Implementation of the permanent exhibition and purchase of equipment for the Sybir Memorial Museum
The idea to commemorate the centuries-old presence of Poles in Siberia was born in the Second Polish Republic. The II World War interrupted these efforts and the Soviet occupation brought mass deportations of Polish citizens from Polish Borderlands to Siberia and Kazakhstan. The initiative to create a museum presenting the Polish experience of Sybir was revived in Białystok.
A pre-war warehouse on the siding of the former Poleski Railway Station was chosen as the seat of the Sybir Memorial Museum. In this area the inhabitants of Białystok and its vicinity boarded freight wagons which were then used to deport them deep into the Soviet Union. The project of architect Jan Kabac combined a military warehouse – turned into an exhibition space – with a modern wing housing the administration, collection warehouse and a conservation workshop.
A permanent exhibition was created in the austere body of the building, combining exhibits, multimedia as well as reports of witnesses and participants of the events. It tells about Polish settlers and explorers of Siberia, exiles from the tsarist times and victims of deportations to Siberia and Kazakhstan during the Soviet occupation. It shows a broad context, presenting the culture of the pre-war Borderlands and the multinational experience of Soviet repression. It combines image, sound and tactile sensations. Integral elements of the exhibition are the Katyń Memorial and the exhibition sculpture “People of Ice”.
The project also made it possible to purchase and program a multimedia guide, ticketing system, audio guide, as well as equipment and fittings for cultural and educational activities. In conjunction with the exhibition, a program of workshops and museum lessons for children, adolescents and adults has been prepared. It assumes a wide use of multimedia equipment purchased under the project.
The exhibition is adapted to the needs of people with disabilities. Soundtracks for the visually impaired and hearing impaired, induction loops, a model of the exhibition and models of selected exhibits with descriptions in Braille for the blind were prepared.
Both the Museum building and the permanent exhibition are fully accessible to people with physical disabilities. The museum also provides wheelchairs and walkers. A quiet room has been prepared for people with Austism Spectrum Disorder.
The museum attracts residents of Białystok and the region, who find stories consistent with their family experiences at the exhibition. It also responds to the demand for a cultural offer reported by residents during the pre-project research. A large group of recipients are tourists from Poland and abroad who come to Białystok especially to learn about the history of Polish Sybir and see one of the most modern museums in Poland.
Fot. Michał Zięba/MKiDN
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