The main theme of this year’s event was winter – a symbol of the harsh experiences endured by deportees. The musical experience was complemented by multimedia, which allowed participants to delve deeper into the fate of people deported to Siberia.
“This year marks the 85th anniversary of the first mass deportation to the East. Exactly 85 years ago, at this time, trains were heading towards Siberia. That night, the temperaturę was even -30 degrees Celsius. While listening to this music, let us take a moment to remember those painful events from the past. Sometimes we don’t know where we are going, but it is extremely importent to remember where we come from and to know our history,” said Professor Wojciech Śleszyński, Director of the Sybir Memorial Museum, during the opening ceremony.
The ambient evening was opened by Dtekk, also known as Jędrzej Dondziło – a DJ and promoter from Białystok, cultural activist, and programming director of the Electrum Up to Date festival. Following his set, participants of Siberian Ambient Salon had the opportunity to listen to Aksamit – a DJ and sound enthusiast known for her ability to craft narratives and deliver emotionally moving performances.
The event, which has been organized by the Sybir Memorial Museum for three years now enjoys unflagging popularity and tickets are always sold out very quickly. Although the idea of Ambient Salon remains the same – presenting history in an unconventional way – each edition features a distinct theme.
“During the first Siberian Ambient Salon, apart form music, we also heard fragments of memoirs of Sibiraks. The second edition focused on the native people of Siberia, so in that case, throat singing complemented music. During the third one, the sounds of cracking ice, whistling wind or the sound of thunder were the musical binder. Selecting the leitmotifs, we want, above all, to make our audiences reflect and talk about Siberia through music,” emphasised Karolina Mosiej-Zambrano PhD, an employee of the Sybir Memorial Museum and initiator of Siberian Ambient Salon.
Siberian Ambient Salon is an event that fits into the celebrations schedule of the first mass deportation of Polish citizens to Siberia. Through music and the shared experience it creates, we pay tribute to Sybiraks, remembering their struggles and resilience. It is a space for reflection, combining history with artistic sensibility.
