In a dark evening in November we met in the nicely arranged Museum’s multimedia room. During the evening we mentioned Sybiraks who have gone to eternity. We were listening to memories, music and poetry.

The director of the Sybir Memorial Museum, Wojciech Śleszyński, PhD, emphasized in his speech: “The museum always wholeheartedly remembers about Sybiraks, You are the most important to us”. The pandemic accompanying over the last two years has also depleted the Sybiraks’ community. “We know that many Sybiraks have passed away, so let’s devote a minute of silence to all of them,” pleaded Śleszyński, PhD.

As a part of the evening we remembered the Sybiraks, especially connected to the Museum. These were: Antoni Filip Przewłocki, Tadeusz Rymaszewski, Zbigniew Siemaszko, Eugenia Stolarczyk, Janusz Pietrzak, Józef Dzikowski, Walenty Jabłoński, Stanisława Deresz, Krystyna Zawadzka, Janina Lewczyk, Heronima Dzierma and Karolina Kaczorowska.

We experienced moments of deep reflection on life and death. We listened to excerpts from the testimonies left by the Dead. We saw beautiful, old photographs, in which they appeared as young, joyful, unaware of the future awaiting for them — some with Bialystok in the background, which is no longer there. And those, where they were already experienced in life, gray-haired, surrounded by their families, with little grandchildren on their laps.

Music made by Sensum Quartet gave an mazing mood. The musicians played the original, stirring arrangements of the folk tunes of the Western Poland. The molar sounds provided the setting for a carefully prepared photo show. There even was poetry — a poet and Sybirak, Aleksandra Nowacka read us her poem.

The chairman of the Bialystok branch of the Sybiraks’ Association, Tadeusz Chwiedź, shared his reflection: “More and more of us go to eternity. Who will be next? Only you know, Lord… ” — he paraphrased a poem by Aleksandra Nowacka.