The body of Polish President Lech Kaczynski - who died along with 95 others when their plane crashed in Russia - has arrived back in Warsaw.
The president's body was given a full military honours at Warsaw airport.
Boguslaw Staron, a 70-year-old from Warsaw, described Mr Kaczynski as "a great patriot".
"He taught Poles how to respect our traditions, how to fight for our dignity, and he made his sacrifice there at that tragic place," he said.
Poles gathered in town squares and in the streets at midday (1000 GMT) and stood silently to mark the tragedy, as church bells rang and emergency sirens wailed around them.