Barbara Smoleńska, a teacher at the General and Vocational Education Complex named after Maj. H. Sucharski, and also president of the Bolesławiec branch of the Society of Lovers of Lviv and the South-Eastern Borderlands, was among a group of 32 volunteers from Lower Silesia who took part in activities in Romanian Bukovina from October 21 to 23. All this was part of the “Teachers for the Borderlands” project carried out by the Studio Wschód Foundation, the main coordinator of the “Save Your Great-Grandfather’s Grave from Oblivion” campaign.

View photo: Volunteers visited Poles living in Romania View photo: Volunteers visited Poles living in Romania View photo: Volunteers visited Poles living in Romania

Barbara Smoleńska:

The volunteers visited Poles living in the Romanian towns of Plesza, Pojana Mikuli and Nowy Sołoniec. The seventh generation of Poles who came to these lands in 1834 and stayed here now lives there. Their great-great-grandchildren are proud to be Polish and, by cultivating Polish traditions, enrich Romanian culture.

She adds:

In addition to admiring the beautiful landscapes of Bukovina, we watched performances by folk ensembles that cultivate Polish traditions and culture, and talked with residents—Poles who make up approximately 90% of the population. Around 7,000 Poles currently live in Romania.

We also had the opportunity to meet Gerwazy Longher, president of the Union of Poles in Romania, Gerwazy Longher, who is also a member of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Romania’s parliament. He represents the Polish minority and, through his conduct and activities, helps Poles in Romania and brings credit to Poland.

The volunteers stayed at the Polish House and a nearby guesthouse in Nowy Sołoniec.

The head of the Bolesławiec branch of the Society of Lovers of Lviv and the South-Eastern Borderlands appeals:

At a time when aid is essential for the residents of war-torn Ukraine, we must not forget about Poles living in various countries beyond our borders. Every meeting and contact with Poland brings them great emotion and moves them deeply. Certainly, few people realize that in many places beyond our country’s borders there are purely Polish towns where residents speak Polish and cultivate Polish culture and traditions. Such towns include Nowy Sołoniec, Plesza and Pojana Mikuli, located in Romanian Bukovina.

On behalf of the Studio Wschód Foundation and the Society of Lovers of Lviv and the South-Eastern Borderlands, I invite you to participate in public collection no. 2022/4558/OR, entitled “Providing Aid to Our Compatriots in the Borderlands and Victims of the War in Ukraine as Part of the Save Your Great-Grandfather’s Grave from Oblivion Campaign,” organized by the Studio Wschód Foundation. The collection will be held at the Municipal Cemetery in Bolesławiec from October 30 to November 1, 2022.

Let us show that we remember our compatriots.