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I walked 2,000km to trace my grandfather's escape from a Russian gulag (The Guardian)
Friday 15 April 2016 11.38 BST
Polish photographer Michal Iwanowski tells The Calvert Journal about following in the footsteps of a treacherous jailbreak during world war two
My grandfather and his brother survived one harsh winter in a Soviet prisoner camp during the second world war before they made a daring escape to the relative safety of Poland.
It was a treacherous 2,200km journey which saw them separated from their friends during a military ambush, shot at and chased, and took more than three months to complete as they hitched rides on freight trains and dodged Russian troops.
<snip>
It was haunting to discover that elements of the landscape have not changed for 70 years. My uncle described a railway bridge leading into Kozielsk in Russia where they were ambushed and my grandfather was shot. As I stood on that bridge, I could see exactly where that scene had taken place.
<snip>
There were days when I struggled physically, especially in bad weather. Walking uphill against the wind for eight hours in wet clothes. Or when the temperature dropped below -15C and the battery in my camera didn’t not hold up for long.
I kept myself in check by remembering how difficult it had been for the real fugitive, my grandfather. I was not in danger. I was not hungry. I had a smartphone to call for help if I needed to.
.
It was a treacherous 2,200km journey which saw them separated from their friends during a military ambush, shot at and chased, and took more than three months to complete as they hitched rides on freight trains and dodged Russian troops.
<snip>
It was haunting to discover that elements of the landscape have not changed for 70 years. My uncle described a railway bridge leading into Kozielsk in Russia where they were ambushed and my grandfather was shot. As I stood on that bridge, I could see exactly where that scene had taken place.
<snip>
There were days when I struggled physically, especially in bad weather. Walking uphill against the wind for eight hours in wet clothes. Or when the temperature dropped below -15C and the battery in my camera didn’t not hold up for long.
I kept myself in check by remembering how difficult it had been for the real fugitive, my grandfather. I was not in danger. I was not hungry. I had a smartphone to call for help if I needed to.
cont'd...
Link: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/15/trace-grandfathers-escape-russian-gulag-poland-lithuania
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