The press conference dedicated to the upcoming commemoration of the World Day of the Sybiraks and the 85th anniversary of Celebration of the World Day of the Sybiraks and the 85th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland was held today at the Sybir Memorial Museum. The conference was attended by the Deputy Mayor of the city of Białystok, Rafal Rudnicki and the Director of the Sybir Memorial Museum, Professor Wojciech Śleszyński.

This year’s celebrations were inaugurated with an outdoor exhibition titled “The Past Through the Eyes of the Present. Białystok ’39,” accessible in the city center. This exhibition, unlike traditional expositions, is not limited to a single location, allowing it to be widely accessible and draw attention to the tragic events of September 1939.

Numerous events were planned as part of commemoration, including a special tour of the permanent exhibition titled “I’ll Tell You My Story,” with the participation of Sybiraks.

“Sybiraks and their testimony are at the center of our attention. That’s why we invite you to visit the exhibition, where you can meet a Sybirak and hear his own story,” said Professor Wojciech Śleszyński, Director of the Sybir Memorial Museum.

One of the crucial moments of this year’s celebrations will be the unveiling of a monument of Seweryn Nowakowski, the last pre-war Mayor of Bialystok, at Kościałkowski Boulevards. The monument, which will be ceremonially unveiled on September 16, is intended to commemorate Nowakowski’s  contributions. He died because of the Soviet repressions. Moreover, the open-air exhibition “Seweryn Nowakowski”, prepared by the Scientific Department – Seweryn Nowakowski Research Institute, will be opened on the same day.

The main day of celebration is September 17, when residents of Białystok will have the opportunity to take part in the anniversary commemoration of the Soviet aggression. On that day there will also be a special exhibition tour titled “Seweryn Nowakowski – the last pre-war Mayor of the city” and a mapping “17.09 We Remember”, which symbolically evokes memories of those tragic events.

The Deputy Mayor of the city of Białystok, Rafal Rudnicki, encouraging to participate in the events, emphasized their exceptional importance:

“I encourage you to participate in the World Day of the Sybiraks and the ceremonies accompanying these celebrations. Let’s come together to express our respect and honor to the victims of those events.”

The commemoration of the World Day of the Sybiraks will conclude with the international conference “Memory of Generations,” to be held on September 20 and 21.