The Ukrainians murdered 3 elderly Poles who did not leave the village.

source: Żurek Stanisław, „Calendar of the genocide – December 1945 and 1945”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2021.02.04]

Excerpt from the situational report of Stepan Golasz 'Mar', the OUN reporter from the Beskid region about the murder on a Ukrainian by soldiers of the Border Guard Army in Smolnik:
„On December 29 [1945] in the village of Smolnik, Lesko district, a WOP patrol from Wola Michowa killed one boy who had just returned from Germany and was looking for accommodation, because his parents left for the USSR when the front [was passing]. Since it was after 1 p.m., he was shot without being stopped”.

source: „Wisti z terenu za misiać hrudeń 1945”; in: Poticzny P. J., Łyko I. (ed,), „Litopys UPA”, in: Toronto-Lviv 2002, vol. 34: „Lemkivshchyna and Peremyszczyna. Political reports (Documents)”, p. 46, in: orig. Ukrainian

source: Huk Bogdan with a group of friends, „Murders of the Ukrainian population 1944-1947”; in: portal: Ruthenian apocrypha — web page: www.apokryfruski.org [accessible: 2021.09.30]

In the village of Smolnik ad Baligród, pow. Lesko Jan Majewski, b. 1924, was killed in the fight against the UPA.

source: Żurek Stanisław, „Calendar of the genocide – February 1946”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2021.06.10]

In the village of Smolnik ad Baligród, pow. Lesko, Władysław Kuszewicz, was killed in the fight against the UPA.

source: Żurek Stanisław, „Calendar of the genocide – March 1946”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2021.06.10]

In the village of Smolnik ad Baligród, pow. Lesko, in the fight against the UPA, Colonel Kazimierz Kozłowski, in 1924, was killed.

source: Żurek Stanisław, „Calendar of the genocide – March 1946”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2021.06.10]

In the village of Smolnik, poviat Lesko, on April 26, 1946, „the 'Didyk' sotnya attacked a Polish army unit deporting inhabitants of the village of Smolnik. The UPA were repulsed, but in the report they considered the attack a success, stating that they had killed 25 soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces”. A Polish document states that in fact a dozen or so soldiers were injured, while 10 UPAmen were killed. It follows that the UPA killed 25 civilians in Smolnik.

source: Żurek Stanisław, „Calendar of the genocide – April 1946”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2021.06.10]

source: Żurek Stanisław, „UPA in Bieszczady”, in: ed. II, Nortom publishing house, Wroclaw 2010, p. 192

In the second half of March 1947, an infantry company of 34th Infantry Regiment of 8th Infantry Division from Baligród was ambushed. „The unit was surrounded by 3 sotnyas: Bir, Hryn ('Chrin' – note by S.Ż.) and Stiach ('Stach' – note by S. Ż.), About 600 people. They had a fivefold advantage. In the course of the fight, some were killed by the attacker's bullets, some, mostly wounded, were captured by Banderites, and were murdered after being tortured. 98 soldiers died, 17 survived who managed to break out of the encirclement, half of them were slightly injured”.

source: Siekierka Szczepan, Komański Henryk, Bulzacki Krzysztof, „The genocide committed by Ukrainian nationalists on Poles in the Lviv voivodship 1939-1947”, in: Wroclaw 2006, p. 405

source: Żurek Stanisław, „Calendar of the genocide – year 1947”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2022.03.02]

„In the middle of this month (March 1947 – note by S.Ż.), one company of 34th Infantry Regiment was sent from Baligród to Smolnik. It was supposed to take the road to Cisna, connect with the Border Protection WOP Maneuver Group there and continue the march to Smolnik, along the forest railway route, through Żubracze, Maniów and Wola Michowa  […] ] You could also get to Smolnik by another road, half as long, but it led through Chryszczata. The company commander, against the orders received, decided to take shortcut  […]
'Ren' realized that the enemy was getting himself into an ambush  […] Sotnya 'Bir', located at that time in the area of Cisna, began a strenuous march towards Wołosań, the sotnya of 'Stach' took up positions on the slopes of Krąglica, and 'Hryń' outflanked the company from the north. In this way, the cauldron was closed, the combined forces of the Banderites numbered about 600 people and had almost five times advantage over the soldiers  […]
The next morning, the captured soldiers were led to the edge of the clearing. They were barefoot, without uniforms, in underwear only, traces of torture visible on their bodies. Everyone was murdered, only a dozen or so soldiers from the entire company encircled by Smolnik were saved” — writes A. Bata in the book „Bieszczady w ogniu”.

source: Bata Artur, „Bieszczady in flames”; in: National Publishing Agency, in: 1987

source: Żurek Stanisław, „Calendar of the genocide – year 1947”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2022.03.02]

In the book „Bieszczady. On the trail of the battles with UPA bands” [A. Bata] adds: „They were cut down with an ax on a specially prepared log. The executions were carried out by young UPA for whom it was a kind of «baptism of fire»”.

source: Bata Artur, „Bieszczady. On the trail of battles with UPA bands.”; in: National Publishing Agency, in: 1984

source: Żurek Stanisław, „Calendar of the genocide – year 1947”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2022.03.02]

Gerhard wrote: „Lieutenant Wierzbicki's company set off for an action. She was supposed to search the vicinity of Smolnik. An aviator — an observer from Sanok, yesterday saw there several groups of people moving on the edge of one of the forests. Probably a gang. It needed to be investigated. Maybe he would find some traces of the opponent. Then Lieutenant Wierzbicki would have given a message over the radio. More forces would be mobilized. Soldiers marched in the sun in long chains on either side of the road. The snow was crackling. It was hard packed by sled skids. However, further away there will certainly be drifts. It can't be that easy to go. Lieutenant Wierzbicki saluted his commander, Captain Ciszewski, who stood erect at the chapel at the exit from Baligród, from the saddle”.

source: Gerhard Jan, „Red glow over Bieszczady mountains”, in: ed. XI, 1980, Lublin Publishing House

source: Żurek Stanisław, „Calendar of the genocide – year 1947”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2022.03.02]

In fact, the commander of the 34th IR until April 25, 1946 was Lt. Col. Stanisław Pluto — so in March 1946 Lt. Wierzbicki could not salute the commander Captain Ciszewski, i.e. Gerhard, who became Lt. Col. Commander on May 27, 1946; it could only take place later.
„In the first months of 1946, snow was still an ally of 'those in the forest'. Lieutenant Wierzbicki, who, in mid–March, wandered with his company along the well–known route through Kołonice towards Smolnik could have found out about it” (p. 258).
The detachment was followed by the OUN network from Kołonice, where it stayed overnight.
„The orders were given quickly. Sotnya Hryn approached Jaworne, flanking Wierzbicki's company from the north. Sotnya Bir, which, unfortunately for this company, happened to be near Cisna, took a strenuous march towards Wołosań, that is, towards the south from the axis along which the soldiers were walking. The horse messenger also reached Stach. His sotnya lurked on the slopes of Krąglica. Lieutenant Wierzbicki's company was in the bag. The enemy, who was in charge of almost five hundred people, had more than fourfold advantage over them” (p. 259).
Lieutenant Wierzbicki did not strictly obey Colonel Tomaszewski's order, according to which the company was to reach Cisna and continue the march with the Border Protection WOP maneuvering group. Wierzbicki wanted to shorten the road, and the WOP maneuvering group, knowing nothing, set off to Połonina Wetlińska, so in the opposite direction. When the relieved soldiers left the forest onto the clearing in front of Smolnik, they were attacked by the UPA. Almost six hundred UPA from 'Ren' against a hundred and ten soldiers.
It is difficult to judge whether some of the soldiers actually hit the minefield and died there, it is known that such a field was there. Some were captured.
„There were fourteen of them in total: three officers: Lieutenant Wierzbicki, Second Lieutenant Jasiński and Sergeant–Cadet Wolski — and eleven privates. The only survivors of the fatal clash at Smolnik” (p. 269). Among them was the rifleman Gąsiennica.
Wasyl Mizernyj 'Ren', the commander of UPA kuren, stated on the basis of documents that Wierzbicki was born in Trembowla, informed him that he had known the Wierzbicki family there and his father Alexander, who was Ukrainian. The lieutenant confirmed that he was a Ukrainian and a communist. He did not take the chance to be saved.
Gerhard describes the scene of cutting off soldiers' heads with an ax. He quotes 'Ren's words:
„«To behead these Lachom I chose the youngest of you. Those who did not show off in battle»”.
He writes: „The execution system was not new. The UPA command believed that nothing made stronger ties than a direct crime. Therefore, the bloodier it was, the better”(p. 275).

source: Gerhard Jan, „Red glow over Bieszczady mountains”, in: ed. XI, 1980, Lublin Publishing House

source: Żurek Stanisław, „Calendar of the genocide – year 1947”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2022.03.02]

Gerhard could not have known the account of Apolinius Oliwa, who confirms the existence of such a Banderist 'rite'. This barbaric act was performed on ten soldiers (of the fourteen prisoners, two officers were shot, one was killed with rifle butts, one escaped). Apolinary Oliwa wrote in his book „When the knives were sacrificed”:
„The Ukrainians had a specific practice of accepting recruits. Each newly admitted to the gang had to undergo 'baptism', consisting in the murder of a Pole, Jew or Gypsy, or a Soviet prisoner of war. As there was not always an opportunity for this, to secure a permanent 'supply' of victims the degenerates were leaving many Polish families seemingly safe, until a larger number of recruits were admitted, who had not yet 'distinguished themselves' with anything 'special'.
They were handed weapons. Various ones — sometimes they were axes, sometimes boards with a sharpened knife on both sides. The necessary number of victims was then dragged out of the households and given to the recruits”.

source: Oliwa Apolinary, „When the knives were blessed – The Tragedy of Volhynia. No longer censored – post-war memories”, in: Opole, Nowik Publishing House, 2013, p. 83

source: Żurek Stanisław, „Calendar of the genocide – year 1947”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2022.03.02]

Ren' personally shot the seriously wounded and unconscious Lieutenant Jasiński and the beaten lieutenant Wierzbicki. At this point, the shooter Gąsiennica decided to escape. The searchlights of Captain Ciszewski's battalion encountered him climbing the hill '816', he did not react, he was shocked. the twenty‑year‑old's dark brown hair was gray.
The five survivors who had buried themselves in the snow at the bottom of the gorge during the UPA attack also returned to Baligród.
„Thus, out of one hundred and ten soldiers of Lieutenant Wierzbicki's company, six survived along with Gąsiennica. They just told about the entire course of events that took place near Smolnik. It was one of the hardest defeats suffered by the army in fights with gangs in the Bieszczady Mountains”.
Very quickly, after the arrival of the support, Lieutenant Colonel Tomaszewski formed a new company to replace the one that perished near Smolnik and appointed Second Lieutenant Stefan Daszewski as its commander. Gąsienica regained its senses in two days. Gray hair remained though. Apparently, he later moved to Zakopane and became a flyman.

source: Gerhard Jan, „Red glow over Bieszczady mountains”, in: ed. XI, 1980, Lublin Publishing House, p. 280

source: Żurek Stanisław, „Calendar of the genocide – year 1947”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2022.03.02]

Different dates of the destruction of the 34th Budziszyn Infantry Regiment near Smolnik are given: J. Gerhard stated that it was in mid–March 1946. A.L. Sowa that it was April 26, 1946:
„On April 26, 1946, in the Smolnik area, Polish troops suffered heavy losses in the fight against the UPA. 150 Polish soldiers were taken prisoner. Some of them were released, the rest were shot as part of repression for the extremely cruel pacification of Zawadka Morochowska by the Polish Armed Forces”.
A. Bata [believes] that it was in mid–March 1947. S. Myśliński and J. Jastrzębski that it was at the beginning of April 1947. Most of the authors date the fight at Smolnik in 1947, when Gerhard was in command of the 34th IR.

source: prof. Sowa Andrzej Leon, „Polish-Ukrainian relations 1939-1947”; in: Society of History Supporters, in: Krakow 1998

source: Bata Artur, „Bieszczady in flames”; in: National Publishing Agency, in: 1987

source: Myśliński Stanisław, „Shots at Cisna”, in: Ministry of National Defense Publishing House, Warszawa 1978.

source: Bata Artur, „Every house and every tree shot…”; in: National Publishing Agency, in: 1968

source: Żurek Stanisław, „Calendar of the genocide – year 1947”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2022.03.02]

The Polish Army suffered the greatest defeat of all the fights fought against the UPA, taking into account not only the area of the Bieszczady Mountains. It was so embarrassing that so far all sorts of 'delusions' have been conducted around this event. Some authors even claim that… it did not take place ‑ and they do not mention it in their studies. Or, in their opinion, Gerhard described the defeat suffered at Jasiel on March 21, 1946. However, near Jasiel it was Border Protection WOP who were defeated, 34th IR was not there. It is possible though that when describing the escape of Gąsiennica, Gerhard used the fact that private Sudnik escaped from the death pit near Wisłok Wielki.
So far, historians have not found the documentation about the events at Smolnik. Perhaps it was in the Central Military Archives in Rembertów. In the early nineties, the then Minister of National Defense, Janusz Onyszkiewicz, allowed, inter alia, the Ukrainian historian working in Poland, Eugeniusz Misiło (Jewhena Misyła) to enter the archives. While working as an archivist at the 'Karta' Center, Misiło took documents concerning Ukrainian crimes from there, for which he was fired.
The Ukrainian historian Ihor Iliuszyn from Kiev in an article in the IPN publication „'Vistula' Operation” (Warsaw 2003) reveals:
„In 1992, in the series «Litopysy UPA» in Toronto, the first volume of the «UPA in the light of Polish documents» was published, entitled «Military Court of the Vistula Operational Group» ", compiled and organized by this Polish historian of Ukrainian origin. These documents, covering the period from April 22 to September 16, 1947, came from the Central Military Archives in Rembertów near Warsaw, from a set that was then disordered and inaccessible to historians” (underlined by: S. Ż.).
Therefore, now it would not even be possible to tell if anything was taken out of this archive.
Andrzej L. Sowa in the article „'Vistula' Operation in Polish historiography – current research problems” published in the above–mentioned publication of the Institute of National Remembrance, writes:
„So far, we have a record of decisions made in this matter at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Polish Workers' Party (Communists), at that time undoubtedly the most important real authority in Poland. However, we do not even know the course of the discussion that had to accompany the adoption of the decision on the resettlement of the Ukrainian population”.
Thus, the motivations and arguments are unknown, which allows for manipulative speculation. If the archives contained information confirming the execution of 34th IR taken prisoner by decapitating their heads with an ax, and described by Gerhard, it is obvious that these documents are not there anymore.

source: Pisuliński Jan (ed.), „Action 'Vistula'”; in: Institute of National Remembrance IPN, in: „Conferences” series, Warszawa 2003, vol. 12

source: Żurek Stanisław, „Calendar of the genocide – year 1947”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2022.03.02]