Andrzej Duda: Poles, Lithuanians, Belarusians, Ukrainians Fought To Throw Off Russian Chains During January Uprising

The January Uprising is an extremely important moment in the history of nation building.

The President of Poland said that the slogans that accompanied the January Uprising - "For Our and Your Freedom!", "Freedom, Equality, Independence!", "Gloria Victis!" - encouraged greatness, a sense of resilience and indestructibility of society, a belief that the state will one day be reborn, Radio Poland reports.

On the occasion of the 160th anniversary of the outbreak of the January Uprising at the Warsaw Fortress, Polish President Andrzej Duda said that Poles, Lithuanians, Belarusians and Ukrainians had fought to throw off Russian chains and imperial oppression, to gain freedom and regain their independent state.

Andrzej Duda thanked those gathered at the ceremony: Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and representatives of the Ukrainian community:

"We are here together - representatives of the peoples who at that time were fighting to throw off the Russian chains, the chains of tsarist oppression, for freedom, for the restoration of our own independent state, our common Rzeczpospolita, which we have lost."

The Polish President said that the January Uprising was a very difficult time, but also an extremely important moment in the history of the formation of peoples, their sense of strength, identity and will to survive.

The President said that the slogans that accompanied the uprising - "For Our and Your Freedom!", "Freedom, Equality, Independence!", "Gloria Victis!" - encouraged greatness, a sense of resilience and indestructibility of society, a belief that the state will one day be reborn.