Figure 1.--Here we see some of the Polish children the Soviet NKVD deported to the Soviet Union. At the time the Germans and Soviets were allies. Both attempting to destroy the Polish nation. These were some of the lucky children that made it out of the Soviet Union after the German invasion (June 1941). Stalin reached an agreement with the Polish Government in exile. (The NKVD shot many government officials who remained in Poland.) The press release pictures the children after the harrowing trip across the Soviet Union in which many Poles perished and shortly after they were allowed to cross into Iran. The press release reads, "Young Poles at Prayer in Iran: Polish refugee children at prayer before the altar in a building that had been intended by the Germans for a machine-gun factory. These Poles were evacuated from Russia."The photograph was dated July 22, 1942. The editor does not explain why the Polish children were in the Soviet Union. Note the reference to German activity in Iran. The British and Soviets intervened in Iran a year earlier to stop growing German influence and to safeguard what would become the Major route for Lend Lease aid to the Red Army. The image gives the impression that the children were all Castholic. In fact there were many Jewish children among them.

The Soviet NKVD after the Soviet Union in an alliance with the NAZIs occupied eastern Poland (September 1939). They arrested, murdered and deported some 1.7 million Poles to various camps and communities in Siberia, Central Asia, and other locations. Many Poles died there because of the deplorable conditions and treatment. Stalin changed his policy toward Poland after the Germans invaded (June 1941). Some of the surviving Poles were allowed to leave through Iran. Some 18,000 of the surviving Polish children managed to reach Iran. Many were girls. We are not sure why that was, probably many teenage boys manged to join the Army. Not all of them were orphans. Some had parents, but had become separated. The condition of the children was especially desperate. They were terribly emaciated and dangerously malnourished. Orphanages were immediately set up in Pahlavi, Tehran, and Ahvaz to deal with the children on an emergency basis. The first major orphanage was opened in Mashhad and was operated by an order of Christian nuns (March 12, 1942). The children at this orphanage were mostly those who had been transported overland by trucks. Authorities chose Isfahan as the principal center to care for the Polish children, especially the younger ones under age 7 years. The first children arrived April 10. The pleasant surroundings and healthy air of this beautiful Iranian city were seen as a kind of sanatorium where the children could have a better chance of recovering their physical and mental health. The British and American provided emergency aid supplies. The Red Cross was very active. The local people in a charitable spirit welcomed the children. Iranian civil authorities as well as some private individuals vacated premises to accommodate the children. Schools, hospitals and social organizations quickly appeared to cater for the needs of the children. The young Shah took an interest in the Polish children. He allowed them to use his swimming pool. He invited groups to his palace for dinner. Some of the children began studying Farsi and recited Persian poems to a delegation of Iranian officials. Authorities allocated twenty-four areas of the city to the Polish children. Isfahan became fixed in Polish émigré circles as The City of Polish Children. Most of the children were Polish Catholics. There was also a small group of Jewish children. In their case, deportation probably saved their lives.

Created: 12:43 AM 10/10/2008
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