In the homeland of Kastus Kalinouski, a storm damaged an old cemetery. The Orthodox parish is asking for help — either financially or from anyone who can come with a chainsaw
A powerful thunderstorm that recently swept over Podlachia caused serious damage to the ancient cemetery in the village of Mastaŭliany — the birthplace of Belarus' national hero Kastus Kalinouski. The local Orthodox parish, which looks after the sanctuary, is unable to cope with the aftermath of the disaster on its own and is asking for help from caring individuals: both financial and volunteer.
In the first days of July, a massive hurricane covered the territory of the Hrodok commune, which lies on the western bank of the Svislach River, along which the Belarusian-Polish border runs.
According to Belarusian Yuras Mielashkievich, who launched a fundraiser for the restoration, Mastaŭliany bore the brunt of the disaster. Squally winds uprooted old lime trees around the parish church of St. John the Theologian, including those in the cemetery.
Massive trees fell directly onto graves, damaging fences, crosses, and gravestones. Local residents say it all happened in a matter of seconds.
Clearing this chaos requires effort. However, the Orthodox parish in Mastaŭliany today numbers only about 35 people. The parish priest, Father Sławomir Yakimiuk, notes with bitterness that after three heart attacks, he is simply unable to perform such heavy physical labor, and the village community lacks the funds to hire professional crews.
Mastaŭliany is one of the most important places for Belarusians in Podlachia. It was here in 1838 that Kanstancin Kalinouski, the future leader of the liberation uprising and author of "Mużyckaja Praŭda" (Peasant's Truth), was born. His older brother Viktar, a prominent historian and archaeographer whose influence on Kastus's worldview is hard to overestimate, was also born here.
Today, the manor where the family lived no longer stands in Mastaŭliany. But the parish wooden church of St. John the Theologian, which began to be built in 1840, remains. Although later, in 1862 and 1905, the temple was thoroughly rebuilt, receiving a bell tower. Also, the wooden cemetery chapel of Saints Cosmas and Damian. Built at the end of the 18th century as a Uniate chapel, it was moved around 1840 to the very cemetery that has now been devastated by the storm.
How to help
To help the parish, Belarusian public figure and heritage preservation enthusiast Yuras Mielashkievich has launched a crowdfunding campaign.
Today, Mastaŭliany is in urgent need of two things: professional hands and finances. Father Sławomir Yakimiuk appeals to all concerned individuals for volunteer help.
First and foremost, the parish needs people who know how to work with chainsaws.
Also needed are helping hands for clearing branches and tidying up the area. Volunteers willing to come to Mastaŭliany are asked to bring their own chainsaws, axes, rakes, and work gloves.
Contact phone number for all inquiries (Poland): 883 762 185. Work begins daily at 9:00 AM as groups assemble.
For those who cannot join physically, a fundraiser has been launched on the Zrzutka.pl platform. The campaign's goal is quite modest — 5000 PLN, which will fully go towards paying for specialized equipment, removing damaged trees, and restoring damaged gravestones.
Additionally, donations can be transferred directly to the bank account of the Orthodox parish in Mastaŭliany:
Parafia Prawosławna pw. św. ap. Jana Teologa
Bank Spółdzielczy w Białymstoku Oddział w Gródku
Nr. 60 8060 0004 0392 7690 2000 0010
Comments
Рэд. Тады гэта была адна зямля. Мяжа там упершыню прайшла ў 1944 годзе.
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