“From June 29-30, 1928, the 1st Congress of Sybiraks took place in the Main Hall of Warsaw University of Technology. The session was attended by about two thousand people, including the President of the Republic of Poland, Ignacy Mościcki. The most important effect of the Congress was the establishment of the Association of Siberian Deportees, which was managed by the Main Board,” we can read in the latest issue of “Zesłaniec”, devoted to the 95th anniversary of the establishment of the Association of Siberian Deportees.

We celebrated this anniversary at the Sybir Memorial Museum on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. The members of the Association of Siberian Deportees — the president of the Main Board, Kordian Borejko, came from Gdańsk himself were our guests of honour. There were also the representatives of the Bialystok Branch, with its president, Jolanta Hryniewicka at its head.

We were honored by the presence of the representatives of authorities: Deputy Mayor of the City of Białystok Przemysław Tuchliński, Deputy Voivode of Podlasie Bogusława Szczerbińska and Deputy Minister of Education Dariusz Piontkowski.

The Mayor of Bialystok, Tadeusz Truskolaski, prepared a personal message to the Sybiraks, which was viewed during the meeting. “You and your memories are the heart of the Sybir Memorial Museum and the guarantor that the memory of Siberia will last” — he said. “Thank you that we can use your knowledge and experience you share, especially with the youngest,” he stressed.

There were speeches, congratulatory letters and some music. And a moving moment when the “Hymn of Sybiraks” was played.

Thank you to everyone, who was with us that day at the Sybir Memorial Museum!

To all interested in the history of the Association of Siberian Deportees, we recommend the second issue of “Zesłaniec” Magazine, in which Wojciech Marciniak, PhD, vividly describes it. You will also find texts about the grandchildren of Sybiraks, the January Uprising and more. We encourage you to read!