Thread by @shenxiu_si

This is my grandmother Stefania.
I've been thinking about her a lot since the full scale war started. Not only did she have a beautiful name and fancy style, but she also survived forced resettlement to Siberia by the Soviets in 1950s. Her story 1/
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Stefania was born in 1930 in a village which now lays on the border between Lviv and Ternopil regions. It belonged to the Second Polish Republic back then. Her father Martin was Polish, her mother Teklia was Ukrainian. 2/

Unfortunately, everything I know about her is not first-hand information. She died long before I was able to ask. However, one month ago I went to her house—refugees from Kyiv live there now—and found a few old documents which interweave with her relatives' stories. 3/

My great grandfather Martin was a wealthy farmer who managed to send his son Mykhailo to study in Lviv University. Young and enthusiastic, Mykhailo got involved in some kind of political affair—I hope to shed light on that one day too—and was put in Chortkiv prison. 4/

Martin went there to see his son and try to help, but it didn't work.
In 1941, while retreating the Soviets executed all political prisoners on the territory they left behind. 21-year-old Mykhailo was one of victims. We still have no idea where his grave is. 5/

Let's get back to Stefania. She was eleven when it happened. However, it influenced her too, and much later she would call her own son—my dad—Mykhailo. Also she would talk him out of going to university. He got higher education only after Ukraine proclamed independence. 6/

When the WW2 was over, one might have thought that the worst was behind. But Soviets came back and took the region in the firm grip. I used to think that the family was sent to Siberia somewhere in 1947–8 when the cleansing was the most intence. 7/

However, I was lucky to find her "rehabilitation" document. It says she was forcedly resettled in 1952 and lived in Republic of Sakha since October 22, 1952 to August 25, 1958. 8/

It came as a shock to me. I immediately thought: "If they were lucky to hold on just one more year, then..." But "then" is just an illusion—repressions didn't end with Stalin's death and Khrushchev Thaw. They only ended when the USSR collapsed. And now russians bring them back.9/

Stefania's birth certificate reissued by the Soviets proves that she was still in Ternopil region in 1951. It is in Russian—noone cared if Ukrainians who attended Polish schools understood it. Her parents' nationality field is empty. Mentioning Polish roots must be dangerous. 10/

After the WW2 my great grandfather was forced to join kolkhoz and give up a lot of his possesions. Nevertheless, the local activists continued to call him "kulak" (Ukrainian "kurkul") and put his family on a list to go to special settelment in 1952. 11/

Stefania, her parents, and sisters were sent to village Yakokut in Sakha. The road is so long that Google maps cannot show it flat. Almost 9000 km! No idea how long it took. Imagine it—no crimes, no charges, you just lose everything and end up in cold deserted taiga. 12/

Now, 70 years later russians are doing this to Ukrainians again. People from occupied territories are deported to the Far East. I wish I could ask my grandmother about some surviving tips. It seems that this experience will be relevant for us as long as russia exists. 13/

My family was sent to special settlement Yakokut to work for a wood power plant which provided electricity to gold mining facilities in Aldan region. 22-year-old Stefania started working at the logging site and three years later was promoted to fuel supply department. 14/

There she met Mykola who had been resettled from Ivano-Frankivsk region. They got married in 1957, and the following year brought them two important events: their first child was born and they were allowed to go back to Ukraine. 15/

But even living in a special settlement has its pros compared to kolkhoz. At least, you earned a wage and had a passport while kolkhozniks were just serfs of the state. Also they can't send you to Siberia if you're already there—so you can practice your traditions, e.g.vertep 16/

Thus, Stefania didn't really want to come back. The family legend says it was Mykola who craved for "free Ukraine." All their relatives decided to go too. In 1959, they set off on the long road with a can full of gold (that's also a family legend). 17/

During that trip their firstborn had a strong food poisoning and was close to death. Uncle Vasyl survived, but his health remained weak for the rest of his life. Stefania and Mykola settled in her home village and built their own house. Three years later my father was born. 18/

At first, Stefania worked in kolkhoz. In 1976 she was lucky to get an assistant position in a local infirmary and worked there until retired. When her father Martin was dying, the man who had put their family on the depotation list came and begged him for forgiveness. In vain.19/

Mykola died at 59, having experienced only three years of free Ukraine he used to dream about. Stefania died in 2001. My uncle never had his own children, so I am their only grandchild. 20/

Remembering their story is my responsibility, and it gives me strength to hold on now despite my country and my people being stuck in a vicious circle of history again. #StopRussia #SaveMariupol #ArmUkraineNow 21/21