LOCATION: LEVEL -2
Till the end of 2022
FREE ENTRY
Dedicated to the tragic fate of the Polish inmates of one of the special camps of the Soviet NKVD organisation, to commemorate the murdered victims, together with the Institute of National Remembrance, we present an exhibition titled ‘Ostaszków, mailbox no. 37’
The title of the exhibition refers to the monastery – the Niłowo-Stołobieńska Hermitage, where the camp was located. Until the spring of 1940, it was to this address the families of imprisoned Polish citizens sent letters to mailbox no. 37.
It was here that the exhibition ‘Ostashkov, mailbox no. 37’ was originally to be presented, and a room specially prepared for this purpose was to become part of the monastery museum.
The history of Polish inmates' stay in the camp, which ended with their death in Tver, is presented on 14 notice boards, using quotations taken from Polish and Soviet sources.
The bilingualism of the exhibition (in Polish and Russian texts) allows visitors to see Soviet documents in their original form. Commentary is reduced to a minimum, necessary to enable a visitor unfamiliar with the history of Poland to find out about the facts that make up the historical background of the camp for themselves.
The reality of inmates’ life in the camp is illustrated by photos of items from the Katyn Museum collections excavated from the death pits in Miednoje.
A symbolic sarcophagus is illustrated with an illuminated uniform of a Polish policeman. The nature of the exhibition is emphasized by the soundtrack - a seven-hour list of the Ostashkov prisoners murdered in Tver as part of the Katyn massacre.
We encourage you to visit the exhibition, which will be presented at the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk, at level -2 before the end of 2022.
Exhibition authors | Dr. Ewa Kowalska, Kamila Sachnowska
Main cooperators | Sergiusz Kazimierczuk, Dr. Marek Kozubel,
Exhibition organizor | Barbara Kosk
Art concept | Jarosław Kłaput
Reviewer | Dr. Paweł Libera
Editor | Dr. Magdalena Baj
Gallery
