Their mother died in exile, their father was killed in the battle of Lenino, 1943 Oct. 12-13). Therefore, from 1943, Marysia (standing on the left in the photograph with her doll), Bolek and Romek Malec stayed at the orphanage for Polish orphans in Zagorsk in the Moscow region. This was the fate of the thousands of Polish children who were deported with their parents deep into the Soviet Union in 1940-1941, to be carried away.

Already after the war, at the end of 1945, in order to efficiently organise the return of children to Poland, the Zagorsk orphanage was transformed into the Central Evacuation Orphanage. In 1946, Polish orphans from Zagorsk were repatriated to Poland. Who else stayed in Zagorsk in 1945? Is it possible to recognise anyone from this photograph? What was the further fate of these orphans? Perhaps someone knows? If you know someone from this photograph, please write to us (the contact box is below the text).