A Gathering of the Serafin Family and an Extraordinary Encounter at the Center

Today at the Center—an extraordinary family gathering! We hosted members of the Serafin family, who traveled to us from Poland, England, Scotland, and Canada for a family reunion to celebrate the 90th birthday of Krystyna Serafin-Pryjomko—a Siberian deportee and a great friend of the Center.
Krystyna was deported by the NKVD along with her family from Pinsk on February 10, 1940, when she was just three years old. Following the so-called amnesty via Iran, she ended up in a Polish refugee settlement in Tengeru, Tanganyika (present-day Tanzania), and later settled in the United Kingdom. For over a dozen years, she has lived in Kraków, which—as she herself emphasizes—has become her true home.
The permanent exhibition at the Center’s headquarters—Fort Skotniki—features a unique artifact donated by Ms. Krystyna: the yellow sweater she wore when she was deported to Siberia… It is a priceless historical testimony and one of the most moving artifacts in the Center’s collection.

From the very beginning, Ms. Krystyna believed in the significance of our work like no one else. Her trust, kindness, and unwavering support are incredibly important to us. We are indescribably grateful to her for her faith in what we do.
The gathering of five generations of the family was an experience for us that cannot be put into words. We are deeply moved and honored to have hosted the Serafin family at the Center. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks for this special time, the emotions, the memories, and the trust that Ms. Krystyna and her family have placed in us for years. It was an event that will remain in our hearts and memories for a long time to come.