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Poland to unveil its first feature film on families deported to Siberia during II World War

By The Siberian Times reporter

26 February 2013

Award-winning director and screenwriter Janusz Zaorski says members of his own family were sent into exile in the east of Russia during the war years.

Janusz Zaorski , pictured, says members of his own family were sent into exile in the east of Russia during the war years. Picture: film.interia.pl

'I knew a lot about it through my family,' he told Polish Radio. The film, to be released this week, is called Siberian Exile (Syberiada Polska) and is based on a book by Zbigniew Domino. The cast included noted actors Adam Woronowicz and Marcin Walewski.

'The deportations from what had formerly been Eastern Poland began in February 1940, following the division of Poland between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in September 1939,' said the Polish news website thenews.pl

'Historians are still divided as to the numbers of Polish citizens deported by the Soviets. Moscow figures cited 330,000, yet Poland's wartime government-in-exile claimed over a million.

'Stalin declared an amnesty for his Polish prisoners following the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany in 1941. As a result, Poles were allowed to form an army from among the deportees, a force that duly fought under General Wladyslaw Anders as part of Britain's 8th Army'.

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Both my parents were taken from now Belarus and Ukraine.

Barbara Johnson, Western Australia

10/10/2019 16:36

you find any Seibel's alive let me know they were Mennonite's

william newton Lee, douglas arizona usa

01/09/2015 10:29

My father lost his parents and a brother in Siberia.
Let the world know more about the forgotten holocaust.

Kazimierz Wroblewski, Glasgow/Scotland

05/03/2014 03:15

My parents suffered this deportation. My mother was only 10 years old, deported from what is now Ukrainian territory. It was in February 1940. She told me it was so horribly cold, one pot was in the middle of the train car for everyone to use to relieve themselves. Her mother and sister died en route to Siberia. Tragic, tragic history.

Theresa, USA

06/08/2013 04:52

They also formed 1st Polish Armoured Division and Polish Paras under Maczek and Sasabowski.

Stephen Stelmaszuk, Glasgow Bonnie Scotland

05/08/2013 19:29

good. the more movies like this the better; my family has also been torn apart back then with both grandparents going to Siberia

Yeva, Vilnius Lithuania

01/03/2013 00:51

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Poland to unveil its first feature film on families deported to Siberia during II World War

Award-winning director and screenwriter Janusz Zaorski says members of his own family were sent into exile in the east of Russia during the war years.

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