The bag

The rectangular shaped bag with rounded edges is made of synthetic fabric in dark green. It was decorated with embroidery. The bordering is an ornamental, rhythmic trail resembling twigs (in beige thread). On one side (reverse) in the bottom right corner a colourful floral application is visible, made with needlework embroidery technique. The sack has two inner compartments and is drawn together with a decorative string ending in a roller. The cord consists of braided black and beige threads.

Tonia Lechtman spent five and a half years in prison. During all that time she wore the clothes in which she was arrested. There were not even conditions to wash the clothes in her cell. Recalling her mother's memories, Wera Lechtman describes the sanitary conditions in the Rakowiecka prison in the following way: There was one bucket with water in the cell. This bucket was used for everything and then as a potty. During the day they had to wash themselves. Mysia's head was almost gone, because they were disgusted. In any case, she was without a comb, without any underwear, without panties to change, etc. She couldn't comb herself like that either, because she didn't have anything to do it with. Her friends did too. Among other reasons, she did not inform us that she had left, because she felt humiliated. She didn't let us know for 3 or 2.5 months that she was out.

After leaving prison, Tonia Lechtman wrote about her appearance: Marcel kept mentioning my beauty. Beautiful hair. Meanwhile, I looked terrible. I had no teeth, because they pulled a lot of them out in prison. I didn't go to the hairdresser, so [Marcel] suffered a lot because of that. When we had to go to the cinema or take the tram, he was so ashamed of me that he would go or ride separately. We only met on the spot.

The Security Office bought Toni Lechtman a two-week stay in Krynica. It was supposed to improve her health, also to help bring mother and children together (as they were told). Wera Lechtman (the children went with their mother) recalled that they were ashamed of their appearance. They were dressed worse than the other bather. She even used the term 'damsels'. She also recalled that they had difficulty maintaining etiquette at the table. Neither in prison nor in the children's homes did they use knives and forks, only spoons. Years later, laughing, she recounted: they served us these dinners, and we didn't know how to eat with a knife and fork. Somehow we didn't manage. The food splashed all around us. It was unpleasant.In an interview by Teresa Torańska Wera wyjeżdża z Mrągow (Wera Leaves Mrągowo), ,,Gazeta Wyborcza of 3 March 2008) she confessed, recalling Krynica: Going to an orphanage was not such a shock for me as staying in a luxury hotel. [...] I felt terrible. I couldn't stand it. After a week, I told my mother that I had an exam in Latin and I had to go back to the orphanage to study. No, mum wasn't a stranger, but the situation was unnatural. To this day I don't like hotels.

Marta Frączkiewicz