The arrow indicates position in the woods of the Polish Cemetery.
UNIQUE POLISH CEMETERY AT KRIESTY, ARKHANGELSK PROVINCE, RUSSIA.
26 February 2013.
The 10th February 2013 marked the 73rd anniversary of forced removal of over 140 thousand Polish Citizens from the Eastern territories of Poland by the Soviets into inhospitable areas of the Soviet Union. This is generally known to as the first of the three in 1940 mass exiles of Polish Nationals into Siberia.
On the 24th February 1940, after two weeks of a very exhausting and debilitating journey, our transport arrived to its destination – a special settlement Kriesty.
Special in a sense that conditions imposed by NKVD required exiles to remain within the boundaries of the settlement, unless permission was given by the commandant.
For those over fourteen years old, who were required to work felling trees in the nearby forests, under a supervision of Russian task masters, permission was automatic.
JOURNEY INTO EXILE.
Two weeks earlier, at 4 o'clock in the morning, on Saturday 10 February 1940, we were woken up by loud banging of rifle-butts by NKVD regulars on our front door. Next, their officer told us to pack our belongings, and be ready to depart into exile.
An earlier deadline was extended to two hours, which was still hopelessly inadequate for our family of eight: seven-months old twins, two-and-a-half year old Jurek, not quite five year old Dzidek, my older brother Zbyszek who was fourteen, and myself - twelve at that time, plus our parents, to get dressed, pack whatever we could of our belongings, and to load it all onto a sleigh waiting outside.
The next stage took us, under NKVD escort, to a twenty few kilometres distant railway station Królewszczyzna. There we were crammed with many others into waiting cattle trucks, about fifty to each truck, plus all that we managed to pack into suitable for carrying bundles.
The wagons were equipped with two wooden bunks at each end, a hole in the floor at one of its sides to serve as a toilet, and an insubstantial cast iron stove bolted to the wagon’s floor to provide some semblance of warmth during the day.
Whatever food was provided during the first seven-day part of our journey, which took us via Moscow, Gorkij, and Kirov to Kotlas, was not only inadequate, but also hardly eatable.
For the last part of this exhausting journey, Kotlas to Kriesty, which have also lasted seven days, we were subdivided into three groups.
Men, that is all those who were over 14 years old and were considered “able-bodied”, my older brother Zbyszek and our Father were in this group, were required to walk under an armed escort of the mounted NKVD guards, irrespective of the condition of their clothing or footwear.
Mothers, with up to nine year old children travelled on open sleighs, without any protection from the winter winds or penetrating cold, except for their clothing.
All the others: older children – I was in this group, women, old men, plus our luggage, travelled on the trucks over an ice covered Northern Dvina river. Although trucks were covered with a type of semi- translucent sheeting, it did not protect us from the constantly blowing northerly icy winds, nor from the deafening noise effects from the rushing wind outside.
Although lorries were provided with benches along both their sides, and an additional one at the back of the driver’s cabin, there was still not enough seats to accommodate all of us. I, and a few others, had to travel in a standing position throughout this, seven days part of our journey.
To prevent frostbite to my feet from the cold penetrating the floor of the truck, I, and presumably those few others, had to move constantly body weight from one foot on the other.
However, the memory of the last, the seventh day of this particularly tiring for me part of the journey, will remain with me.
About two hours before arrival to our destination -- specsettlement Kriesty, an old gentleman, with an old-fashioned moustache, sitting on a bench behind the driver’s cabin, invited me to sit on his knees. The offer was tempting and accepted. Although his knees were rather angular and uncomfortable to sit on, I had no courage to say so.
It was only when I got up, on arrival at Kriesty, I realized that sometime during that short time, my host has died. He died from the exhaustion and cold, without emitting a sound or anyone noticing. His frozen body remained in a seating position.
He had a dubious honour to be the first person to be buried, at the soon to be expanding, our Polish Kriesty cemetery, just 100 metres or so, from special settlement Kriesty.
THE POLISH CEMETERY AT KRIESTY.
In the first two months, up to 30th April 1940, a further 19 Polish Nationals found their resting place at this cemetery, including our nine months old twins, Jacek and Marysia.
During the 18 months of our official exile, until 12 August 1941 the day amnesty was announced, 70 graves gradually filled our cemetery. Although death “favoured” mostly the youngest and the oldest, it did not exclude those who died irrespective of their age, caused by the lack of basic medical care, or unavailability of any types of medicines.
SEARCH INTO THE PAST.
During the last number of years I have been trying to establish whether Kriesty, and our cemetery still existed.
All the information from the recent visits by the former exiles, or their relatives, to the places of their exile in the Arkhangelsk Province, lead to believe that all the traces of our presence there have already disappeared.
By a chance, in June 2007 I wrote to Irina Dubrovina from Kotlas, she at the time represented the well known Russian Organisation “Memorial”, and also her own organisation “Conscience”. Both these organisations were, and still are, committed to expose the cruelty and excesses of the Stalinist era, and in general of the communist regime.
Irina Dubrovina with sent to her maps, sketches, and general information, which included location of our cemetery, travelled to Sosnowyj, today’s name of the new settlement which was built after Kriesty barracks were demolished. The inhabitants of Sosnowyj, including Olga Dierewcowa, a history teacher at the nearby Soyga School, searched the area indicated on the sketches, and found still visible shapes of our graves, and were able to established area of our cemetery.
In her letter of the 10th November 2007 Olga Dierewcowa wrote:
"During the last week we have searched foot by foot the forest behind our settlement Sosnowyj. With the help of your layout and regular mounds (depressions) over the graves, were able to establish the area of the cemetery, and also found remnants of the cemetery fencing".
,
On the 24th February 1940, after two weeks of a very exhausting and debilitating journey, our transport arrived to its destination – a special settlement Kriesty.
Special in a sense that conditions imposed by NKVD required exiles to remain within the boundaries of the settlement, unless permission was given by the commandant.
For those over fourteen years old, who were required to work felling trees in the nearby forests, under a supervision of Russian task masters, permission was automatic.
JOURNEY INTO EXILE.
Two weeks earlier, at 4 o'clock in the morning, on Saturday 10 February 1940, we were woken up by loud banging of rifle-butts by NKVD regulars on our front door. Next, their officer told us to pack our belongings, and be ready to depart into exile.
An earlier deadline was extended to two hours, which was still hopelessly inadequate for our family of eight: seven-months old twins, two-and-a-half year old Jurek, not quite five year old Dzidek, my older brother Zbyszek who was fourteen, and myself - twelve at that time, plus our parents, to get dressed, pack whatever we could of our belongings, and to load it all onto a sleigh waiting outside.
The next stage took us, under NKVD escort, to a twenty few kilometres distant railway station Królewszczyzna. There we were crammed with many others into waiting cattle trucks, about fifty to each truck, plus all that we managed to pack into suitable for carrying bundles.
The wagons were equipped with two wooden bunks at each end, a hole in the floor at one of its sides to serve as a toilet, and an insubstantial cast iron stove bolted to the wagon’s floor to provide some semblance of warmth during the day.
Whatever food was provided during the first seven-day part of our journey, which took us via Moscow, Gorkij, and Kirov to Kotlas, was not only inadequate, but also hardly eatable.
For the last part of this exhausting journey, Kotlas to Kriesty, which have also lasted seven days, we were subdivided into three groups.
Men, that is all those who were over 14 years old and were considered “able-bodied”, my older brother Zbyszek and our Father were in this group, were required to walk under an armed escort of the mounted NKVD guards, irrespective of the condition of their clothing or footwear.
Mothers, with up to nine year old children travelled on open sleighs, without any protection from the winter winds or penetrating cold, except for their clothing.
All the others: older children – I was in this group, women, old men, plus our luggage, travelled on the trucks over an ice covered Northern Dvina river. Although trucks were covered with a type of semi- translucent sheeting, it did not protect us from the constantly blowing northerly icy winds, nor from the deafening noise effects from the rushing wind outside.
Although lorries were provided with benches along both their sides, and an additional one at the back of the driver’s cabin, there was still not enough seats to accommodate all of us. I, and a few others, had to travel in a standing position throughout this, seven days part of our journey.
To prevent frostbite to my feet from the cold penetrating the floor of the truck, I, and presumably those few others, had to move constantly body weight from one foot on the other.
However, the memory of the last, the seventh day of this particularly tiring for me part of the journey, will remain with me.
About two hours before arrival to our destination -- specsettlement Kriesty, an old gentleman, with an old-fashioned moustache, sitting on a bench behind the driver’s cabin, invited me to sit on his knees. The offer was tempting and accepted. Although his knees were rather angular and uncomfortable to sit on, I had no courage to say so.
It was only when I got up, on arrival at Kriesty, I realized that sometime during that short time, my host has died. He died from the exhaustion and cold, without emitting a sound or anyone noticing. His frozen body remained in a seating position.
He had a dubious honour to be the first person to be buried, at the soon to be expanding, our Polish Kriesty cemetery, just 100 metres or so, from special settlement Kriesty.
THE POLISH CEMETERY AT KRIESTY.
In the first two months, up to 30th April 1940, a further 19 Polish Nationals found their resting place at this cemetery, including our nine months old twins, Jacek and Marysia.
During the 18 months of our official exile, until 12 August 1941 the day amnesty was announced, 70 graves gradually filled our cemetery. Although death “favoured” mostly the youngest and the oldest, it did not exclude those who died irrespective of their age, caused by the lack of basic medical care, or unavailability of any types of medicines.
SEARCH INTO THE PAST.
During the last number of years I have been trying to establish whether Kriesty, and our cemetery still existed.
All the information from the recent visits by the former exiles, or their relatives, to the places of their exile in the Arkhangelsk Province, lead to believe that all the traces of our presence there have already disappeared.
By a chance, in June 2007 I wrote to Irina Dubrovina from Kotlas, she at the time represented the well known Russian Organisation “Memorial”, and also her own organisation “Conscience”. Both these organisations were, and still are, committed to expose the cruelty and excesses of the Stalinist era, and in general of the communist regime.
Irina Dubrovina with sent to her maps, sketches, and general information, which included location of our cemetery, travelled to Sosnowyj, today’s name of the new settlement which was built after Kriesty barracks were demolished. The inhabitants of Sosnowyj, including Olga Dierewcowa, a history teacher at the nearby Soyga School, searched the area indicated on the sketches, and found still visible shapes of our graves, and were able to established area of our cemetery.
In her letter of the 10th November 2007 Olga Dierewcowa wrote:
"During the last week we have searched foot by foot the forest behind our settlement Sosnowyj. With the help of your layout and regular mounds (depressions) over the graves, were able to establish the area of the cemetery, and also found remnants of the cemetery fencing".
,
View of the Polish Cemetery in November 2007. ( Photo: Olga Dierewcowa)
RESTORATION OF KRIESTY CEMETERY.
The Soyga School, on their own initiative, undertook to clear the area of our cemetery, to fence it off, and to erect a cross. The costs of the above project were partly covered by the second place awarded to the Soyga school for their entry "The Restoration of the Polish Cemetery" in the competition "I - citizen of Russia", organized at that time by the Department of Education and Knowledge of the Arkhangelsk Province, and partly by my donations. (The letter from Olga Dierewcowa of the 28.09.2008 confirms my financial input in the restoration of our cemetery, and also that my register of all there interned was placed on the cross erected at the cemetery).
The opening of the Cemetery took place on the 30th October 2008, the day which is reserved in today's Russia to commemorate the victims of the excesses by the Soviet-Stalinist communist regime.
Present at the ceremony and consecration of the Cemetery were:
Anna Dembowska - vice Consul from Sankt Petersburg; ks. Raymond Gruszka-- the Polish priest from Arkhangelsk consecrated our Cemetery; also present were two Polish organisations "Polonia", one from Kotlas, the other one from Arkhangelsk.
The Local District Council was represented by its vice Chairman, and some of its members. Also present were the teachers and pupils from the Soyga School; residents of Sosnowyj; and the local press.
Some of my recollections were read by Irina Dubrovina at the "Round Table" meeting at the Soyga School, prior to the consecration of the cemetery.
My register of all buried there, with their year of birth, and the date of their death, was placed under a glass on the cross.
UNIQUE MONUMENT - COMMEMORATIVE PLATE.
[Unique, because this is the only one Polish special settlement cemetery in Russia, with a Commemorative Plate which provides the names of all buried there, including year of their birth, with the date of death.]
The next stage was to provide a permanent Memorial -- Commemorative Plate so that our presence at Kriesty, and the names of those buried there, will be recorded for the future generations.
My proposal, with the information to be placed on the Memorial, was accepted by the Petersburg Consulate and Irina Dubrovina arranged for a quotation from a firm known to her in Kotlas to carry out the work.
Because the estimate at first appeared to be too high for the Polish Consulate, who acted in this matter for the Council for the Protection of Memory of Struggle and Martyrdom (known as ROPWiM) located in Warsaw, an unnecessary delay ensued. Unacceptable suggestions were being made and pursued by the Consulate, but in the end, although delayed, my project for the Memorial Plate as originally suggested, was accepted.
UNVEILING OF THE MONUMENT.
The Ceremony of unveiling, and Consecration of the Monument took place two years later, on the 30th October 2010.
The honoured guest at the ceremony of the unveiling of the Monument, was Dr. Andrzej Kunert, the General Secretary of ROPWiM from Poland.
Others present were: vice consul Anna Dembowska; ks. Krzysztof Pożarski-- the Polish priest from Sankt Petersburg, he consecrated the Monument, and also a symbolic grave with soil brought from the other Polish cemeteries found in the district of Vierhna Toyma; Teresa Konopielko – the Editor of the “Petersburska Gazeta”; Polish Organisation “Polonia” from Arkhangelsk, and also "Polonia" from Kotlas; Polish choir “Wierność” from Kotlas; Irina Dubrovina from Kotlas; representatives from The Council of Arkhangelsk Province; representatives of the Local Council of Vierhna Toyma; local press; local residents; Polish TV crew; and of course Soyga School students, and their teachers.
Dr. Krzysztof Kunert stressed in his speech, the need to retain the memory of those years, and that our exiles need to be recorded.
The vice consul Anna Dembowska read out, in both languages, my letter expressing thanks to the Soyga School, and also to all the others who were involved in the restoration works of our cemetery, including all those that came to be present at this ceremony.
My recollections on the death of our twins, Jacek and Marysia, were read by Victoria Kobzar, a pupil of Soyga school.
My name, as one of those involved, was included on the Commemorative Plate by Irina Dubrovina.
RESTORATION OF KRIESTY CEMETERY.
The Soyga School, on their own initiative, undertook to clear the area of our cemetery, to fence it off, and to erect a cross. The costs of the above project were partly covered by the second place awarded to the Soyga school for their entry "The Restoration of the Polish Cemetery" in the competition "I - citizen of Russia", organized at that time by the Department of Education and Knowledge of the Arkhangelsk Province, and partly by my donations. (The letter from Olga Dierewcowa of the 28.09.2008 confirms my financial input in the restoration of our cemetery, and also that my register of all there interned was placed on the cross erected at the cemetery).
The opening of the Cemetery took place on the 30th October 2008, the day which is reserved in today's Russia to commemorate the victims of the excesses by the Soviet-Stalinist communist regime.
Present at the ceremony and consecration of the Cemetery were:
Anna Dembowska - vice Consul from Sankt Petersburg; ks. Raymond Gruszka-- the Polish priest from Arkhangelsk consecrated our Cemetery; also present were two Polish organisations "Polonia", one from Kotlas, the other one from Arkhangelsk.
The Local District Council was represented by its vice Chairman, and some of its members. Also present were the teachers and pupils from the Soyga School; residents of Sosnowyj; and the local press.
Some of my recollections were read by Irina Dubrovina at the "Round Table" meeting at the Soyga School, prior to the consecration of the cemetery.
My register of all buried there, with their year of birth, and the date of their death, was placed under a glass on the cross.
UNIQUE MONUMENT - COMMEMORATIVE PLATE.
[Unique, because this is the only one Polish special settlement cemetery in Russia, with a Commemorative Plate which provides the names of all buried there, including year of their birth, with the date of death.]
The next stage was to provide a permanent Memorial -- Commemorative Plate so that our presence at Kriesty, and the names of those buried there, will be recorded for the future generations.
My proposal, with the information to be placed on the Memorial, was accepted by the Petersburg Consulate and Irina Dubrovina arranged for a quotation from a firm known to her in Kotlas to carry out the work.
Because the estimate at first appeared to be too high for the Polish Consulate, who acted in this matter for the Council for the Protection of Memory of Struggle and Martyrdom (known as ROPWiM) located in Warsaw, an unnecessary delay ensued. Unacceptable suggestions were being made and pursued by the Consulate, but in the end, although delayed, my project for the Memorial Plate as originally suggested, was accepted.
UNVEILING OF THE MONUMENT.
The Ceremony of unveiling, and Consecration of the Monument took place two years later, on the 30th October 2010.
The honoured guest at the ceremony of the unveiling of the Monument, was Dr. Andrzej Kunert, the General Secretary of ROPWiM from Poland.
Others present were: vice consul Anna Dembowska; ks. Krzysztof Pożarski-- the Polish priest from Sankt Petersburg, he consecrated the Monument, and also a symbolic grave with soil brought from the other Polish cemeteries found in the district of Vierhna Toyma; Teresa Konopielko – the Editor of the “Petersburska Gazeta”; Polish Organisation “Polonia” from Arkhangelsk, and also "Polonia" from Kotlas; Polish choir “Wierność” from Kotlas; Irina Dubrovina from Kotlas; representatives from The Council of Arkhangelsk Province; representatives of the Local Council of Vierhna Toyma; local press; local residents; Polish TV crew; and of course Soyga School students, and their teachers.
Dr. Krzysztof Kunert stressed in his speech, the need to retain the memory of those years, and that our exiles need to be recorded.
The vice consul Anna Dembowska read out, in both languages, my letter expressing thanks to the Soyga School, and also to all the others who were involved in the restoration works of our cemetery, including all those that came to be present at this ceremony.
My recollections on the death of our twins, Jacek and Marysia, were read by Victoria Kobzar, a pupil of Soyga school.
My name, as one of those involved, was included on the Commemorative Plate by Irina Dubrovina.
Photo: Irina Dubrovina.
View of the Commemorative Plate and wreaths.
Inscriptions on the Plate are in the Polish and Russian:
Left hand side: “Place of rest of the Polish Citizens deported from the Fatherland by NKVD in February 1940, who were compulsorily settled at Kriesty, and died there from cold and hunger. Let them Rest in Peace.”
Central columns: Names, year of birth and date of death of the buried here. (Names of Maria and Jacek Gliniecki are 11th and 12th in the 1st of the two central columns).
Right hand side: “Cemetery of the Polish Exiles which was put in order thanks to the efforts of pupils and teachers of the Soyga School; the residents of the settlement Sosnowyj (previous name Kriesty); Consul General of the Polish Republic in St.Petersburg; and also of Leszek Gliniecki, the brother of the twins Maria and Jacek who are also buried here.”
And also: “This Monument was financed by the Council for the Protection of Memory of Struggle and Martyrdom 30.10. 2010.”
View of the Commemorative Plate and wreaths.
Inscriptions on the Plate are in the Polish and Russian:
Left hand side: “Place of rest of the Polish Citizens deported from the Fatherland by NKVD in February 1940, who were compulsorily settled at Kriesty, and died there from cold and hunger. Let them Rest in Peace.”
Central columns: Names, year of birth and date of death of the buried here. (Names of Maria and Jacek Gliniecki are 11th and 12th in the 1st of the two central columns).
Right hand side: “Cemetery of the Polish Exiles which was put in order thanks to the efforts of pupils and teachers of the Soyga School; the residents of the settlement Sosnowyj (previous name Kriesty); Consul General of the Polish Republic in St.Petersburg; and also of Leszek Gliniecki, the brother of the twins Maria and Jacek who are also buried here.”
And also: “This Monument was financed by the Council for the Protection of Memory of Struggle and Martyrdom 30.10. 2010.”
Photo: Irina Dubrovina
.
Monument garlanded with wreaths. My wreath is visible on the steps to the Monument.
.
Monument garlanded with wreaths. My wreath is visible on the steps to the Monument.
Still remaining wreaths, top row from left: from Organization “Conscience”, Kotlas; the central one is mine; the third is from Choir “Wiernosc”, Kotlas; the remaining bottom one is from residents of the settlement Sosnowyj. (Photo by I. Dubrovina)
The cemetery is being cared for by the local residents.
[This article in the Polish language was published on 1 December 2011 in the Dziennik Polski (London).]
The cemetery is being cared for by the local residents.
[This article in the Polish language was published on 1 December 2011 in the Dziennik Polski (London).]
