Dromedaries

An important role was played in the armed struggle against the Russian authorities by women who were active within the Polish Socialist Party's paramilitary units. They were known as Dromaderki, the feminine form of the Polish word for dromedary camels, because they carried weapons, ammunition and explosive materials. Unfortunately, most of them have remained anonymous; the names or aliases of only a few of them have survived to the present day. Active involvement in the fight for independence meant the risk of imprisonment, lengthy sentences to hard labour, or exile to Siberia.