Legenda i prawda o ocaleniu Krakowa przez żołnierzy radzieckich w 1945 roku.

The Truth and Legend on how Soviet Soldiers Saved Cracow in 1945

The author proves that facts contradiet Koniev's, Korovnikov's and Degtiarev's, the Soviet Union officers, claim that the Germian Army's attempt to blow up Cracow was foiled by the Soviet Army. The number of mines discovered in the city was not sufficient to confirm the German intentions to mine the city.  Koniev declared that he had purposefully let the German troops out to save the city from destruction which could have been caused by heavy street fights. Yet, the author methodically indicates that the Soviet Army intended to encircle the previously outflanked in Cracow German troops. However, Germans managed to withdraw in time, which event made the earlier soviet order suggesting a limited use of artillery and air force irrelevant.  The author explains that the soviet officers desired to grant Cracow a status of a ”saved” city - a gift for the Polish nation. In this way the Soviet Union wanted to make up for Warsaw which the Soviet Army left unattended to be destroyed by Germans after the uprising in 1944.