Zbigniew Poplawski is 87 years old. He has spent his entire adult life in New Zealand. He was among the 733 Polish orphans who were welcomed into New Zealand society in 1944. He is now a retired surgeon. In 1940, he was deported to Kazakhstan with his grandfather, his aunt Jadwiga Michalik and her children. His father – an officer – was murdered by the Soviets. Zbigniew’s great-grandfather Kazimierz Zieleniewski was deported to Siberia at the age of 18 for taking part in the January Rising. Unable to return to his homeland, he decided to become an industrialist and did just that. His home in Tomsk became a focus of Polishness and patriotism. One of his sons – also Kazimierz – discovered his artistic talent and, after attending art schools in Poland and Western Europe, returned to Siberia, where he founded the first art academy and painting gallery. Kazimierz’s sister Zofia was Zbigniew’s grandmother, who died of a heart attack when the Soviets came.
[wpdreams_ajaxsearchlite]
[wpdreams_ajaxsearchlite]