On September 23–30, 2016, another stage of the “Gates of Homeland History” project took place. It was attended by students from I LO in Bolesławiec, who were among the 20 best participants with outstanding achievements in the humanities and modern information technologies.
During the camp, participants expanded their knowledge of the culture and history of Poles in Lithuania. They learned about the architecture of the modern city and places important to the Polish nation. One of the most moving experiences was the opportunity to attend Mass in the chapel of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn and visit the Rasos Cemetery, where the sarcophagus containing Marshal Józef Piłsudski’s heart is located. During the camp, numerous meetings were held, including one with the director of the Polish Institute in Vilnius. At the invitation of Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Jarosław Narkiewicz, the project participants attended a plenary session, followed by a lecture by the speaker on the situation of Poles in the Vilnius Region and a panel discussion. During the camp, the students collected material for a scholarly publication in the form of observations, conversations with residents and meetings with living witnesses to the history of the Polish nation. The young people used libraries and archives in Vilnius.
Thanks to the courtesy of representatives of the Polish community in Vilnius, the students had the opportunity to learn about contemporary culture through specially arranged meetings with members of the “Wilia” ensemble, a visit to Kurier Wileński and participation in a broadcast on the Polish radio station “Znad Wilii”. The project will culminate in a scholarly publication prepared by the participants and published in December 2016.
The scientific camp was led by experts Sebastian Zielonka and Agata Żukowska. The “Gates of Homeland History” project is carried out by the “Wspólnota Polska” Association and co-financed by the Ministry of National Education.