The girls deported from Sokolka region. 1945. Sybir Memorial Museum collection

The photograph shows a group of girls deported from the vicinity of Sokółka. Among them is Feliksa Górewicz, the daughter of a gamekeeper. She was deported with her mother Stefania and brother Wacław on 10 February 1940 from Kopciówka in the Suchowola municipality to the settlement of Taparok in the Irkutsk region. On the back of the photograph there is a faded inscription: “Girls from Siberia: Radziewicz Marysia, Mielnikowa Tonia, Chomczyk Czesia, Olesiuk Tonia, Lukuć Hela, Nosowa Raja, Krauze Kasia, Górewicz Fela, Krauze Zosia, Cieciurko Wikcia, Gierczak Jadzia, Berhard Antoni. Sibir Taparok. 3 VI 1945”. What was the fate of those people visible in the photograph? Who is who?

Epilogue added by the readers of “Świat Sybiru”:

Mrs. Urszula, daughter of Katarzyna Krauze, wrote to us, explaining who is who in the photo: Zofia Krauze is sitting in the second row, second from the right, Katarzyna Krauze is fourth, Feliksa Górewicz is fifth, and Helena Łukuć is sixth. Antoni Bernhardt is sitting in the first row, second from the left. In addition to them, in the photo there are also Maria Rodziewicz, Czesława Chomczyk, Jadwiga Gerczak, Wiktoria Cieciurko, Antonina Olesik, Raisa Nosowa, Antonina Mielnikowa, Tamara Lebiedziowa, and Walentyna Murkina. The photo was taken in the town of Udachny in Siberia 3 on June 1945, “after the bird cherry harvest” (at least according to the information that Mrs. Urszula received from Antoni Bernhardt, who is visible in the photo).

Urszula also attached to her correspondence a scan of the repatriation certificate issued on 20 September 1946. It confirms that Zofia and Katarzyna Krause, together with their mother Aniela, came from Toporok in the Irkutsk oblast (Tayshetsky region) to the Western Territories. We also received from Urszula a longer description of the fate of the Krauze family which includes modern times.

Another Mrs. Urszula (the granddaughter of Feliksa Górewicz) who is visible in the photo contacted us on Facebook and promised to tell us her story. We’ll probably add it soon. So, thanks to you, we’ve managed to almost completely solve the mystery of the first photo. Thank you!