Information about the object:
Cemeteries with Polish gravestones.

Completed works:

2020
The project envisaged the renovation of memorials, monuments and graves, the cleaning up of damaged borderland cemeteries in Kolomyia, Stary Siol and Zimna Woda, important places in the history of the Polish state and nation. The task included, among other things: cutting and removal of unnecessary greenery (weeds, self-sowing trees, trees threatening the graves), excavation of sunken and overturned stone elements of monuments and tombs, cleaning the recovered elements, setting them in their proper place, restoration of inscriptions, waterproofing, cleaning up the surroundings, inventory of renovated and uncovered graves, creation of a list of burials.

2021
The project involves the renovation of tombstones and cleaning up damaged borderland cemeteries in Kolomyia, Staryi Siol and Zimna Woda in Ukraine.

The first stage of work took place in Kolomyia (30.07-15.08.2021). This was a continuation of the clean-up work at the local historic Roman Catholic cemetery. During the works, unnecessary greenery (weeds, volunteer trees, trees threatening the graves) was cut and removed, collapsed and overturned elements of stone monuments and tombs were extracted from the ground, the recovered elements were cleaned, put in their proper place, inscriptions were renewed. Several dozen tombs, monuments and crosses were repaired and renewed in this way. In addition, waterproofing was carried out, an inventory was made of the restored and uncovered graves and a list of burials was compiled. All work took place under the supervision of a conservation officer.

The second stage of the project was carried out from 10 to 19 September 2021 in the villages of Stare Sioło and Zimna Woda.

There are four cemeteries in Stare Sioło, where the ruins of the Ostrogski, later Zasławski, Sieniawski, Czartoryski and Potocki castle still exist. In one of them - the Roman Catholic one - volunteers are working for the 11th year. Here they have discovered monumental elements lying in the bushes and have begun to create a lapidarium from them.

In Zimna Woda, an area of pre-war burials was cleaned up, where former residents of the village are buried: Poles, Germans, Ukrainians, and their graves are deteriorating due to lack of care for them. In the course of the work, volunteers renovated and cleaned the graves of, among others: 19-year-old legionnaire Franciszek Korniak, Lieutenant of the Polish Army Fr. Billian, Koncewicz, Zieliński, Jocher, Messner, Müller, Nessl. They also placed inside the cemetery chapel (affixed to the wall) the conservation-restored plaques found on the ground, without a clear assignment to a specific grave.

In addition, photographic material was collected for the next update of the burial list posted on the website of the Society of Borderland Culture Enthusiasts (kresowianie.info) for use by interested parties.

Funding: Polonica Institute programme "Polish cultural heritage abroad - volunteering".

More about the project: https://polonika.pl/programy/programy-grantowe/programy-grantowe-instytutu/remont-i-porzadkowanie-zabytkowych-cmentarzy

https://polonika.pl/programy/programy-grantowe/programy-grantowe-instytutu/ratujemy-cmentarze-kresowe-

• Towarzystwo Miłośników Kultury Kresowej, realizacja w roku 2020 i 2021.