On 10 February 1995, 55 years had passed since the first mass deportation of the Polish population to the vast territories of the former USSR. Wishing to commemorate these tragic events, the Municipal Siberian Association Circle, which had existed since 1989, funded a plaque dedicated to the memory of those who did not return. On 12 February 1995, a solemn blessing ceremony was held for the plaque embedded in the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Bolesławiec. The Siberians invited numerous guests to the ceremony, including the clergy, headed by the ordinary of the Legnica Diocese, Bishop Tadeusz Rybak; representatives of the city authorities, with Mayor Józef Król and Chairman of the Municipal Council Władysław Landsberg; the command of the Bolesławiec Garrison, headed by Colonel Stanisław Chwojnicki; representatives of the Provincial Branch of the Siberian Association, including Lidia Majewska; and members of the Main Board of the Siberian Association, Bożena Dudzińska and Mieczysław Marusewicz.
At Zamkowy Square, standards of veterans’ and trade-union organizations and church banners gathered, along with the Honor Guard Company of Polish Army soldiers, a military band, invited guests, Siberians, their families and numerous residents of Bolesławiec.
The national anthem, performed by the band, opened the first part of the ceremony. Paweł Krzyżanowski, chairman of the Municipal Siberian Association Circle in Bolesławiec, welcomed everyone who had arrived. In his speech, he familiarized those gathered—especially young people born after the war—with the fate of Poles from Poland’s eastern borderlands.
10 February 1940 was a tragic date for them. Within just a few dozen minutes, they had to leave their homes, abandon all their belongings and, under NKVD supervision, were transported in inhumane conditions deep into the USSR. They were sent to various places: the snow-covered Siberian taiga and the sun-scorched steppes of Kazakhstan. The weakest, who could not withstand the hard work and extremely difficult living conditions, remained there forever. The fate of the Polish deportees changed only with the Sikorski–Stalin agreement of 1941. The NKVD supervision was then lifted, and they ceased to be treated as prisoners. The men joined the army. Some went to General Anders’ army, others to General Berling’s army. Which army they joined was determined by chance. Siberian soldiers fought on every front: at Lenino and Monte Cassino, and in the capture of Ancona, the Pomeranian Wall and Berlin. Their families could not return to the country until 1946. They were settled right here, in the western lands. The fate of the Siberians was shrouded in secrecy; in official historiography, the deportations had not taken place. Half a century had to pass before these matters could be discussed. The youngest deportees, who had been children at the time, lived to see it. The plaque funded by the Bolesławiec Siberians is dedicated to those who did not live to return to their homeland. After the circle chairman’s speech, a roll call of the fallen was held. During the roll call conducted by the commander of the Honor Guard Company, the memory of deceased deportees, murdered prisoners of war and fallen soldiers was invoked. It was a deeply moving moment; tears welled in the eyes of the Siberians. This part of the ceremony ended with the cry “Never again war” and a ceremonial volley. The second part took place in the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Bishop Tadeusz Rybak solemnly blessed the plaque commemorating the tragic events of 55 years earlier. He also celebrated Holy Mass for the intention of deceased and living Siberians and their families. In his homily, the bishop drew attention to the tragic fate of people who suffered simply because they were Polish. He asked for prayers for the dead and for peace throughout the world. The ceremony in the church ended with the hymn “Boże coś Polskę”! The numerous Siberians gathered there travelled by bus provided for the occasion to a solemn dinner at the military casino. Festively set tables and a musical ensemble awaited the arrivals. This part of the ceremony was presided over by Czesław Scelina, secretary of the local Siberian Association Circle. L. Majewska, president of the Provincial Board, once again recalled the fate of the deported population. She also encouraged people to write down their memories. She explained that the Association’s main task was to keep alive the memory of the fate of Poles from the eastern borderlands. In the Jelenia Góra Voivodeship, six commemorative plaques had already been funded and four standards consecrated. B. Dudzińska reported on the work of the Main Board in Warsaw. The Sejm had already passed a law allowing Siberians to obtain war invalid status, but the Senate’s approval and the President’s signature were still needed. She also appealed for the creation of “youth chapters” to care for the commemorative plaques.
Representatives of the younger generation of historians also took part in the ceremony. A master’s thesis was being written on the fate of children in orphanages in Siberia, and its author asked for help in reaching people who had stayed in such institutions. Her appeal met with an immediate response.
There was also an artistic segment. In addition to performances by the military ensemble, a representative of the Siberian Association Circle from Bolków presented a rich repertoire of Siberian songs. Everyone joined in the refrain: “Long may the Siberians live, for many long years, in health and joy; may they live to be a hundred.”
The ceremony came to an end. It was somewhat unfortunate that none of the invited guests took part in the dinner; this was an unpleasant discord in an otherwise pleasant part of the ceremony.