On 15 December 2021 at 7.30 p.m. – on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the tragedy at the 'Wujek' mine – the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra will host a special concert in memory of the 'Wujek Nine'.

The protest in the 'Wujek' mine began after the introduction of martial law, following the news of the arrest of the head of the "Solidarity" factory, Jan Ludwiczak. As a result of the pacification of the mine by the militia, which was supposed to intimidate the public, on 16 December 1981 nine miners were shot by ZOMO soldiers. Their death was the greatest tragedy of martial law. This mining protest was a fight for human dignity, in defense of values ​​such as freedom and solidarity.

A gala concert to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the pacification of the mine will feature the premiere of Piotr Moss' Threnody to the Memory of the Dead Miners of the Wujek coal mine for 9 cellos, symphony orchestra and brass bands. This composition, commissioned by the Silesian Freedom and Solidarity Centre, was created as part of the "Composing Commissions" programme carried out by the National Institute of Music and Dance. The programme will also include Karol Szymanowski's Stabat Mater and the revised version of Eugeniusz Knapik's When...

The concert will be performed by the Polish Radio Choir, Camerata Silesia – the Katowice City Singers' Ensemble, and the Orchestra of the Polish Mining Group KWK 'Wujek' conducted by Łukasz Borowicz. Aleksandra Kubas-Kruk (soprano), Jan Jakub Monowid (alto) and Sebastian Szumski (baritone) will perform as soloists.

Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.

More information: https://nospr.org.pl/en/kalendarz/koncert-pamieci-dziewieciu-z-wujka-w-40-rocznice-pacyfikacji