Information about the object :
Cemetery with Polish tombstones. It was created as a result of the lack of burial places and overcrowding in the Lychakiv and Stryisk cemeteries at the end of the 19th century, as well as after the closure of the Gródek cemetery (many tombstones from these two necropolises were transferred to the Yaniv cemetery). Established in 1883, it began functioning in 1888.

Yanivska Cemetery is underestimated due to its more modest form in comparison to Lychakivsky Cemetery, which is the most beautiful in terms of sepulchral art, however, there are many interesting tombstones from the 19th century classicist form in the empire style, through the constructivist form with details in art deco ornamentation, to the modernist shape of the graves. It is the second largest surviving cemetery in the city after Lychakivsky Cemetery, but unlike it, it is still an active municipal cemetery. From the 19th century onwards, it was used to bury the less affluent part of the population, but many people of merit to the city, its culture, education and functioning are buried here: clerks, artists, craftsmen, small merchants, doctors, teachers, school principals, lawyers, journalists, entrepreneurs and priests. Also buried here are the January Uprising insurgents, soldiers killed during the wars or Ukrainian Sich Sharpshooters. Some of the most prominent objects are, for example, the tombs of the Machan family by Antoni Schimser with the figure of the mourner, the Dzięgielowski family with the bas-relief "Road to Eternity" by Teobald Orkasiewicz, tombstones from the Perier workshop or tombstones from the workshop of Józef Reiter, Aleksander Król, Władysław Korzewicz and Ludwik Tyrowicz. Many of the grave plots, together with valuable tombstones, remain completely forgotten due to overgrowth by trees and bushes.

Completed works:

2019
The project consisted of cleaning, minor repair work and basic conservation work on selected Polish graves in the Janowska Cemetery in Lviv.

2020
From 25 to 28 August, Lviv youth participated in cleaning works in the cemetery. According to the plan, the cleaning action was supposed to take place in June, but due to restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic this year, many plans were thwarted. Almost 40 people signed up. They were divided into four groups, looked after by professional conservationists: Anna Kudzia, Magdalena Skarżyńska, Alexander Melnyczuk and Artur Garmider. The camp started with a training session on health and safety regulations and general principles of tombstone conservation.

Included in this year's programme was the inventory and preservation of details found in the cemetery from graves - gravestone photographs, inscription plates or metalwork, which were secured in order to create a 'material archive'/lapidarium in the future.

It is worth mentioning that thanks to the work of the volunteers, it was possible to find valuable gravestones, which can then be professionally restored in the future within the framework of the Minister's programme KDiN Protection of Cultural Heritage Abroad.

2023
At the end of August this year. (21-25.08.2023) the fourth edition of the volunteer camp entitled "We remember history" took place. The project consisted in carrying out cleaning work at selected Polish graves in the Janowska Cemetery in Lviv.

The aim of the project was to involve not only local Poles, Polish families who are looking for their ancestors in the cemetery and want to get involved in saving their tombstones, but do not know how, but also Lviv residents who want to get involved in preserving the heritage of the Yanivov cemetery. The group of volunteers (50 people) consisted of young people aged 15-16 from two Lviv schools with Polish as the language of instruction, together with their teachers and local Poles affiliated to social organisations.

On the first day of the camp, the volunteers participated in a training session, which included an introduction to the history of the Yanivska cemetery and its significance for cultural heritage, as well as a general description of the tombstones and their typology. The state of preservation of the gravestones and the causes of deterioration were also discussed. Volunteers learnt about basic inventory issues, the principles of describing tombstones and photographing them professionally for conservation work, and became familiar with the tools used for particular tombstone work. Volunteers received handbooks containing all the necessary information covered during the training.

2024
The aim of the task was to carry out the next stage of cleaning work at selected plots with Polish graves in the Janowska Cemetery in Lviv. This was already the fifth edition of the camp, which is very popular among Lviv residents. As part of the camp, details found in the cemetery from the graves were secured - grave photographs, inscription plates or metalwork. The main aim of the camp was to involve young people from Lviv's Polish secondary schools, who, as the young generation who are the continuators of Polish history and traditions in Lviv, are an important target group for educating, raising awareness of, but also infecting with passion for, the preservation of historical monuments. These people will take care of Polish national heritage in the future as mature Lviv residents. The project involved 50 volunteers.

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

More about the project: https://polonika.pl/programy/programy-grantowe/programy-grantowe-instytutu/977519880

https://polonika.pl/programy/programy-grantowe/programy-grantowe-instytutu/pamietamy-o-kresach-oboz-wolontariacki-we

https://polonika.pl/programy/programy-grantowe/programy-grantowe-instytutu/lwow-cmentarz-janowski

• Fundacja Dziedzictwo Kresowe im. Orląt Lwowskich, realizacja w latach 2019-2024