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After the Russians came, life became very hard. Instantly there
were changes. The Polish currency, the złoty, was withdrawn from circulation so that even those people who had savings were
not better off. The Russian currency, the ruble, fluctuated in value and I remember my mother worrying about how and where
we would get supplies. What there was in the shops was immediately bought out by Russian soldiers. The Russians took everything
and sent it to Russia. There was a joke that local famous watch stores were closed for the day because Stalin was coming to
buy watches.
I don’t remember if we still had newspapers or if the radio functioned. My uncle, who was a radio director
in Kraków, was instructed by the Polish authorities to move with all his equipment and staff to Romania from where he could
broadcast. I do remember that, eventually, we had Russian announcements on the radio. My uncle made it to Romania where he
stayed for a year.
Maria Pawulska Rasiej
b. 1928, Lwów
April 1940, deported to the Soviet Union
1942-47,
Iran, Iraq, India, Africa
1947-51, England
1952-present, USA
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The Russians surrounded the house and were already breaking in.
I saw several Russian soldiers pointing rifles through windows and I remember one of the guns was aimed at my brother George.
Mom grabbed George, although it could have provoked the soldier. Luckily the soldier did not fire.
Dad, the Polish
soldier, and all of us had our hands up as the Russians took us into the kitchen. Dad and the soldier were led outside. Mom
was crying and tried to say goodbye to Dad but they would not let her. The Russians went through the house searching for other
people and guns. After 10 minutes they left with Dad and the soldier. About a dozen bullets flew through the house we lived
in, but no one was hurt.
Tadeusz Król
b. 1930, Mołodeczno
July 1940, deported to the Soviet Union
1942-58,
England
1958-present, USA
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