The history of Siberia brings Poland and Japan together

Radosław Tyszkiewicz, President of the Poland–Japan Foundation, visited the Sibir Memorial Museum in Białystok, which, together with the Slavic-Eurasian Research Center at Hokkaido University and in cooperation with the Poland–Japan Foundation, prepared the exhibition “Siberia – Prison of Nations. Poland and Japan – Histories of Memory and Solidarity.” From August 8, 2026, through the end of March 2027, residents of Sapporo can view the exhibition, which explores the experiences of people caught up in the machinery of the Russian and, later, Soviet systems of repression. It tells a story of exile, deportation, and imprisonment, but also of a memory that has survived across successive generations.
For its presentation in Japan, the exhibition’s creators prepared additional material highlighting the shared experiences of Poland and Japan. Visitors can learn about the history of Bronisław Piłsudski, a researcher associated with Hokkaido and Ainu culture, as well as the story of the Polish Siberian children who, following the Bolshevik Revolution and the Russian Civil War, found refuge with Japan’s assistance. Sapporo is the first stop on the Białystok exhibition’s tour of Japan. In the coming years, the history of Siberia will also be presented in other Japanese cities. During Radosław Tyszkiewicz’s visit to the Sibir Memorial Museum, he met with its director, Professor Wojciech Śleszyński, to discuss joint initiatives and plans for further cooperation.