Polish-Russian Borderland: Warmia, Dr. Robert Boroch explores how monuments, cemeteries, and cultural landmarks have become tools in a broader hybrid strategy—what he calls anthropological aggression.

For centuries, Warmia was shaped by overlapping histories—Polish, Prussian, German, Soviet—and now it stands at the crossroads of memory and manipulation. Since the end of World War II, Soviet-built monuments to the Red Army have been scattered across the region. But as Poland reclaims its narrative in the post-communist era, some of these monuments have been dismantled, sparking tensions with Russia.

Boroch’s article reveals how these acts are more than historical revisionism—they are part of a broader strategic conflict. Using semiotics, cultural memory, and anthropology, Russia has weaponized commemoration. From “The Night Wolves” biker parades to youth groups like Junarmia laying flowers at war cemeteries, each act reinforces a Russian narrative of heroism and sacrifice—one that often ignores local trauma.

Meanwhile, Polish communities are responding through what Boroch and Korzeniowska-Bihun term anthropological defense—the revival of local traditions, rebuilding of regional chapels, and reinterpretation of historical sites. This silent resistance preserves identity and challenges imposed narratives.

Warmia is not just a sleepy rural landscape; it’s an operational zone in the cultural frontlines of 21st-century conflict.

Read the full article in Wiedza Obronna, Vol. 285 No. 4, 2023