On 5 December 1867, Józef Piłsudski was born in a manor house in Zułów. His mother, Maria née Billewicz, cuddling her tiny son at her breast, could not even have imagined that he would change the history of Poland and this part of the world. For her, he was simply the fourth child, and – as it later turned out – one of twelve…

He became interested in pro-independence activity during his studies in Kharkiv, but he initially stayed away from activist circles. However, he was implicated – together with his older brother Bronisław – in a plot against the Tsar.

This is how he ended up in Sybir, which – as he repeatedly claimed later – shaped his mind and heart. What happened next? We all know it from history books. But let us remember that had it not been for Piłsudski’s stay in Sybir, Polish history would probably have unfolded quite differently…

Photo: Józef Piłsudski, 1885, source: Wikimedia Commons