The first visit to the Polish cemetery was a great experience for the team of Smila Lyceum working on the project ‘Mystery clad in marble.‘ We had not expected such a neglected sight, but were also struck by this place where each square meters breathes glorious historic past. Stone tombs and sepulchers – most of which damaged or ruined – are hidden in thicket and bushes. We could barely walk through them to take a photo and read the words carved on the tombs. The dates of burials go back to the 19th and 20th centuries. It came to us as a surprise to see the bed of honour of soldiers perished in 1944 close to the Polish people’s graves.
But the aim of our visit was not only to explore this site. We joined the group of of ‘Smila historical’ society to start cleaning up this area and to allow for an easy access to each grave and tomb.
Also, as the school year 2015-16 is over, students of Smila Lyceum go on to study and have fun in Summer School, where they work on different projects, play sport games and go on school trips. Our team is involved in the activities of the language camp “Once upon today…in Smila Lyceum”. We started with creating the flower of identity. Students worked individually, in pairs and in small groups sharing their thoughts, comparing and analyzing, trying to find out who they are, in what way they are unique, what they belong to.
Finally, our team went to the Museum of Local law to do some research for the project. We meant to find some information about the people who could remember those buried on the Polish cemetery and tell us about the events that took place in the early 20th century. The students listened to the museum curator narrating and got interested in a romantic and dramatic at the same time story of a German officer who secretly lived in our town for 30 years after the end of World War II. He seemed to be a creative person who was good at painting. One of his art works is kept in the museum now. We are going to learn more about his dramatic life. Our visit to local museum made us think about adding this story to the final outcome of the project.
Tatyana Yarmysh
