HALINA PAWLICZEK

Volunteer, First Sergeant Halina Pawliczek, born on 27 April 1916, unskilled, married.

I was deported as a refugee on 29 April 1941 from Stanisławów, together with my husband and his sister. They take us to the Beregayevo settlement, Novosibirsk Oblast, a former forced labor site.

Woody area (taiga). Wooden barracks, leaky. Insects. Around 1,500 people, mostly Israelites. Very bad hygienic conditions. Many people suffer from illnesses. Very poor food from the local kitchen. The NKVD treats people abominably. People rebel, they don’t want to work anymore. They go to the local Chulym river, make rafts to get out of here.

A greater number of NKVD people come, specially summoned. They force people to surrender by beating and other similar methods. The leaders go to prison, their families are spread among different settlements. My family and I are taken to the Pikhtacz settlement, in the main oblast. The conditions are slightly better. There are 24 families, again most of them are Israelites. Wooded area – taiga. Apart from our exiles, there are deported Russians. Wooden, cold, leaky barracks. Most of the families live in separate rooms.

All men and women without husbands work in the forest. The work is very arduous and very badly paid. There is no possibility to support oneself only by working, one has to earn extra money by sewing, etc.

Negative attitude of the authorities. We always hear: Rabotat’, rabotat’! [Keep working!] You won’t uvidet [see] your family, like you won’t see your own ears, etc.

People suffer from typhus, malaria, rheumatism, etc. Low mortality. There are hospitals in surrounding villages.

I keep in touch with my family.

We learn about the amnesty by the end of August [1941]. Around 10 September, we leave for Kokand in the Uzbek SSR. The life there is harsh and the cost of living is high. My husband works in a Polish institution.

Around 6 March, we set off for Guzar. On 22 March, I join the Women’s Army Auxiliary Service.