Questions & Answers from the 12th February 2022 Kresy Family Zoom event chat
Question:Does the museum recognise those that were arrested as enemies of the state and imprisoned prior to deportation.
Answer: Yes, these events are covered by the museum
Question: Does the exhibit address what happened to the deportees after they were released, such as those who ended up in Uzbekistan or Kazakhstan?
Question: Is there an exhibit about the fate of those who were fortunate to evacuate as a result of the Sikorski-Majski agreement?
Answer: Yes, both are covered by the museum; those that remained in the Soviet Union throughout the 2nd World War and those that managed to escape with the Anders Army via Persia.
Question: Red Snow by Telesfor Sobierajski; Song for Kresy by Helena Bitner-Glindzicz; Deportation, Exodus and a New Life - Adventures of a Young Pole in Exile by Ryszard Staniaszek; The Journey by Kazia Myers are just 4 of the books relating the experiences of Poles deported to Siberia that have been published. Please let me know of others...
Answer: 495 titles are listed on the polishexilesofww2.org website here. I would recommend “Finding Poland” by Matthew Kelly.
Question: Does the museum have a bookshop where people can buy the book produced by the Veritas Foundation in London documenting the stories of those deported to Siberia, published both in Polish and in English.
Answer: "Stalin's Ethnic Cleansing in Eastern Poland, Tales of the Deported 1940-1941" published by Veritas Foundation is an excellent book with many, many witness memories. Extracts from the book are available on our website here and the book can be purchased here
Question: I would like to be in contact with other descendants of deportees (my grandparents were prisoners in Komi). Is there a Facebook group or other social media gathering place?
Answer - Th Kresy Family Facebook group was set up with exactly this aim. Please join us here
Question: Is there an online resource where we can find out who was affected by each of the deportations — which villages, which types of people, and where they were sent? All I know is my father was living in Nowogródek at the time and his dad was arrested in the middle of the night and sent to Siberia. I don’t know of a specific place and can’t seem to find any record of him.
Answer: There are many accounts by survivors of the deportations on the Kresy Family website - Quite a few are about life in the province of Nowogródek before the war and of their experience of deportation and exile.
Question: My father recalled being in a huge prison in Kharkiv where he had a trial that he did not attend. He was sentenced to hard labour and sent to a forestry work camp. Does anyone know if there is any evidence of the prison in Khakiv?
Answer: Kharkiv prison is shown on our Kresy Family Google map here.
The Chronicles of Terror website has copies of many witness statements of the deported. You can find witness statements from 82 persons imprisoned in Kharkiv here. Some are translated into English.
Question: My father has spoken of Kara Suu camp outside of which he lived with his family until they could go on with the army towards Krasnovodsk and to freedom.
Answer: Kara Suu is shown on our Kresy Family Google map here.
The Chronicles of Terror website has copies of many witness statements of the deported. You can find witness statements that mention Kara Suu here. Some are translated into English.
Question: Have anyone's parents talked of deportation to Usk Usa in Siberia?
Answer: Ust Usa is shown on our Kresy Family Google map here.
The Chronicles of Terror website has copies of many witness statements of the deported. You can find witness statements that mention Ust-Usa here. Some are translated into English.
Question: I am looking to connect with other Brits whose grandparents or great grandparents may have been in the PRC in Magull, Liverpool, please contact me; mariasolecki@gmail.com thank you
Answer: There are over 1,200 members on the Kresy Family Facebook page where you can place your request and reach a greater audience.
There are lots of details on the Maghull camp on the Polish Resettlement Camps in the UK website here.
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Muzeum Pamieci Sybiru
Marcin Zwolski: Thanks to everyone for nice words. Once again, if anyone have any questions, please write to me: m.zwolski@sybir.bialystok.pl
You can also visit website: sybir.bialystok.pl/en/ and our social media:
www.facebook.com/muzeumpamiecisybiru
twitter.com/muzeum_weglowa
Wojciech Bardowski:
Thank you very much for the opportunity to perform in front of you. If any of you are interested in my CD's or recordings please contact with me by email: w.bardowski@gmail.com
Nicola Werenowska: nicolawerenowska.co.uk
Recording of the commemoration held on 12th February 2022 is available here
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Twitter@KresyFamily
Kresy Family website research links are available here:https://www.kresyfamily.com/family-research-links.html
You can view our Kresy Family research webinars on YouTube