The Lemkin Laboratory – the Pilecki Institute and the Mieroszewski Centre sign cooperation agreement - Instytut Pileckiego

“The Lemkin Laboratory” project is a joint initiative of the two institutions, which defines the terms and scope of their involvement with regard to the mutual sharing of collections of testimonies concerning war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed by the Russian state in the past and present, as well as the organization and delivery of other project-related events.

The signing of the cooperation agreement between the two institutions will not only allow for the continuation of the archival work connected with the Lemkin Center currently being carried out, but will also make it possible to expand the range of scholarly activities.

“The Lemkin Laboratory” project aligns with the statutory missions of both institutions. The Pilecki Institute (on the basis of the Act of 9 November 2017 on the Witold Pilecki Institute of Solidarity and Valor) is tasked with initiating, undertaking and providing support for activities aimed at, among others: conducting research in the field of historical sciences and interdisciplinary studies using tools drawn from the humanities and the social sciences – particularly research dedicated to the study, documentation and broadening of knowledge concerning totalitarian systems and Nazi and Communist crimes committed in the 20th century.

The objective of the Mieroszewski Centre (pursuant to the Act of 25 March 2011 on the Juliusz Mieroszewski Centre for Dialogue) is to initiate and support activities aimed at fostering dialogue and understanding between Poles and the people of Eastern Europe. The Centre’s responsibilities include conducting academic research and publishing activities, disseminating knowledge about the political situation, history and culture of the region, engaging in educational activities, countering disinformation, as well as organizing expert meetings and scholarship programs.

On the basis of the agreement, both institutions will undertake joint initiatives – within the scope of their statutory powers – concerning cooperation in the field of research on issues relating to violations of international law in Central and Eastern Europe and their consequences, with a particular focus on war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed by the Russian state in the past and present. They will also work together towards disseminating knowledge about the aforementioned issues both in Poland and abroad.

“The Lemkin Laboratory” project will be implemented starting on 1 January 2026.

The Lemkin Center

The Pilecki Institute launched a project under the name of the Raphael Lemkin Center for Documenting Russian Crimes in Ukraine (Lemkin Center) on 26 February 2022, in response to the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine, as a result of which the Ukrainian civilian populace fell victim to numerous war crimes. The Center was named after Raphael Lemkin, a Polish lawyer of Jewish origin and author of the term “genocide” who co-created the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948). The project has been carried out since the outbreak of the full-scale war in February 2022 and focused on collecting various accounts from civilians in order to preserve evidence of crimes committed by Russian troops – for use, among others, by scholars and journalists. The project focused in particular on: gathering accounts of eyewitnesses documenting military operations of Russian troops in the territory of Ukraine, with special emphasis on individual crimes committed by soldiers of the Russian Federation, as well as collecting information and footage concerning the deliberate destruction by Russian forces of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and monuments, including those designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. The testimonies form the basis for an anonymized archive (available in the Pilecki Institute Archives), which contains accounts on crimes committed by Russian troops in the territory of Ukraine.

The accounts were collected in various formats: preliminary questionnaires filled in by the witnesses in their native tongue (available language versions: Ukrainian, Russian, Polish and English), audio accounts, and video interviews with witnesses to Russian aggression.

As part of the Lemkin Center project, about 1,600 accounts in text and audiovisual formats have been collected thus far. Presently, the questionnaires, video interviews, photographs and footage documenting Russian crimes against Ukrainian civilians are being anonymized, digitalized, as well as transcribed from Ukrainian and Russian into Polish and English.

Three reports were compiled and published on the basis of the collected accounts: “‘Like it or not, it’s your duty, my beauty’. Unpunished Crimes: Sexual Violence of the Russian Occupying Forces Against Ukrainian Women”, “A Stolen Childhood. Crimes against children committed by Russian troops”, “‘We do not attack civilians...’The Green Corridor in Lypivka as a trap set by the Russian occupying forces” – the reports can be downloaded from: https://instytutpileckiego.pl/pl/badania/centrum-lemkina/raporty

The reports are available in four language versions: Polish, English, Ukrainian and German, and have been presented both in Poland and abroad.

The collected accounts are not classified, and can thus serve as a material for scholarly analysis or a source of information for journalists, which can be quoted by the media all over the world. As part of the project, the Lemkin Center fosters cooperation with scholars, researchers, historians, lawyers, publicists and archivists, as well as with public institutions, academic centers, Ukrainian archives and NGOs.

More information about the Lemkin Center project can be found at: https://instytutpileckiego.pl/pl/badania/centrum-lemkina