Józef Gulik, [illegible], Ostrów Mazowiecka district, Szulborze-Koty commune, Białystok Voivodeship, farmer.
I was arrested on 10 March 1940. I spent six weeks in a dirty and cold monastery. I had contact with my family. On 17 April I went to Białystok, where I was imprisoned until 1 June. From Białystok we were transferred to Brześć nad Bugiem. I stayed in Brześć until 1 March 1941. On that day I was sentenced to three years of forced labor and the entire transport was sent to Russia. We traveled for 20 days. On the way there, they gave us frozen bread and fish, and almost no water. As soon as we reached the destination, we were taken to a warm barrack with two heaters inside. On the next day they gave us 700 grams of bread and some oat groats. We were not driven out to work for three days. After three days, we were marched out – some of us were sent to coal mines, others to the forest. The life of those who went to the coal mine was 50 percent better, while those who worked in the forest had 300 grams of bread and a liter of oat soup per day.
The attitude of the NKVD towards Poles was very hostile.
As for the hygiene, there was nothing to complain about, because we were allowed to go to the bathhouse every day. Very few people were sick. Our life improved when we were about to be released. When they were about to send us away, they gave us everything new, 75 rubles each for the journey, and they transported us to Totskoye.