Opening of the exhibition "Sybir - Prison of Nations" in Johannesburg - Poland in South Africa

Opening of the exhibition "Sybir - Prison of Nations" in Johannesburg

09.05.2026

The opening of the exhibition "Sybir - Prison of Nations" took place on May 9, 2026 in Johannesburg. The exhibition, prepared by the Sybir Memorial Museum in Białystok, explores the history of Soviet deportations and the fate of the Siberian exiles.

A group of four people pose for a photo; from left, Chargé d'Affaires Jacek Chodorowicz, Director of the Sybir Memorial Museum, Prof. Wojciech Śleszyński, Julita Waś, and President of the Polish Association of Siberian Deportees of South Africa, Stefan Szewczuk; posters from the "Sybir: Prison of Nations" exhibition in the background.

The exhibition is co-organized by the Polish Association of Siberian Deportees in South Africa, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Pretoria, the Sybir Memorial Museum, and the Ditsong National Museum of Military History in South Africa. Jacek Chodorowicz, Chargé d'affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Pretoria, opened the exhibition and delivered a welcome address. Professor Wojciech Śleszyński, Director of the Sybir Memorial Museum, and the President of the Polish Association of Siberian Deportees in South Africa, in turn, gave extended presentations on the exhibition. Following the official part of the event, Professor Śleszyński guided guests through the exhibition.

The exhibition will be on display for the coming months at the Ditsong National Museum of Military History in Johannesburg, and from September 25, 2026, it will be permanently displayed at the CP Nel Museum in Oudtshoorn, as part of the "Polish Heritage Trail in South Africa" project.

Photos: Consul Robert Rusiecki and Grażyna Koornhof/Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Pretoria

Photos (4)

A group of 23 people pose in a row during the opening of the "Sybir: Prison of Nations" exhibition at the Ditsong National Museum of Military History in South Africa in Johannesburg; museum exhibits in the background.

From left, Prof. Wojciech Śleszyński speaks; Chargé d'Affaires Jacek Chodorowicz and the president of the Polish Association of Siberian Deportees in South Africa, Stefan Szewczuk, are sitting at a table listening; in the foreground, three exhibition catalogs from the Sybir Memorial Museum, two cell phones, and four bottles of mineral water lie on the table; in the background, two large white screens for film screenings.

Chargé d'Affaires Jacek Chodorowicz speaks at the opening of the exhibition; in the foreground, three exhibition catalogs from the Sybir Memorial Museum; in the background, a large white screen for film screenings.