International Ukrainian-Polish-Lithuanian History and Local Lore Event “Field of Mars” in Ternopil region

On June 26, 2021, the members of the non-governmental organization “Institute of National Heritage Research” and local history studio “Terpolyany” of TNMU organized Ukrainian-Polish-Lithuanian historical and local lore reconnaissance in the village of Lopushne, Kremenets district. This event started at our university. Professor Mykhailo Korda, the Rector of TNMU, welcomed the guests: Mykhailo Holovko, the head of Ternopil Regional Council, Petro Fryz, the head of the Polish Society in Ternopil and the Polish choir, teachers, members of the local history studio “Terpolyany”, Sadovnyk I.D., a representative of the Ministry of Transport, Zimaieva P.M., a representative of Lviv branch of the NGO “Institute of National Heritage Research” and Vasyliuk A.V., the representative of Rivne branch of the NGO “Institute of National Heritage Studies”.

Petro Friz, the chairman of the Polish Society, handed over congratulation letter from Slawomir Misiak, the Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Lutsk. Andrii Yaworskyi, a student of the Faculty of Medicine, announced the greetings by Valdemaras Sarapinas, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania to Ukraine.

Mykhailo Holovko, the chairman of Ternopil regional council welcomed the audience. Mykhailo Yosyfovych noted the importance of national patriotic education of youth and systematic work carried out at our university. On behalf of the regional council, he assured the university management and teachers of full support for revival of national culture and historical heritage. Mykhailo Holovko awarded diplomas of the regional council to the TNMU teachers: Bahrii-Zaiats O.A., Botsiuk N.Ye., Kadobnyi T.B., Kravchuk L.O. Yavorska O.L., as well as students Buchko A.T., Nadkevych A.Yu., Oper T.M., Struk M.A. for active public work, participation in the scientific and local lore studio “Terpolyany”, volunteer and scientific activities.

As a gift from the Polish Society, the choir sang national-patriotic songs.

Korda M.M., the rector of the University, expressed gratitude to the members of the NGO “Institute for National Heritage Research” and the local history studio “Terpolyany” for many years of persistent work on restoration and development of historical and cultural heritage.

After that, the participants and guests of the event went to the picturesque village of Lopushne, Kremenets district, to honour the heroic page of national history. In 1512 a grand battle took place there – a six-thousand-strong Russian-Polish-Lithuanian army of Prince Konstantin Ostrozkyi defeated a 25,000-strong horde of the Crimean khan. After the battle, the prince ordered to fill the grave in a prominent place to bury the fallen soldiers. A memorial sign was established at the burial site in 1992 with the inscription: “Eternal glory to the heroes who sacrificed their lives for independent Ukraine on April 28, 1512”.

Chaban Larysa Ivanivna, the head of the village of Lopushne, and residents of the villages of Lopushne, Velyki and Mali Dederkaly, Vovkivtsi and Lanivtsi gladly greeted the guests with a korovai and laid flowers to the memorial sign established on the graves of Ukrainians, Poles and Lithuanians killed in the battle. Leonid Kravchuk, the Head of the Institute for National Heritage Research, handed over congratulation letters from Slawomir Misiak, the Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Lutsk, and Valdemaras Sarapinas, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania to Ukraine. Associate Professor Kadobnyi Taras Bohdanovych, the head of the international department of the NGO “Institute of National Heritage Research” and local history studio “Terpolyany”, presented diplomas “For active public work and volunteering” to the participants of historical and patriotic reconnaissances.