Maria Helena Kaczyńska (Polish pronunciation: [ˈmarja kaˈt͡ʂɨj̃ska]; née Mackiewicz [mat͡sˈkʲɛvit͡ʂ]; 21 August 1942^[a] – 10 April 2010) was the First Lady of Poland from 2005 to 2010 as the wife of President Lech Kaczyński.^[1][2] She and her husband died in a plane crash in the Russian city of Smolensk.

Kaczyńska was born in Machava (near Kabylnik, now Belarus),^[3][4] the daughter of Lidia and Czesław Mackiewicz.^[5] Her father fought in the Vilnius Armia Krajowa (Home Army), while an uncle fought in the Polish II Corps of Gen. Władysław Anders at the Battle of Monte Cassino; another uncle was murdered by the NKVD (Soviet secret police)^[6] at Katyń.^[5]

Kaczyńska attended primary and secondary schools in Rabka Zdrój in southern Poland. She studied transport economics and foreign trade in Sopot at what is now the University of Gdańsk.^[5] After graduating in 1966, she worked at the Maritime Institute in Gdańsk, where she met Lech Kaczyński in 1976. They married in 1978,^[5] and had a daughter.^[5] In addition to her native Polish, Maria Kaczyńska spoke four languages such as English, French and some Spanish and Russian.^[5]

On 10 April 2010, 10:41 MSD (06:41 UTC), Maria Kaczyńska, and her husband, Polish President Lech Kaczyński, both died when the Polish Air Force Tupolev Tu-154M they were aboard crashed while attempting to land at Smolensk-North Airport in the Russian city of Smolensk. All 89 passengers on board and the seven crew members were killed.^[7] The Kaczyńskis were traveling with several senior government figures on a trip to mark the 70-year anniversary of the World War II Katyn Massacre, where thousands of Polish military officers were executed by the NKVD.^[8]

She was buried along with her husband on 18 April 2010 in the Wawel Cathedral.^[9] Her diary was found by her daughter after her death, sparking an interest among many publishers who desired to buy it and release it. However, Marta Kaczyńska-Dubieniecka said the diary was too precious for her to sell and also explained that she was not likely to reveal its content.^[10]

Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (16 April 2010, posthumously)

Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great (15 April 2009, Lithuania)^[11]

Xirka Ġieħ ir-Repubblika (26 January 2009, Malta)

Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry (1 September 2008, Portugal)

Dame Grand Cross of the Order pro merito Melitensi (14 May 2007)

^a According to the list of passports of the Tu-154 flight.^[12][13] Some media gives her date of birth as 21 August 1943.^[2][14]