On 5 November 2026 at 4 p.m., the National Central Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan will open a special exhibition entitled «The Poles of Kazakhstan: a complex history», marking the 90th anniversary of the deportation of Poles to Kazakhstan. The Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Almaty has organised the exhibition with its support.
The exhibition features photographs based on the memories of deported Poles and their descendants. Since 2012, «Ałmatyński Kurier Polonijny», a magazine of the Polish community in Kazakhstan, has published accounts by Polish families in Kazakhstan. These accounts were also included in «Altynshash», a book by Kazakhstani writer of Polish heritage and the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Yuri Serebryansky. In 2023, the novel «Altynshash» received the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan State Prize in Literature for its contribution to strengthening intercultural and interethnic unity. The book was published by Meloman Publishing in 2024 and translated into Kazakh, English, and Polish.
The photographs tell the story of the deportation of Poles to Kazakhstan and the hardships they faced, as well as their lives after resettlement. They show how people built homes, including dugouts, started families, studied, worked, and made a living while maintaining their heritage, culture, and traditions. Despite the difficult circumstances, support from the Kazakh people helped them adapt to their new surroundings and build a life in Kazakhstan.
Visitors will be able to explore family histories and personal recollections shared by members of today’s Polish community, who live in different parts of Kazakhstan, including Oskemen, Petropavl, Semey, Karaganda, Taraz and Almaty. The exhibition presents the stories of ten Polish families: Lyudmila Chervinskaya, Dmitry Panto, Eduard Lyubchansky, Anatoly Rymashevsky, Oleg Chervinsky, Vladimir Baikovsky, Leon Krenitsky, Marina Rezontova, Anatoly Grib and Yuri Serebryansky, among others.
The project was prepared by Yuri Serebryansky and Meruert Tair, with exhibition design by Zoya Falkova.
Yuri Serebryansky. Doctor of Philology, a writer and editor, and a teacher at the Faculty of Philology of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, a Winner of national and international literary competitions, and is a recipient of the Order of «Kurmet».
Meruert Tair prose writer, translator, participant in the Almaty Writing Residency.
Zoya Falkova a poet and contemporary artist who has taken part in numerous exhibitions and festivals of contemporary art, including Kazakhstan’s unofficial pavilions at the 57th and 58th Venice Biennales.
The opening ceremony will be attended by Mr Dariusz Shevchyk, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Almaty, as well as representatives of the Polish community, historians and cultural scholars.
The exhibition will open in Hall 3 – «History of Kazakhstan», where it will complement the exhibition dedicated to the history and culture of the Polish diaspora.
Venue: the National Central Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Samal-1/44, Almaty
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