Rector, lecturers, students and employees of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University joined the traditional international event «Road to Peace–2023» to commemorate Polish border guards killed by bolsheviks in 1939.
The event in the Village of Melnyky of Shatsk Settlement Territorial Community was attended by Deputy Head of Volyn Regional Military Administration Myroslava Yakymchuk, Deputy Head of Volyn Regional Council Hryhoriy Pustovit, Head of Kovel RMA Olha Cheren, Head of Shatsk Settlement Serhii Karpuk, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Lutsk Slawomir Mysiak, Vice Marshal Zbigniew Wojciechowski of Lublin Voivodeship, Polish and Ukrainian militaries, residents of the Village of Melnyky, Volhynians, and guests from Poland.
The university was represented at the commemoration of the fallen soldiers by Rector Anatolii Tsos, Assistant Rector Tetiana Rospopa, Associate Professor of Department of Polonistics and Translation Yulia Vaseyko, Head of Department of International Relations Vladyslav Kolomechiuk, Assistant of Department of Polonistics and Translation Nataliia Kasyanchuk and more than 70 Polonistics students.
The event began with an ecumenical prayer at the military cemetery of the Border Guard Corps soldiers who died in the battle with the Red Army near Shatsk on September 28, 1939.
«For several years we have been meeting here to pay our respects to the heroes of Poland, but, unfortunately, recently there have appeared graves of Ukrainian soldiers who died in the war against russia, the same country against which the Poles fought in 1939. Now is the time to honour our heroes together,» said Slavomir Misyak.
In his speech to the visitors, Anatolii Tsos noted that it is strategically correct now to honour those who died defending their state. «At the same time, everyone should ask themselves what is needed to prevent such tragedies from happening again. Otto von Bismarck wrote that the enemy comes where the teacher and the priest lose. He also wrote that wars will be won by school teachers and modern rifles. The following conclusion can be drawn from these two statements: a modern, powerful army is the key to the development and stability of the state, but the education system is equally important. It is the education system that ensures the formation of an individual who loves his country, is ready to protect it and work for its development. That is why our students are traditionally here, because it is important for them,» said Rector.
After that, the visitors laid flowers at the monument to the fallen heroes, as well as at the graves of the fallen heroes of the russian-Ukrainian war buried in the cemetery. Later, the volunteers could join the race for a symbolic distance of 1,939 meters from the cemetery to the local cultural centre to take part in joint planting of trees and view an exhibition of paintings.
Note:
In September 1939, loyal soldiers of the Border Guard Corps under the command of General Franciszek Kleberg and Polish Army engaged in an unequal battle with the Red Army soldiers of the 52nd Rifle Division of General Ivan Russianov. A large number of Polish soldiers and officers died during the armed conflict. Local residents found part of the bodies of murdered Poles and buried them in the village cemetery.
Text and photo by Andrii PETRUSHKO,
Information Policy Office
