The Catholic cemetery in Kraslaw is located to the north of St. Louis Church, on the exit road running towards Dagda. Numerous Polish tombstones have been preserved in the necropolis, as well as a monument dedicated to the soldiers of the 3rd Division of the Polish Army Legions, killed in 1920 during the Latgalian Campaign.

Works carried out in 2024.

Conservation work was carried out on one of the oldest objects in the cemetery - the tombstone of Anna of Ryck Benislawska (1784-1876). The burial place is marked by a cross with a representation of Christ and a titulus, placed on a pedestal and a three-tier base. The object was cast in cast iron, while the lowest step of the base was made of granite.

The state of preservation of the object was assessed as poor. In addition to being structurally unstable, the metal surface showed numerous signs of atmospheric and microbiological corrosion, as well as a secondary layer of gold colour. The future stability of the object was also threatened by a sizable tuja growing within the grave field, which had to be removed.

The conservation work carried out included clearing the grave field of low and tall vegetation, repairing the foundation, disinfecting and then cleaning the stone base as well as the metal elements of the monument, reconstructing missing and damaged connections and protecting the metal surfaces with an anti-corrosive layer.

Executor: Witold Butkiewicz Conservation of Monuments

Project completed.

The conservation work was carried out in 2024 within the framework of the strategic programme of the Polonica Institute "Protection of Polish Cultural Heritage Abroad".