The outdoor exhibition, consisting of nine transparent boards, once again appears in the heart of Białystok. It encourages residents and visitors to take a walk along the city’s historical paths. The panels have been placed in several locations: in front of the Dramatic Theatre, in the courtyard of the Branicki Palace, on Kościuszko Market Square, at the corner of Lipowa and Malmeda streets, in front of St. Roch’s Church, on Mickiewicza Street near the Alfa shopping center, and on Branicki Square near the Władysław Bartoszewski Bridge.
Each board presents the outlines of pre-World War II buildings or landmarks, allowing viewers to compare their historical appearance with the present-day cityscape. The walk can begin at any point, as each panel tells the story of a different building and the events connected with it.
During today’s press conference, held near the main gate of the Branicki Palace, by the Władysław Bartoszewski Bridge, Professor Wojciech Śleszyński, Director of the Sybir Memorial Museum, spoke about the idea behind the exhibition:
“We are standing before the gate to the Branicki Palace, in the place where the Ritz Hotel once stood. From this very spot, a photograph was taken in 1940. On September 15, the Germans occupied our city, and on September 17, the Soviet aggression began. This installation is meant to remind us of those tragic events, while also offering the opportunity to compare today’s urban space with that of the years 1939–1941,” he explained.
Rafał Rudnicki, Deputy Mayor of Białystok, emphasized the significance of the project:
“Through initiatives like this, the Sybir Memorial Museum strives to remind the people of Białystok of the city’s past—a past that, due to its location, was marked by immense tragedy. These boards show what Białystok looked like during the Soviet occupation. I believe that this kind of living history lesson is extremely important,” he concluded.
The exhibition “The Past through the Eyes of the Present. Białystok ’39,” on view until September 28, 2025, opens the commemoration of the World Day of the Sybirak as well as the 86th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland.
We invite all those interested in the history of Białystok to take a walk and discover the stories of the city and its buildings—places where events of not only local, but also international significance took place.
The exhibition was created by Magdalena Zięckowska-Tuchlińska (concept), Dorota Klimowicz-Bołtromiuk (graphics), and Piotr Bosko (texts).
