Tadeusz Węgrzyński’s family, before 13 April 1940. From the Sybir Memorial Museum collection

Tadeusz Węgrzyński’s family lived at 21 Kochanowskiego Street in Białystok before the war. The Soviets deported them in the second deportation, on 13 April 1940, to Kazakhstan.

“Around three o’clock in the morning, neighbours came and informed us that the Soviets were deporting all the families in an unknown direction. We fled the house and started wandering the streets. Empty, cold, dark, because it was still April. Nothing was known. In the morning we decided to go back. A while later a car pulled up in front of the house. The Soviets got out, four surrounded the house, one – an officer – went inside. Mum immediately started to pack. And he looked at us and said: ‘Are you, khazyaika [madam], packing? Ah, yes. […] ‘I heard that you’re taking us to my husband,’ she replied. ‘Ah, so. Pack your bags then. You have 15 minutes (…).’ They loaded us onto the car and drove us to Hetmańska Street, under the tunnel. There we saw the wagons waiting. They packed us inside and we started the journey. We travelled for almost a month until we reached Pavlodar (…).”