“All the railcars were the same. Each had two small, barred windows near the ceiling. The walls were covered in frost; bedding froze to them, as the temperature dropped to –30°C. In the center of the car stood a small iron stove, and nearby, a hole was cut in the floor for physiological needs. The cars were sealed with iron bars…”
Janina Pilecka-Klem
Over 80 years ago, on the occupied Polish territories, between 1940 and 1941, the Soviets conducted four major deportations. In overcrowded cattle cars, with barely any food or water, they transported at least 330,000 citizens of the Second Polish Republic — primarily ethnic Poles, but also Jews, Belarusians, and Ukrainians. The deportees were mainly resettled in Siberia, Kazakhstan, and the northern regions of the European part of Russia.
The first deportation, on February 10, 1940, came as the greatest shock. Its victims included military settlers (veterans granted land for their service), civilian settlers (residents from central and western Poland who had bought land in the east), and forestry workers with their families. This deportation occurred in temperatures below –30°C. Over 140,000 people were exiled.
Further deportations followed in April 1940, June 1940, and May–June 1941. In the final months of World War II — and even after its end — the Soviets deported tens of thousands more Poles. The last mass deportations, targeting Poles from territories of the Second Polish Republic annexed by the Soviet Union, took place in 1952.
85th Anniversary Events – Deportations to Siberia
JULY 9
11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. – #The Remembered
The main aim of this initiative is to commemorate people who were deported to Siberia along with their families. Join us at the Sybir Memorial Museum, take part in a photo session, and become part of a meaningful commemorative project.
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. – Commemorative Ceremony in front of the Monument of the Sybirak Mother.
9:00 p.m.–12:00 a.m. – “We Remember”
Mapping projections on the building of the Sybir Memorial Museum (from the street Poleska).
JULY 10
3:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m. – “And They Walked and Walked” – guided tour of the permanent exhibition.
Free tickets available from July 4, 2025, at the Museum’s ticket office.
The number of places is limited.
