In northern Russia, on the White Sea, lies the Solovetsky Archipelago — six larger and over one hundred smaller islands with a total area of about 300 km². The climate here is extremely harsh: the sea surrounds the islands on all sides, while their interior is filled with numerous lakes and marshlands. Winters bring severe frost and strong winds, and summers are plagued by swarms of insects. For centuries, the archipelago served the tsars as a place of exile for political opponents. After the Bolshevik Revolution, the new authorities quickly made use of this remote location — in 1920, the first forced labour camp was established here, and in 1923 the Solovetsky Special Purpose Camp (SLON) was officially created. SLON, described among others by Prof. Wojciech Śleszyński in his book The First Soviet Camp. The Solovetsky Islands (1920–1939), became the model for the entire later Gulag system. Although the camp complex itself was liquidated in 1937, the methods developed there continued to be used in labour camps throughout the Soviet Union.
Another tragic trace of the Stalinist system can be found in northern Russia — the so-called Dead Road, an unfinished railway line built after World War II by Gulag prisoners in the remote regions of the area. The remains of tracks, embankments, and labour camps still bear witness to the scale of violence that accompanied Soviet economic and military projects.
Wojciech Ostrowski — photographer, filmmaker, and polar explorer — will speak about the history of these places and his experiences from expeditions to the Dead Road and the Solovetsky Islands. He is a director, editor, and sound engineer who has worked for years with Video Studio Gdańsk and the Gdynia Film School, including on documentary projects about the history of old Gdańsk cinemas. For his work, he has been awarded the Silver Medal for Merit to Culture “Gloria Artis,” the “Distinguished Cultural Activist” badge, and the Gdańsk Mayor’s Award in the field of culture. He accompanied Marek Kamiński with a camera during his expedition to the North Pole and on three trips to Antarctica. He has also documented expeditions to Siberia, Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land, and the Solovetsky Islands. During the event, the author will share his travel experiences, reflections on the history of these places, and photographic material captured during his journeys.
Date: 11 December 2025, 6:00 p.m.
Venue: The Sybir Memorial Museum, 1 Węglowa Street
Tickets: 10 PLN (reduced), 15 PLN (regular)
