S11EP04 - 'The Escapee' with Eliza Karpińska Artwork

The Family Histories Podcast

The Family Histories Podcast is a show that celebrates those of us sat in archives, libraries, and spare bedrooms all around the world, tirelessly piecing together our collective social and family history.

Join British family historian Andrew Martin as he interviews a fellow genealogy fan about how they got hooked; listen to his guest tell the life story of their most fascinatingly good, bad, or plain ugly relative; and then it's time to face 'The Brick Wall' - where it's over to the listeners to see if they can help solve the guest's family history puzzle.

As a parting gift, Andrew offers each guest a surprise that no family history fan could possibly turn down.... a trip in his secret time machine.

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The Family Histories Podcast

S11EP04 - 'The Escapee' with Eliza Karpińska

May 26, 2026 • Season 11 • Episode 4

0:00 | 40:28

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In this fourth episode of Season Eleven, host Andrew Martin meets Polish professional genealogist Eliza Karpińska - the co-owner of Genealogia Polonica. He hears how she got hooked on researching family history, the challenges of researching in neighbouring Ukraine, and how she ended up turning professional.

THE LIFE STORY - WLADYSLAW SIEMIONOW

Eliza has decided to tell the Life Story of her grandfather Wladyslaw Siemionow of Lithuania, who was captured by Nazis during World War Two and put on a train to do forced labour. Despite his father bribing the German station guards to let him off the train, Wladyslaw decided he wanted to stay on the train with his friends as he wanted to travel.

Things did not go well, and despite being shot at during the forced labour, he escaped. Unfortunately he fell into the hands of the Soviet Red Army where he was forced to sign-up to their army. Whilst here, he sustained another injury during an explosion - this time to his head - which caused him to be sent to multiple places for treatment. Miraculously, once he'd regained enough strength, he escaped again and made his way home - the long way round!

THE BRICK WALL - ANNA SIEMIONOW

Related to the Life Story above, Eliza is asking for help to find records for her Great Great Grandmother Anna Siemionow - who, as she has discovered, was a single mother seemingly from Dubki near Pskov in Russia. The challenge for Eliza is that Anna was a peasant, and peasants in this area did not have surnames until the 19th century - meaning that it's hard to reliably find her in records (even just a birth record).

She does know, that Anna's father was an Ivan Siemionow, but apart from the Dubki connection, she's not managed to get any further back.

Can you help?

If you think you can help Eliza with a research idea or clue, then you can email her via the address she gives in the episode, or head over to her Genealogia Polonica website and use the form there. Alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it right along to her.

In the meantime, Andrew offers Eliza some help, but she decides it's time for war...

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Episode Credits