The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Rzeszów Branch of the Association of Siberian Deportees, including Józef Sieńko, Chairman of the Board, and Danuta Zedania, a member of the board, as well as representatives of the Institute of National Remembrance, the Rzeszów Branch, and Provincial Independent Self-Governing Trade Union of Police Officers. Representatives of the Białystok Branch of the Association of Siberian Deportees, led by its president, Jolanta Hryniewicka, as weel as, Jerzy Bołtuć, Chairman of the Podlasie Association of Memory of Siberian Exiles and Provincial Governor for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression were also present. Students from Primary School No. 4, named after the Siberian Deportees in Białystok, also attended the event.

Józef Sieńko, President of the Rzeszów Branch, shared the history of the banner and the decision to donate it to the Museum:

“The banner of the Rzeszów Branch of the Association of Siberian Deportees was funded by its members. The guiding principle was the maxim: ‘Siberian Deportees, for themselves and the community of the Rzeszów Voivodeship, in memory of the Soviet massive deportations to Siberia.’ In 1993, Bishop Kazimierz Górny, then Ordinary of diocese Rzeszów, blessed the banner. Since then, the colour guard and the banner have actively participated in patriotic and religious ceremonies and other events in the Podkarpackie region and Poland for almost 32 years. Members of the Rzeszów branch, along with the color guard, often participated in the International March of Memory of Siberian Deportees in Białystok. Due to its general destruction, that arose as a result of the passing of time, the banner was decommissioned and replaced with an exact replica funded by the Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression. In June 2024, the Rzeszów Branch Management decided to donate the withdrawn banner to the Sybir Memorial Museum in Białystok,” he said.

Danuta Zedania, a board member of the Rzeszów branch and born in Siberia, also took the floor. She shared the poignant story of her mother, who, as a very young girl, was sentenced to seven years in a labor camp and deported to Siberia.

Jolanta Hryniewicka, President of the Białystok Branch of the Association of Siberian Deportees, addressed the students attending the ceremony:

“I warmly welcome the students of the Siberian Deportees Primary School No. 4. I hope this ceremony will be a testament to how a banner can be handed over and how people lived during their exile, just because they were Polish. Dear young people, remember what my predecessor said – the tragic fate of a young girl who wanted to fight for Poland and was exiled for it. A banner is pride and joy of its branch. Donating it to such a right institution as the Sybir Memorial Museum is truly commendable,” she said.

The event also provided a unique opportunity to present Medals for Merit for contributions to the Rzeszów Branch of the Association of Siberian Deportees. Among the awarded were:  Professor Wojciech Śleszyński, Director of the Sybir Memorial Museum, Jolanta Hryniewicka, President of the Białystok Branch of the Association of Siberian Deportees, and Jerzy Bołtuć, Chairman of the Podlasie Association of Memory of Siberian Exiles.