Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum

The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum stands as an unofficial vault for Polish history, established in 1945 by exiles who feared their national archives would be seized or destroyed by the new Soviet-backed regime in Warsaw. Located in a Victorian townhouse at number 20 Prince's Gate, the organization was intentionally formed as a private trust rather than a state entity to insulate its collections from political pressure. When the building was purchased in 1946, it became a sanctuary for the records and personal effects of the Polish government-in-exile, effectively operating as a sovereign Polish island within London.