“Stories from Górna Street”

Where silence has a voice

“Stories from Górna Street”
On 19 September, the Museum and Memorial Site in Bełżec hosted the opening of Błażej Mysiak’s photography exhibition, “Stories from Górna Street.” The exhibition was organised as part of the 2026 European Heritage Days, held under the theme “The Future of the Past. Heritage at Risk.”

The exhibition is the artist’s personal story of the old Jewish cemetery on Górna Street in Leżajsk — a place he has been photographing for years, documenting traces of the multicultural heritage of the Podkarpacie region: abandoned cemeteries, wooden Orthodox churches and chapels, and a world that today has almost faded from memory.

Błażej Mysiak is a member of the Mieczysław Wielomski “Against Nothingness” Photographic Association and has spent years documenting Poland’s eastern borderlands. He also writes about his journeys on his travel blog, “Na skraju kraju” (“At the Edge of the Country”).

A man in a light-coloured shirt stands next to an easel displaying a photograph of a person by a gravestone, gesturing towards the image with his hand. The seated audience listens attentively, while other framed photographs are visible on the wall in the background.

During the event, the photographer spoke about the story behind the series, the many hours he spent visiting the cemetery in Leżajsk, and the people he encountered there. With great sensitivity and passion, he reflected on how the echo of history can still be heard in the silence of this forgotten place — in the leaning matzevot, the small stones left on gravestones, and the notes bearing prayers and requests that continue to appear there.

The exhibition opening attracted a large audience of photography enthusiasts and people interested in the history of the region. The conversation with the artist, filled with personal reflections, will remain in the participants’ memories for a long time.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Mr Błażej Mysiak for this exceptional meeting, and to all our guests who joined us at the Museum that day.

Framed photograph from the exhibition: a man in a black hat and long coat, with a greying beard and payot, holds a leather-bound prayer book with an embossed cover, resting it on a red Coca-Cola crate. In the blurred background, another figure in similar attire is visible. Other gallery photographs are reflected in the glass.
A black-and-white photograph: a smiling young man in traditional Hasidic attire and a hat, with sidelocks, stands between two thick tree trunks, holding a phone in one hand and a prayer book in the other.

📍 “Stories from Górna Street” can be viewed at the Museum and Memorial Site in Bełżec until the end of 2026.

  • A grey-haired man in a light blue shirt and smart trousers stands by the wall, speaking to the seated audience. Behind him, framed photographs from the exhibition hang on a white brick wall, including a close-up of hands holding a prayer book.
  • Close-up of a framed exhibition photograph: the wrinkled face of an elderly man in a hat, hand raised to his mouth, with a blurred figure visible in the background.
  • A woman leading the talk gestures while holding notes, addressing the seated audience; a man in a light shirt stands nearby, with numerous framed exhibition photographs on the wall behind them.
  • Exhibition photograph on a black background: a man in a kippah and glasses, seen in profile, holds an open prayer book lit by a narrow beam of light, with the rest of the frame in darkness.
  • A man in a light shirt and a woman in a navy dress sit facing each other at a round table with a water bottle and books, engaged in conversation; framed exhibition photographs hang in the background.
  • Three women seated side by side, listening attentively; blurred exhibition photographs and a golden light accent are visible in the background.
  • View of the gallery room from behind the audience: a man and a woman sit in the centre talking, surrounded by a large seated crowd; the walls are lined with rows of framed photographs.
  • A grey-haired man in a light blue shirt stands alone in the gallery, gesturing as he speaks; numerous framed black-and-white photographs hang behind him, with a chair and a table holding a laptop nearby.
  • Two men stand close together — one in a black t-shirt holds and shows a small red-covered book to the other, who wears a light shirt and glasses; exhibition photographs on an easel and wall are visible behind them.
  • Close-up of the audience: a young woman in a grey top and white skirt sits attentively, with a man wearing glasses beside her; blurred figures and framed photographs on the wall are visible in the background.
  • A grey-haired man in glasses and a light blue shirt sits reading an open book; a laptop displaying a colourful illustration, a water bottle and documents rest on the table beside him, with framed exhibition photographs in the background.
  • View of wall with a row of framed portrait photographs hung on a light brick wall; a large portrait of an elderly man with a grey beard stands out in the foreground, with more works leaning against the floor.
  • A man and a woman sit on the left side of the room in conversation, facing an audience that includes children; a row of framed photographs lines the wall behind them.
  • Framed photograph shown at an angle: the silhouette of a man in a long black coat and hat, standing alone among tall, leafless trees in muted, wintry light.
  • A man in a light shirt stands on the left side of the room while a woman in a navy dress looks at a row of five framed photographs hung on a brick wall; a table with chairs and additional artworks leaning against the wall are visible nearby.
  • Audience seated in rows during the talk, with a wall of framed black-and-white photographs
  • Close-up of a framed exhibition photograph: a row of fallen, moss-covered matzevot (Jewish gravestones) lying on the ground, weathered with age and lit by warm golden light from above; dry twigs and leaves surround them. Chairs from the exhibition room are reflected in the glass.
  • A grey-haired man in a light blue shirt stands against the gallery wall, holding an open book and reading aloud to the gathered audience; seated listeners of various ages, including children and teenagers, listen attentively. The room is lined with rows of framed black-and-white exhibition photographs, including forest and cemetery scenes; an easel with an additional artwork and a table with a laptop stand nearby.