Volunteers for General Anders’ Army in Airtau, Kazakhstan. 3 II 1942. Sybir Memorial Museum collection

The Polish-Soviet military agreement of 14 August 1941 assumed the creation of an army consisting of Polish citizens living in the Soviet Union. Released from the forced-labour camps and prisons, ex-soldiers and civilians reported to recruitment points. Among them, there were people from this photograph.

On the reverse side, there is a note showing the surnames of the people: “A memento from Sybir on 3.2.1942 in Airtau. The departure of the Poles to the army (!). Those who went: Rosalski with his sister, Sterynowicz, and Młynarz. The rest of the Polish community stayed on Sybir: T. Guwlik with sons, the Koźlukowscy family, Girska, Domańska, Mutulis, Radaszewska, Szpilewska, Astachowa, Kwiatkowska, Dymicz, Kowalowa with her daughter, Wundałowska, Lebiedajczewska, Borowska with her son, Bieguny, Maslow, Siedlecka, […], Kolomyia.”

What was the fortune of those people? Did they manage to return to Poland? Did they die of exhaustion or diseases? Did they die in combat? Were they wandering around the world until the end of their days?