“Finally, on 2 February 1946, we were brought to our destination, which turned out to be Vorkuta. This place, located beyond the Arctic Circle, greeted us with its full severity—snow piled up to the rooftops and biting frost. After leaving the wagons, each of us opened our mouths wide like fish taken out of water; it was hard to tell whether it was due to a lack or an excess of air.” This is how Wiktor Żyzdryń, sentenced by the Soviets in 1945 to 20 years in labour camps, recalled his first moments in Vorkuta.

Żyzdryń spent nearly eleven years there. He worked, among other things, on constructing mine shafts in a coal mine, building barracks for incoming prisoners, loading coal from heaps into wagons, and performing many other tasks—arduous, unending, and carried out regardless of weather conditions.

For years, he had no contact with his family. He received his first letter from Poland only after eight years. From then on, until his release, he maintained regular correspondence with his relatives—one of the things that kept him alive. Wiktor Żyzdryń returned to Poland at the end of 1956.

After retiring, he began to write down his memories. He revisited the years of war and occupation, his underground activity, and his life in the labour camps. He wrote about hard work, hope for returning home, fervent prayer, and fellow prisoners he met in the camp. He admitted that there were also darker days, when he was convinced that his end was near and that he would never see the world beyond the camp again. What emerged is a powerful and compelling account of difficult times, but also of the strength of hope and faith in God.

The discussion devoted to the life and memoirs of Wiktor Żyzdryń will feature:

– Prof. Małgorzata Perigot-Grygielewicz – a close relative of the author,
– Anna Pyżewska – researcher at the Scientific Department of the President Seweryn Nowakowski Research Institute at the Sybir Memorial Museum, responsible for editing Żyzdryń’s memoirs,
– Marcin Zwolski, PhD – historian and Head of the Scientific Department of the President Seweryn Nowakowski Research Institute at the Sybir Memorial Museum.

Date: April 9, 2026, 6:00 p.m.
Venue: the Sybir Memorial Museum
Free admission

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