The occasional meeting was attended by representatives of Siberian organizations and Sybiraks, friends of the Museum. Jolanta Hryniewicka, the recently elected President of the Sybiraków Association in Bialystok, was also present. She was accompanied by Wanda Kościuczuk, Secretary and Barbara Sokólska, Treasurer of the same Branch.

We also had the opportunity to host Janina Rutkowska, the founder of the Community of Siberian Grandchildren in Bialystok and Agnieszka Markiewicz-Cybulska, President of the Katyn Family Association in Bialystok.

Among the gathered was the representation of the 100th Anniversary of Women Association headed by Bożena Bednarek. Jolanta Wolągiewicz from the Podlasie Seniors Association also came.

The gathered women were welcomed by the Director of the Sybir Memorial Museum, Professor Wojciech Śleszyński: — We are very pleased to welcome all the women on the eve of such an important holiday as International Women’s Day. We appreciate the role of women in our everyday lives, we also understand the role of women, mothers far away in Siberia — he said.

“Song of the Siberian Woman” with music by Marcin Nagnajewicz opened the concert performed by vocalist Weronika Bochat and pianist Karina Komendera. Touching words flowed: “I remember you, Woman, Mother, I am the guardian of memory (…) This is a song for you…”.

Among the following songs, we heard, among others, songs by Kuba Badach, Aretha Franklin and Anna Maria Jopek. The performance ended with Sanah’s hit to Wisława Szymborska’s poem “Nothing Happens Twice”.

During the event, Jolanta Hryniewicka, the President of the Sybiraks’ Union in Białystok, spoke. After listening to the concert, she did not hide her emotions. — On behalf of all the gathered women, I would like to thank the entire cast, the entire community of the Sybir Memorial Museum for preparing such a wonderful artistic part, which delighted us all and awakened in our hearts longing and nostalgia for those times when we were so beautiful, young and now we are a bit like overgrown Siberians, but still beautiful. We will always be young at heart. The Director spoke about our Siberian mothers, indeed our mothers, being on inhuman land, did not have such respect, such honor, such an opportunity as we do today. We are participating in a wonderful celebration prepared by our wonderful friends. — she said.

Bożena Bednarek, the author of the words to “Songs about the Sybir Woman”, also spoke, the performance of which was part of the artistic program of the event. – The 100th Anniversary of Women started last year to implement a project called “Kobieta Sybiru. The right to memory. We released an album, a song was written, beautifully recorded, and a film was made about it. In turn, this year we took up the project entitled. “Glag Woman”. This will be the second part of the project. These are collected stories of ordinary women and twenty poems that were written especially for this occasion. I am touched — she admitted.

Thank you to all the ladies who accepted our invitation and spent this nice afternoon with us. We wish all women – especially Siberian women, their descendants, as well as people involved in preserving the memory of Siberia – health and happiness.

We would like to remind you that on the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Sybir Memorial Museum has prepared a surprise: ladies who come to visit the permanent exhibition on March 8 will be able to use the audioguide free of charge in any language of their choice.

All those interested in women’s topics will surely be pleased with our promotion on the occasion of International Women’s Day: from Tuesday, March 7 to Thursday, March 9, in our museum shop (both stationary and online) publications about women will be available at special prices.

You are welcome!