Information about the object:
Ukraine, Volyn and Ternopil regions (Lutsk consular district), Kostyukhovka, Kovel, Kolki, Przebraże, Lubieszów, Prilesna, Maniewicze, Buczacz, Puźniki, Barysh, Koropiec, Novosiolka Koropiecka, Monasterzyska.

Cemeteries with Polish tombstones.

Completed works:

2019
Kowel cemetery: all graves in Kowel were cleared of vegetation, weeded, cleaned of paint. In the course of the work, it turned out that under the layers of paint there are original slabs of white marble, sandstone and a photo of one of the scouts.St Catherine's children's quarters were cleaned and mowed. On the initiative of the young people, in addition to the graves included in the work plans, the cleaning of several Polish graves in the neighbourhood, which had not been cleaned up for years, was also undertaken.

Kolki cemetery: the cemetery site was mowed and tidied up. Damage to its fence was repaired. Discussions were held with the authorities of Kolki about the possibility of recovering the part of the cemetery leased for the construction of a car park and about prohibiting the local residents from grazing livestock in the cemetery. Information was submitted to the General Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Lutsk about the arbitrary replacement of the main Roman Catholic cross, renovated by scouts, with an Orthodox one.

The cemetery of the village and the Polish self-defence unit in Przebraż: cleaning and maintenance works were carried out, consisting in the replacement of 20 damaged oak crosses and mowing of the entire cemetery and its surroundings. Renovation of the central memorial was carried out. The entrance gate was painted and the main alley was cleaned. Repairs and maintenance were carried out on parts of the fence. The scouts were supported in this work by the inhabitants of the surrounding villages, the Polish Cultural Association in Lutsk and groups of volunteers from Bochnia.

Searching for the grave of the family of the school manager in Kostiuchnówka. Based on the data obtained, with the help of Ukrainian and Polish archaeologists and after obtaining permission from the Ukrainian authorities, efforts will be made next year to undertake excavations at these sites. The administration in Maniewicza and the community of the village of Kostiuchnówka are partners in the effort.

The grave of a Polish teacher from Prilesna: scouts have cleaned up, mowed weeds and removed wild lilac bushes. Next season, in consultation with the Prilesna school teachers, consideration should be given to rebuilding the grave.

The old cemetery in Lubieszów: during the start of the work, it became apparent that it had been cleaned up by another group from Poland. This was immediately communicated to the POLONIKA representative, and cleaning work was instead carried out in another cemetery in the area, that of Luboml.

The graves of Polish parish priests from Maniewicz in the legionary cemetery next to the Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church in Maniewicz: the graves were cleaned of vegetation and old paint. Next, cavities in the spouts and slabs were filled in and cracked parts were glued together. Finally, the whole thing was painted.

Cemeteries around Buczacz: In 2019, the scouts of the Lodz Scouting Group of the Polish Scouting Association (ZHP) organised an expedition for the first time with the aim of finding, identifying and cleaning up Polish civilian cemeteries and cemeteries in the Buczacz area. The result was to reach forgotten and neglected graves in Novosiolka Koropiecka, Puźniki, Koropec and Monasterzyska. During the course of the work at the village cemetery, almost half of the site turned out to be heavily overgrown with weeds and bushes. Beneath these, the remains of Polish burials established up to 1939 were found. Much of the uncovered quarter was now just bare earth with the remains of broken and damaged remnants of commemorations. Thanks to this year's work, it was possible to assess the condition of the cemetery, the quarters and the individual burials and to plan further cleaning and restoration work.

A study containing the location and condition of the uncovered graves was produced from the work in Novosiolka and Puzniki. In addition, as part of the implementation of this part of the task during the expedition around Buczacz, prospecting and documentation work was carried out in Koropec and Monasterzyska. In the first of these localities, Polish graves from the period of the Second Polish Republic were found in the municipal cemetery. An assessment of their condition allowed the scope of future work to be determined. In most cases, it will be required to straighten tombstones, fill in defects and inscriptions.

2020
The project "Kresowe cmentarze na Ukrainie - 2020" assumed the renovation and cleaning of little-known graves, cemeteries and graves associated with Polish cultural heritage abroad.

1. Old Polish cemetery in Kowel - cleaning and renovation works.
2. Polish cemetery in Kolki - further systematic tidying up, reconstruction of the fence, inventory of the preserved remains of gravestones and efforts to recover a part of the cemetery leased for the construction of a car park.
3. Polish cemetery after the village and Polish self-defence in Przebraż - ongoing care in the form of repairs to the central monument, fencing, replacement of wooden crosses, mowing and painting.
4. The grave of the family of the school manager in Kostiuchnówka - scouts and archaeologists have been searching for the burial of this family in the village cemetery in Kostiuchnówka for several years, based on the accounts of local people. The specific nature of the exhumation work carried out in the cemetery and the unclear public message, caused by the passage of years, make it impossible to discover this burial for the time being. It seems necessary to erect a symbolic plaque dedicated to this family in the central cemetery alley. The administration in Maniewicza and the community of the village of Kostyukhivka are partners here.
5. The grave of a Polish teacher from Prilesna - the grave in the cemetery in Manievichi needs to be renovated and cared for all year round.
6. Cemetery of Polish settlers in Toboly . Forgotten for decades, the cemetery requires full care and complete restoration. The location of the village of Toboły, far from the main tourist routes, necessitates the creation of permanent memorials to the Polish graves. Once restored, we can count on the care and patronage of this place by the local village community,
7. The graves of Polish parish priests from Maniewicza are located in the legionary cemetery next to the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit in Maniewicza. - These graves will continue to be looked after by our volunteers. We are planning to repair the stone fence and further planting with ornamental plants, in consultation with parish priest A. Kwiczala,
8. The cemetery after the Polish historical settlement in Optowa needs full cleaning works, demarcation of the burial range and fencing.
9. Cemeteries around Buczacz - the cemetery after the defunct village of Puźniki. The scope of work in 2020 will include: permanent, year-round maintenance works, delineation of the full extent of the cemetery and its fencing, cleaning and setting of neglected and broken tombstones. Another cemetery where work began in 2019 , is the cemetery in Novosiolka Koropiecka. Here, in addition to mowing and general maintenance, the restoration of preserved Polish gravestones and crosses is planned. Other cemeteries include weeding, cleaning and conservation work on Polish gravestones, as well as photographic and documentary work on the location and extent of burials.

2022
As part of the project, volunteers covered the following sites with work:

• the old Polish cemetery in Kowel,
• the grave of the family of the school headmaster in Kostiuchnówka,
• the grave of a Polish teacher from Prilesna in Maniewicza,
• the cemetery of Polish settlers in Toboly,
• graves of Polish parish priests from Maniewicza,
• a cemetery with Polish burials in the historic village of Optowa,
• Janowa Dolina (Basalt Valley),
• Orthodox cemetery in Kolki with a grave of those murdered in 1943.

2023
Scouts of the Lodz Scouting Troop of the Polish Scouting Association (ZHP) affiliated with the Kostiuchnówka Dialogue Centre in Ukraine have been involved in the restoration of legionnaires' cemeteries for over 20 years. Activities are concentrated around Kostiuchnówka, where a scout centre operates in a former Polish school from 1936. During their travels in Ukraine, the scouts come across many places connected with Polish cultural heritage, most often in the form of forgotten and devastated Polish cemeteries, which have not been cared for or protected for decades.

The sites selected for the project have been cleaned up and cared for for 4 years now. Their good condition depends on annual cleaning and maintenance work, hence they also become part of this year's task.

1. The old cemetery in Kowel - there are scouts' graves (4 with six burials) and children's quarters (several dozen graves) - cooperation with the Polish Cultural Association in Kowel and local authorities.
2. The grave of a Polish teacher from Prilesna in Maniewicze - in implementing the Partner Schools Programme, the beneficiary obtained information about the grave of a Polish teacher from the period of the Second Republic, who saved the village of Prilesna from pacification during the war and who remained there also after the Second World War.
3. Graves of Polish parish priests from Maniewicz - cemetery near the church - in cooperation with the parish priest of Maniewicz.
4. Polish cemetery after the village of Optowa - Polish civilian burials at the site of the historic Legion battles of 1915 and 1916.
5. Cemetery of Polish settlers in the village of Toboły .
6. Janowa Dolina - a forgotten cemetery of Polish settlers living in the above-mentioned village, who died in the inter-war period, found by scouts in 2020 (now only a memorial to the Wolyn Massacre is known).
7. Orthodox cemetery in Kołki - abandoned, dilapidated mass grave of those murdered in the Volhynian Reich, where scouts weed and light candles every year. The grave needs tidying up, restoration and repair of the slab on the mass grave.
8. Old Polish Catholic cemetery in Kolki - this is an old, forgotten cemetery of Polish inhabitants of the town of Kolki. It needs mowing, tidying up and repairs to the fence.

2024
The aim of the project is to take care of Polish cemeteries (with the support of volunteers living in Ukraine).

1. Old cemetery in Kowel - cleaning and renovation works on the graves of scouts and in the children's quarters.
2. Graves of Polish parish priests in Maniewicza - the graves (washed and impregnated) and surrounding areas were cleaned up. The fence was repaired, vegetation was tidied up and new plantings were made.
3. The grave of a Polish teacher from Prilesna in Manievichy - the grave was tidied up, volunteers mowed weeds and bushes, cleaned and conserved the frames and monument on the grave.
4. Toboły (Volyn region, Kamień Kaszyrski district). The cemetery dates back to the Second Polish Republic, and is a remnant of a now defunct colony of Polish settlers. Forgotten for decades, the cemetery was covered by works for the first time in 2012. This time, the grasses were mowed again and the surrounding area was cleaned up.
5. Optowa (Volyn region, Kamień Kaszyrskiy district) lies to the north-west of Kostiuchnówka. The cemetery that has been discovered is a trace of a Polish settlement that no longer exists here. This year the area was weeded and mowed again in the full extent of the cemetery, as determined by a local forester. A plaque was also erected with information about the site.
6. Yanova Dolina (current name Bazaltowe, Rivne region, Kostopol district). The settlement, which was established during the Second Polish Republic next to a stonemasons' workshop, was home to more than 3,000 people in the 1930s. Traces of a Polish cemetery from that period were found in 2020, and this year a wooden cross was erected in the central part of the uncovered fragment. In addition, the commemoration related to the Volhynian massacre located in the village of Bazaltowe (Janowa Dolina) was also cleaned up.
7. Sadowe (Novosiolka Koropiecka) - the Polish section of the local cemetery was mowed, raked and tidied up.
8. Old cemetery in Koropiec - burials with Polish names were found and the area around the parish priest's grave was tidied up. The area around the church was mowed and raked.
9. Orthodox cemetery in Kolki , grave of those murdered in 1943. - The area of the grave and around it has been weeded and mowed.
10. Old Polish Catholic cemetery in Puźniki - the whole area of the cemetery was mowed, bushes and weeds were removed in the part not yet included in the works (1/3 of the cemetery area), the boundaries of the cemetery were marked and construction of the further part of the fence was carried out. Windbreaks and felled trees were removed from the cemetery area. The cemetery area was levelled after last year's archaeological works.
11. Kolki - old Polish Catholic cemetery - works included tidying up, mowing and repairing the cemetery fence. After mowing, some of the grass was taken away by local people and some was taken to the rubbish dump.

In addition:

1. Parosla (Rivne region, Varasya district) - the mass grave of victims of the Volhynian massacre was cleaned up: the area was weeded, mowed, concrete and stone parts were cleaned.
2. Wydymir (Rivne region, Varasya district) - the site commemorating the victims of the Volhynian massacre and the inhabitants of the non-existent village was cleaned up.

35 volunteers participated in the project.

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

More about the project: https://polonika.pl/programy/programy-grantowe/programy-grantowe-instytutu/322021029

https://polonika.pl/programy/programy-grantowe/programy-grantowe-instytutu/kresowe-cmentarze-na-ukrainie-2020

https://polonika.pl/programy/programy-grantowe/programy-grantowe-instytutu/polskie-cmentarze-na-ukrainie-2022

https://polonika.pl/programy/programy-grantowe/programy-grantowe-instytutu/polskie-cmentarze-na-ukrainie-2023-ukraina-

• Związek Harcerstwa Polskiego, Chorągiew Łódzka, realizacja w latach 2019-2024