Język Polski
English
The Perils of Exile to Siberia in Nineteenth-Century Accounts of Polish Deportees
Abstract
Descriptions of exiles to Siberia occupy a significant place in the diaries and letters of Poles deported there in the 19th century. The journey, spanning thousands of kilometres, was undertaken by horse-drawn carriages (kibitka), occasionally by ship, and after 1863, certain sections by rail, but most frequently on foot. The carriages travelled at high speeds, often resulting in fatal accidents. During the months-long marches, the exiles faced numerous dangers: the torment of heavy shackles (the iron caused wounds; people of different postures and ages were chained to shared beams), hunger, and cold. The natural environment also proved dangerous (frost, gales, floods, heat). All exiles (including women and children) were subjected to the ordeal of overnight stays at staging points (etapy) – appalling filth, stench, a plague of vermin, indescribable overcrowding, and the necessity of attending to bodily functions on the floor beside other sleeping individuals, leading to illness and epidemics. The exiles were also exposed to the brutality of the Russian guards (severe beatings). The sense of danger was heightened by anxieties about their fate and the fear accompanying the crossing of the border between Europe and Asia.
Keywords:
exile, Siberia, Polish political exiles, dangerous journey to Siberia, 19th century; deportation to Siberia, overnight stays at staging pointsDetails
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