POLISH CEMETERIES IN IRAN

POLISH CEMETERIES IN IRAN



In the period of March - September 1942 Polish Armed Forces were evacuated from the Soviet Union into Iran, and than to Iraq and Palestine. Among about 114 thousand people, there were 25 thousand civilians including more than 13 thousand children. For those civilians Iran became for more than two years the second home, especially for children of whom considerable part were orphans. In Isfahan there were almost twenty boarding schools established for them.
State of health of majority of repatries was very bad. Weakness and epidemic diseases have caused many deaths. There are two Polish cemeteries, six Polish sections and several single Polish graves at different cemeteries in Iran - all together 2806 graves, including 650 military graves (none of the Polish officers and soldiers buried in Iran was killed in action - they died of weakness and epidemic diseases):

-Tehran, Dulab-Polish Cemetery - 1892 graves (408 military graves);

-Bandar-Anzali-Polish Cemetery, situated by Armenian Cemetery - 639 graves (163 military graves)

-Tehran-Polish section at the Jewish Cemetery - 56 graves (13 military graves);

-Ahwaz-Polish section at catholic cemetery - 102 graves (22 military graves);

-Mashad-Polish section at Armenian Cemetery - 29 graves (16 military graves);

-Isfahan-Polish section at Armenian Cemetery - 18 graves (1 military grave);

-Tehran, Golhak-British War Cemetery - 10 military graves;

-Khoramshahr-Polish section at catholic cemetery - 5 military graves;



There are also two Polish graves-relics of the past:

-The grave of Teodor MIRANOWICZ, Envoy of H.M. the King of Poland, died and buried in Isfahan, December 26th 1686;

-The grave of general Antoni RADZIWILL de BOROWSKI, died in Tehran, January 21st 1898, buried at French Catholic Cemetery, Dulab, Tehran.

In the written memories of repatries Iran appears as a wonderful country of sun and very friendly and hospitable people. Some of Poles impressed by such a beautiful country have settled here, married citizens. Now the third and forth generations of those people are cultivating traditions of their Iranian and Polish parents.