Doświadczenie wywózki i życia na zesłaniu w relacjach Polaków wywiezionych z Kresów w latach 1940–1941

The aim of the article is to present the experiences of Poles deported during the World War II to the Soviet Union. The paper is based on the analysis of stories told by the interviewed deportees. First, a general historical background on the large‑scale deportations is provided. The second part of the paper presents the stories describing the conditions of life in exile. The author discusses selected aspects of everyday life reality that Poles displaced to Kazakh SSR and Siberia encountered. Special attention is given to transportation to the place of exile, the places of settlement, fight for survival, as well as working and living conditions.