As opposed to standard exhibitions in urban space, the exhibition “The Past Through the Eyes of the Present. Białystok ’39’ was not limited to one location. It consists of five elements that can be found in the city space within one short walk. Individual fragments can be found on the square in front of the Aleksander Węgierko Drama Theatre, in the courtyard of the Branicki Palace, at Kościuszki Square and Lipowa Street — on the corner of Malmeda Street and in front of the St. Roch’s Church.

The choice of these locations is related to the title of the exhibition. September 1939 marked the beginning of the most tragic period in the history of Poland for both Białystok, and the whole country — World War II. The first weeks of the war brought two occupations to Białystok: first one week-long German occupation, and then the Soviet one, which lasted until June 1941.

Thanks to the offer of the Sybir Memorial Museum, any interested person can see what Białystok looked like 84 years ago under the rule of both occupants and learn about the history of the city and individual buildings where the events of not only local, but also international importance took place.

Short distance between the individual elements of the exhibition allows you to visit them all in a relatively short time. As a result, they may be an interesting destination for family walks.

The authors of the exhibition are Magdalena Zięckowska-Tuchlińska (concept), Dorota Klimowicz-Bałtromiuk (graphics) and Piotr Bosko (texts).

The partner of the project is the Medical University of Bialystok.

The exhibition is on display until September 23, 2023.