Gallery – “Amnesty” for the innocent

After the "Amnesty" Katarzyna Prociuk, exiled in Kazakhstan until 1945, was entitled to 250 rubles as the wife of a senior officer in the Polish Army (Aleksander Prociuk was a Captain, held as a POW in Oflag, Germany). This note is from the Polish Delegatura in Kustanaj, Kazakhstan, 1942.

Halina Prociuk

During WWII

Kazakhstan

A fragment of the telegram sent by the grandfather Stanislaw Sys to my grandmother Irena Sys. The address is shown as “Kras. Krai, Rudnik Kamonar, Ul. Dzerzinskaja, Nr 66. Telegram to Krasnojarski Kraj from Tatiszczewo - something is mentioned here in the bottom line as 950 - maybe Stanisław was sending Irena money in rubles so she could get to him ?

Ryszard Sys

During WWII

Russia

Document allowing my grandmother to travel and get food. The document was issued at the 5th Infantry Division of the Polish Army, in Tatiszczewo, USSR, 27 Oct 1941. "Udostawierenije" - document allowing to travel, issued for Irena Sys (born in 1907), wife of sergeant Stanisław Sys, and her children - sons : Czesław, Edward and daughter - Maria. Stanisław Sys was at that time soldier of 5th Infantry Division. It allowed them to get bread as well as to travel within USSR. What is amazing here that it was signed by Zygmunt Berling (future general), but in Cyrillic !

Ryszard Sys

During WWII

Russia

Document allowing my grandmother to travel and get food. The document was issued at the 5th Infantry Division of the Polish Army, in Tatiszczewo, USSR, 27 Oct 1941. "Udostawierenije" - document allowing to travel, issued for Irena Sys (born in 1907), wife of sergeant Stanisław Sys, and her children - sons : Czesław, Edward and daughter - Maria. Stanisław Sys was at that time soldier of 5th Infantry Division. It allowed them to get bread as well as to travel within USSR. What is amazing here that it was signed by Zygmunt Berling (future general), but in Cyrillic !

Ryszard Sys

During WWII

Russia

Release Papers from the Soviet Gulag

Stephen Stelmaszuk

During WWII

Russia

Photo has "Teheran" on the back so it must be 1942 post Siberia which would make Tekla 17, though she looks much younger.

Photo has "Teheran" on the back so it must be 1942 post Siberia which would make Tekla 17, though she looks much younger.

Louise's grandmother's map 1. Submitted by Louise Blazejowska. This part of the map is of Cental/Southern Russia from Tambor to Penza to Samara and Uralsk. This section includes very important places for us; namely Buzuluk and Tockoye by Samara (Kuybishev) where Gen. Anders started to form the Polish Forces. The circles are around Penza, Samara, Saratov and Carycyn. Saratov was linked up to Tatishchevo where a Polish hospital was established and again it was a major joining point for Poles entering the Army. I believe that Penza and Carycyn are incidental line-changing places. The names of places on the maps are of old style and many have been changed on modern maps. The place names are useful to us as many people have some kind of documents marked in that style. These maps cover the area of Russia and not the present day Kazachstan (noted by Antoni Kazimierski)

Louise Blazejowska

During WWII

Russia

Louise's grandmother's map 2. Submitted by Louise Blazejowska. These maps are part of a large map of central Russia - war period issue - showing mainly a section of Trans-Siberian rail line from Moscow via Samara to Krasnoyarsk with a link from Archangielsk via Vologda, Vietka and Perm escaping the Ural Mountains. Perm to Krasnoyarsk section has practically all major stations marked up and named.

Louise Blazejowska

During WWII

Russia

Regina's mother in 1941

Regina Gasztold

Before WWII

Poland

Regina's sister in 1941

Regina Gasztold

Before WWII

Poland

Wilno

The above photo is of Basia Sgrunowska and Farynka Sgrunowska on the train from Lugova to Krasnowodzk (in the evacuation to Persia after their deportation to the USSR), 23 March 1942 (from the private archives of Zofia Jordanowska - courtesy of VideoFact).

Zofia Jordanowska

During WWII

Uzbekistan

Poematy Mickiewicza - z biblioteki Polskiej Szkoły w Jurijewcu Mickiewicz's poems - from the Polish School's library in Jurijewiec

Kuszewska photo collection

During WWII

Soviet Union

Jurijewiec

Polska Szkoła w Jurijewcu - klasa VII Adela Kuszewska w pierwszym rzędzie po prawej; Polish School in Jurijewiec - VII class Adela Kuszewska in the first row, first on the right

Kuszewska photo collection

During WWII

Soviet Union

Jurijewiec

Adela Kuszewska - zaświadczenie o pobycie w Jurijewcu (tłumaczenie na j. polski); certificate on the exile in Jurijewiec (translation into Polish)

Adela Kuszewska - zaświadczenie o pobycie w Jurijewcu (oryginał w j. rosyjskim); certificate - on the exile in Jurijewiec (original doc in Russian)

Map of the route to Kazakhstan, 1942

Andrew Syska

During WWII

Russia

Travel log Page 3, 1942

Andrew Syska

During WWII

Russia

Travel log Page 2, 1942

Andrew Syska

During WWII

Russia

Travel log Page 1, 1942

Andrew Syska

During WWII

Russia

Polish 2nd Corps in Italy (Gen. Anders)

Exhausted deportees crossing the desert

Alicja Edwards

During WWII

Illustration showing the deportees waiting to be evacuated from the USSR to Persia

Alicja Edwards

During WWII

Alicja R Edwards Art Work – Exodus from Siberia

Alicja Edwards

During WWII

Uzbekistan

Alicja R Edwards Art Work – They Called Us DPs - "per apera ad astram ... when God was our witness and walked us toward freedom..." 1942

Alicja Edwards

During WWII

Alicja R Edwards Art Work – Sailing to freedom

Alicja Edwards

During WWII

The journey - with many alarms - took over a week but they reached their destination, Kotlas.

Telesfor Sobierajski

During WWII

Russia

In September 1941 the commandant informed them that they were free and could travel to Uzbekistan where a Polish army was being formed. As soon as they had built rafts they left the camp.

Telesfor Sobierajski

During WWII

Russia

Sprawiedliwość Soviecka_Ryc35 - public domain

Sprawiedliwość Sowiecka, by S Mora and P Zwierniek, Włochy 1945

During WWII

Poland

A railway station buffet is besieged by released prisoners at one of the stations.

The Sikorski Polish Club, Glasgow, Scotland

During WWII

Poland

Amnesty was granted by Stalin following the Sikorsku-Majesky agreement. These ex-prisoners were later evacuated to the Middle East, to form a 75,000-strong army.

The Sikorski Polish Club, Glasgow, Scotland

During WWII

Poland