STEFAN BORKOWSKI

1. [Personal details:]

Cadet Stefan Borkowski, born on 1891, married, merchant [by] trade.

2. [Date and circumstances of arrest:]

I was arrested in Augustów by the Soviet authorities for storing part of the broken monument of Marshal Piłsudski. I was accused of conducting secret military work.

3. [Life in the camp, prison:]

I was imprisoned in very harsh conditions. I was sent from the prison to Vitebsk on 22 March. [The journey lasted] until 29 June.

In Vitebsk, I was imprisoned on 29 June 1940 [and stayed there] until 2 May 1941. In Vitebsk, I was beaten and thrown into the dungeons for not confessing. The food was bad.

From Vitebsk, [I] was deployed to Leningrad on 2 May. I stayed there until 20 May in bad conditions. From Leningrad I was taken to the Archangelsk gulags—the journey lasted from 20 May until 5 June. The travel conditions were extremely harsh, and many people died.

Work in the gulags was very hard. We worked 14 hours a day mining rock.