Exotic Uzbekistan—and within it, sick and starving Polish deportees. This is the first monograph devoted to this little-known chapter of the Polish wartime experience in the Soviet Union. It is a story of the struggle for freedom, dignity, identity, and homeland. It is also a tribute to those who did not survive.

During World War II, tens of thousands of Polish citizens arrived in Uzbekistan. Following the Sikorski–Mayski Agreement and the release of Poles from Soviet imprisonment and exile, many sought to leave labor camps, settlements, mines, and factories. Most headed south in search of a milder climate and better chances of survival. Not only civilians but also the Polish Army under the command of General Władysław Anders reached Central Asia. What awaited them there, however, was not relief but hunger, disease, suffering, and often death. The struggle for survival entered a new phase, while a free Poland remained as distant as ever.

Date: June 17, 2026
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Venue: The Sybir Memorial Museum

Free admission

The book is available in the museum shop and online.