Час трывогі і надзеі

The Time of Anxiety and Hope is the last book of the four-book series The Daily Life of Belarusians in the Bialystok Area covering the post-World War II period from 1944 to 1956. Just like the previous books of the series, it is based on accounts of Podlasie residents interviewed by Niva weekly journalists. It seemed that the war and occupation was over and it was time to rebuild the country and return to normality. But armed groups continued to operate at Podlasie, disturbing local residents. In addition, Poland and the Soviet Union reached a final agreement on the shared border. The border line divided fates, families, villages and lives. Part of Podlasie was in the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic and the other part was in Poland. The authorities launched propaganda, made appeals and threats. People were lured, expelled and forced to move to the other country. They left their homes for decades, some left forever. The book describes the thorny fates of individuals and villages that were divided by the border. The narrative ends with 1956, the year when the Niva weekly was established and began covering developments involving Bialystok area residents.