News

Memorabilia related to the Red Army soldiers captured by the Wehrmacht during World War II, are priceless and rare museum pieces. It is no different with the wooden casket, which has just been added to the collection of our Museum.

This object was made by the Soviet prisoners-of-war from a working party in Nowy Święcin in the Vilnius region. As part of the obligatory quotas, it was supplied with agricultural products by Leon Pyliński, a tenant of a landed estate in neighbouring Druściany. On this occasion, L. Pyliński also secretly delivered food to the exhausted prisoners-of-war. As a token of gratitude, the prisoners gave him a wooden casket – navy blue, decorated with straw – they had made themselves. It was given to the tenant's daughter, Wanda Pylińska, who still during the war, gave the object to her cousin, Alicja Szczemirska, called Licia, with a dedication on the inner side of the lid: As a keepsake for Licia from the war times. 1943 Wandzia. Work of Soviet POWs, Nowe Święciany.

After the war, the casket was in the belongings taken by Alicja Szczemirska when resettled, and for a long time was used as a box for threats, buttons and other bit and bobs. It found its way to the Museum as a gift of Professor Czesław Michałowski, a retired academic of the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, husband of the late Alicja.

Professor, thank you very much!