During the tour, visitors will hear some stories about former Białystok and about deportations to Siberia. The main axis will be the fate of Mayor Nowakowski, who, despite not being a native of the city by the Biała River, was tied to it during the 1930s.

Seweryn Nowakowski arrived in Białystok in 1931 as the government commissioner. His time in office led to the beautification of the city, the expansion of the sewer system, and the creation of the boulevards in Planty Park, the community house (today the Aleksander Węgierko Drama Theatre), and the Dojlidy Beach. These are now key landmarks of the city, still popular with the residents of Białystok. Further expansion plans extended beyond 1939, but the war outbreak made everything impossible. Seweryn Nowakowski was arrested by the NKVD at night of October 27–28, 1939, and after a brief stint in prison, every trace of him was gone.

What was the nature of the Soviet repressive machine that impacted the residents of the city and its last Mayor? We invite you to explore this on our special thematic tour.

September 17, 2024, 3:00 p.m.

Free tickets can be received at the ticket office during its working hours. The number of places is limited!

The event is part of the World Day of the Siberians and the 85th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland.