By Farrukh Akhatjonov
Today was a remarkable day as I had the opportunity to visit a place that until now had only existed in my mind, in the confines of history books and classroom lectures. Treblinka has always held a significant place in my understanding of the past, yet visiting its grounds today felt like a journey that stirred something deep within my soul.
Our journey started with our trip from our hotel to Treblinka. Warsaw was truly adorned with its majestic trees and beautiful nature on our drive to Treblinka. We were also able to have visual maps of railways and the neighborhood near Treblinka thanks to our tour guide, Pawel. We were also able to take the same road that the trains used to take that arrived at Treblinka, which also made our drive to Treblinka very informative.
I found the museum in Treblinka particularly educational, providing a great understanding of the camp despite its destruction. First, we watched several short documentaries that gave us a virtual tour of the camp, as well as other documentaries about Treblinka survivors and their experiences. These documentaries were really helpful in connecting us with this place.
Then, we were able to see the model of the camp, and Pawel told us about each section of the camp. In the museum, I also witnessed many exhibits that were found in this place. There were also paintings and images of the camp that gave a clear depiction of what Treblinka used to look like. I learned so much about Treblinka and realized that my understanding of the camp was quite vague.
Our time in the museum really helped me understand the nature of concentration camps better and made me realize that they were much more horrifying than I expected. I believe this visit to Treblinka is one of the most emotional and informative experiences I have had so far.
