Ukraine, Svityaz village - Kolka settlement

23.08.2018 r.

  Thanks to a lucky coincidence, both groups met at the intersection  of the international highway near Ljubomlje, not far from Shatskyi National Nature Park. This was not agreed upon, but the Polish participants managed to quickly cross the border and arrive by 3 p.m. The Ukrainian bus became the guide to the place of stay in the village of Svityaz.

  A joyful meeting took place in front of the gates of the "Bobrova Khata" hotel complex, especially since some of the participants were familiar from the previous jointly implemented project. After settling in, inspecting the territory  and having dinner with delicious dumplings , the implementation of the project program began. Taking advantage of the good weather, we chose a place above the picturesque lake Svityaz. Tired of the journey, everyone happily plunged into the transparent waves against the background of the sunset.

After bathing came the first acquaintance in  two circles. Everyone wrote their name on the badge in their native language and with the help of other participants in their partner's language. The leaders of the groups (three pairs from two countries) pulled out badges with the names of the participants from specially prepared bags. This is how our three working groups were formed. The first task for them was to analyze and process the results of the entrance questionnaires filled out by the participants on the way to their destination.

24.08.2018 r.

  Today we celebrate the Independence Day of Ukraine! We decided to spend this day in Shatsk. Before lunch, they took part in the festive events of such an important day for Ukrainians. The Polish participants expressed the impression that they felt like they were at national holidays in their country, for example, Obzynyk Saints or "Subotki" near Zgrzeż: tables with dishes of national cuisine, all in folk costumes or festive clothes. After the traditional speeches and awarding of outstanding residents of Shatsk, the performances of soloists, children's and folk groups began, the art festival was very much liked by everyone. Another surprise awaited us - at the end of the concert, the host of one of the groups invited our entire Polish-Ukrainian group to the stage and offered to perform the song "Falcons" together. We felt proud, expressed our most sincere congratulations to everyone and tried to fulfill our mission as best as possible. This is how the first presentation of our project took place!

The heat does not subside, so we spent the afternoon with integration games near the lake: on the beach, in the water, on the volleyball court.

  After dinner, the mood was festive and solemn, and then festive and joyful. First, on a nearby lawn, they had a serious conversation about the importance of Independence Day for our peoples - it was a very important and instructive moment for everyone.

  As it is a holiday, you should be happy, so we spent the rest of the evening dancing on the lawn. First, they remembered our "Belgian girl", then together they learned folk dances "Oira" and  "Klepak". Our mood and satisfaction from today was at "12+".

25.08.2018 r.

  From the very morning, our mood was, like the weather, somewhat gloomy. The crisis of the third day... but we did not give up and, despite the cloudy sky, went to the lake  with our karemats. They decided to get to know each other even better, because they did not remember all the names of the participants. They played several games in a circle, calling each other by name. It turned out to be most effective to add an adjective starting with the same letter to the participant's name - for example, avant-garde Antek, empathetic Eliza, smart Sasha, etc. Repetition of 40 names along with the description brought a lot of joy and required a good memory! But we managed. Games  on the beach ended with remembering and continuing to study yesterday's dance exercises.

  After lunch, we discovered new advantages of staying on Svityaz. It turned out that the local "blue clay" mined from the bottom of the lake has medicinal and cosmetic properties. At the moment, there were not many brave people, but some took the opportunity to apply masks and appliqués. Let's check their effectiveness. We also started our needlework exercises - two participants  taught others how to weave moulin bracelets from colored threads, the so-called "Mexican women". It was not as easy as it seemed at the beginning, but many of us liked it.

  In the evening, group classes were held in preparation for our festival in Zgezh, which also promoted active communication. At first, using the "Fortune teller" method, they learned  more about their character traits and interests. It was a good introduction to working together on the selection of 3 serious exercises for the festival (from each group). Each of us had homework to prepare proposals, and now we agreed on which of them were the most interesting and effective. We also discussed the form of the festival and the logo of our project. The day ended with joint fun, which somehow "spinned" by itself...

26.08.2018 r.

  Today was a very productive day. Before lunch, they took advantage of the last moments of good weather and a warm, although not sunny aura, and spent time together by the lake. Part of the group (who is patient) wove "Mexican women", and others were looking for more efficient and faster ways of making bracelets. So we created a new model - a bracelet like a braid or a braid. It turned out that such an ornament can be made in 15 minutes  while also actively cooperating - because it is best to weave with four hands! Immediately, many willing people took up this business. In the breaks, they used the exercises that the groups offered in the evening classes of the previous day. In this way, we also chose those of them that we want to use during the Festival.

  After lunch, it became very cold, so we had to work in a cramped room (up to that time, all classes were held outdoors). We discussed different methods of conducting classes on serious topics that we want to present to others. The conducted exercises related to stereotypes and prejudices (who will we choose to travel in one  train compartment?).  They became  an introduction to the talk show. , which was conducted by Chris, an American volunteer who has been working in Kolki for 2 years. First  he talked about his work and contacts with other cultures (he was a volunteer in Cameroon), then about his impressions of Ukraine and Poland (he participated in a previous project in Poland). The participants asked him many questions and it turned out that they raised problems that had not been paid attention to before. There were also many funny situations. As for serious matters, we touched on the problem of migration. In our group there are students who came from eastern Ukraine, as well as from Russian St. Petersburg. about how they recently visited those places. Their stories were very interesting and instructive for us.

  In the evening, two issues were discussed: the creation of the project logo and the following proposals for "less serious" exercises, quests, games  and the competition program for the Festival. Everything took place in the large rooms and halls of our hotel complex, because the weather had completely deteriorated - it became cold, windy, raining...  Has summer already flown away? Nothing can destroy us - HOT ATMOSPHERE reigns here!

27.08.2018 r.

  Right after breakfast, we posted our logo designs on a cork board. Each of us voted for the one we liked the most. Almost unanimously  they chose a drawing of a tree, the roots of which were symbols of Polish-Ukrainian integration. After that, the girls offered to learn to dance another dance "In my backyard" - it's hard to choose which dance suits us best. We probably just love these dance music  games.

  After a good warm-up (the weather is still cold), we made colorful bracelets from moulin threads, colored ribbons (super! – fast and effective), and also from colored beads during needlework classes – it’s hard work for the patient, but the result is great! During the joint work, there were many interesting conversations and laughter. Until lunch, we were engaged in the production  of such "products" until the time returned to the evening. In the meantime, our computer scientists started "processing" the project and created OUR LOGO - everyone was delighted with the wonderful result of their work.

  After lunch, group leaders met to finalize the festival plan. The plan was presented to the whole group with a request to indicate who would like to do which element of the classes. We didn't have to wait long , because there were a lot of people who were interested even during the dubbing. It remained for us to work out the texts in detail and collect materials, which became the next task for tonight. We worked in groups, and then we wrote down our comments about the festival on sheets of paper and attached them to our "information wall".

28.08.2018 r.

  In the morning, we rehearsed the exercises that we are going to present during the festival. Almost every task  found flaws that need to be improved. We played movement and dance games together and, as usual, argued about which of them to take to the festival - we can't stop at any of them at the moment, besides, new ideas appear...

After lunch, we prepared to move to Kolok, where we will continue the implementation of the project. The journey lasted about 2.5 hours, so we had enough time to talk and sing together, which brought a lot of joy to everyone. After settling in the pre-school boarding school, they went for a walk to familiarize themselves with the village. Kolkiv residents made short stories about the most important places, and also introduced them to history.

  After dinner, they inspected the school and decided to talk a little about the education systems in Poland and Ukraine, about the structure of the school year, vacations, holidays, breaks. Also, with the help of a projector, we watched the "missed" presentations about the Independence Day of Poland - we compared how such a holiday is celebrated in both countries, because we had the opportunity to be present at the celebration in Szatsk. As usual, the evening ended with joint singing and favorite dances - this time in the schoolyard of Kolkiv OZNVK.

29.08.2018 r.
  Immediately after breakfast, we went to the open-air museum in the village of Rokini (about 50 km near Kolok). It turned out that the employees of the Museum of the History of Agriculture in Rokyny have relatives in Zgężyca, and our tour guide speaks Polish well. With great interest, we inspected more than a hundred-year-old farm buildings and houses with well-preserved interiors. Stories about the life and traditions of Ukrainian society, which in those days lived as one big family, turned out to be interesting. We found out that many customs are similar to Polish customs, but there are also some that differ. 5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ A master class was also held, during which we tried to understand the basics of the ancient Ukrainian art of fighting. But we would rather dance than fight. Therefore, we decided to teach the boys our clap-snap dance - they happily agreed.

  After lunch in Lutsk, the members of the Ukrainian group organized a quest aimed at getting acquainted with the architectural and historical monuments of the regional center of Volyn. We made it very interesting, so we spent time combining the pleasant with the useful. During a joint walk, they talked about things close to all participants - how young people like to spend their time, what places Lutsk students like to visit (and there are such in our group). It was possible to discover our common interests and passions.

We returned to Kolok for dinner and in groups tried to finalize the fragments  of the big rehearsal of the festival, which will take place tomorrow at the school in front of the public of Kolok. We also prepared the necessary "props" for the exercises, a multimedia presentation with photos from our project, emblems, posters - there is still something to be done, and time is very short...

30.08.2018 r.

  From the very morning, we were gripped by a slight panic - this is not done yet, that is not yet... In addition, from 11.00 to 15.00 there was a scheduled power outage in connection with the repair of power lines. As if everyone conspired against us! Instead of printing the posters for the festival,   they wrote them by hand with colored markers, instead of making letter templates, they cut them out as they knew how. The girls sewed the Polish flag because they did not take it from Poland. As often happens, ideas come at the last moment and something needed to be refined.

  The rehearsal of the festival was announced at 5:00 p.m. The Ukrainian participants invited their families, acquaintances, classmates, and friends. Our guests were not very many, but we are sincerely glad that they honored us with their presence. We also prepared treats - participants from Ukraine brought various dishes and preserves from home, Polish youth bought fruits and sweets.

Our guests willingly agreed to the offer of participation in the festival, participated in exercises, our dances and moving games.  They showed their sincere affection, which made us feel free and the joint fun was exceptionally friendly and joyful. We discovered many more shortcomings -  because it was a dress rehearsal. Despite this, the guests showed a lot of enthusiasm and pleasure from meeting with our group.

  In the end, we looked at the photos from the implementation of our project - there was a lot of laughter and fun. Polish participants received souvenirs commemorating Ukraine. After a joint dinner, the entertainment continued in the fresh air in front of the boarding school. Weather and mood contributed, it was difficult to end the meeting - this is our last evening together in Ukraine. It will be a pity to part tomorrow.

31.08.2018 r.

  After breakfast, the whole group gathered in the hall to agree on the distribution of tasks for the time between meetings (report, documentation, project presentation), as well as to hear the conclusions of the participants from the first part of the project. Each of us not only shared our impressions, but was also obliged to make suggestions for possible changes or improvements to the elements of the festival.

We are comforted by the hope of a close meeting in less than 2 months and the possibility of communication via the Internet - now the world is not big for us!

 

Poland, Soczewka - Zgezh

13.10.2018 r.

  We were looking forward to the meeting. It turned out that the Ukrainian girls were counting not only the days, but also the hours before coming to Poland... Until then, we talked on FB, and now we will meet again in real life. The Ukrainian group traveled for quite a long time, but the excellent weather compensated for the difficulties of traveling and waiting at the border. The golden autumn and the colorful colors of nature enchanted. All conversations revolved around a close meeting and interest in the further progress of the project.

  At around 5 p.m., both groups met in the yard of the Lyceum named after S. Stasitsa in Zgezh. Instant meetings were full of emotions, hugs and tears of joy in the eyes. The Ukrainian group repacked their suitcases onto the Polish bus and together we left for our first place of project implementation - Sochevka. On the way, we felt as if we had never parted. Immediately, everyone in the group began to sing our favorite songs and discuss the events that happened during the time of separation.

  After dinner, we met as a whole group in the conference hall - we wanted to "seriously" talk about the purpose of the meeting during the classes, but we didn't really succeed... Despite the fatigue after the trip, we were full of energy . In the end, in a free and cheerful atmosphere, we achieved our goal - we managed to collect the opinions of the participants about our result - the festival - into "magic bags". In one bag I put "problems": what I still don't know, what I need to work on, what I can't cope with, and in the second - thoughts on the possibilities of improving the festival program.

14.10.2018 r.

  We started the day by summing up the results of yesterday, because the joyful mood of the long-awaited meeting was not conducive to serious conversations. The debriefing group analyzed the contents of the "magic bags". When it came to preparing for the festival, there were many voices for the fact that everything is already ready, but those who approached the issue more critically understand the need for constant rehearsals - to train, train and train again! We will do so. If we are talking about improving the festival program, we also received several valuable tips, which were immediately taken into account in the script. Best of all, obviously, we manage all the dance numbers, which we enjoy repeating over and over again.

  After lunch, the classes on "fabric painting" began, which everyone was waiting for with joy, but also with disbelief. We dreamed of this work, as well as the weather! There is also a "summer" kitchen on the territory of the recreational and educational complex, in which a male group of "firemen" lit a fire under our pans for painting. We divided into groups - the first group started preparing T-shirts (previously soaked) for dyeing in hot water. Everyone rolled up their T-shirt and tied it with ropes in different ways, injected paint into the crease with syringes - everyone had their own idea. The prepared "masterpieces" were placed in pots with dyes.  At that time, the second group was engaged in the production of regular souvenirs for festival guests - "men's" keychains made of ropes in the colors of the Polish and Ukrainian flags. The third group studied the song "Hey, Falcons", which spontaneously entered the program of the festival, because Ukrainians really wanted to learn to sing it in Polish. Of course, curiosity prevailed - everyone came to see how our T-shirts are dyed.

  After lunch there was a change, the group that used to paint t-shirts was now making key chains, and the rest were learning Hey Falcons and working on their elements for the festival. The effects of coloring exceeded our wildest expectations - everyone was surprised by the variety and colors that we got by chance. We called this effect chaotic abstraction. Joy was beyond measure!

In the evening, they returned to the festival - they held a dress rehearsal with comments on each performance and amendments that were proposed in "magic bags". In the end, the overall picture begins to "emerge" and we see that our event is taking on its own color - just like our T-shirts... Again, there was dancing and disco from joy.

15.10.2018 r.

  We went to Warsaw early today - being in Poland and not seeing the capital would not be very good. Polish students prepared entertainment - a walk through the old city with tasks for groups. One of them was to describe what he liked the most, or what he paid the most attention to. Most often, the answer to the question: what did you like the most was everything! This is, of course, nice, but after analyzing the answers, they came to the following conclusions: they liked the friendly atmosphere on the streets, the sincere smiles of passers-by, and the characteristic buildings of Warsaw - similar to Lviv. The story about the Little Heroes of the Warsaw Uprising and the monument to the child heroes in the Old Town was also of interest, the performances of street musicians, animators and dancers also made an impression. The photos taken during the quest will be the best memory for all of us.

  After lunch, we went to the royal park "Lazyenki" - this was the main choice of the best places for a walk in Warsaw. This magical park in the center of a big city is an exceptional place - especially since the weather is always just for us - a continuation of the wonderful summer, but with the colors of golden autumn. We got a lot of good impressions, inspecting the monuments in the fabulous outfit of colored leaves.

  After returning to Sochevka, we organized a photo review - relived our entire history of meetings in Ukraine and Poland. At the same time, we chose the best photos that present our thoughts and activities during the implementation of the project. We are preparing them for the exhibition before the festival. We also selected hashtags that reflect us and our goals, the goal we have already achieved. Those were pleasant moments for us - memories of the happy days spent in Ukraine, and the joy of being together again.

16.10.2018 r.

  Another sunny morning greeted us, and we happily went for a walk after breakfast. First, to see what our dried-up colored "hippies" look like, and secondly, to say goodbye to the picturesque corners, the lake and the forest, which looked unique in the autumn scenario. At that time, we did not know that many pleasant aesthetic discoveries awaited us during the day. Next was a review of our dried painted masterpieces - it was difficult to choose the best t-shirt - each one is different and each one is wonderful.

  After the walk, we met again at the rehearsal. As usual, it seemed to everyone that everything was already well prepared, but it turned out that there were still many serious points to be discussed. The important thing is that it turns out better every time.

  After lunch, we went to nearby Plotsk - as a reward for the fact that we managed to cope so skillfully with the most difficult element - dyeing T-shirts. We planned that we would have to spend two days, but it turned out to be much faster. There are two reasons to be excited about Płock: firstly, the Art Nouveau Museum, unique room decorations, furniture, tableware, paintings, stained-glass windows, costume jewelry. All of us suddenly found ourselves in a wonderful epoch... And later another miracle - a picturesque view of the Vistula in the rays of the evening sun, we did not want to leave. Many of us said that we would like to settle and live here in Plotsk.

  In the evening, a meeting called "festival" again. This time with individual consultations of each group preparing elements of the festival, clarification of questions to the public, tasks for competitions, discussion of exercises. We also finalized the music design, because it turned out that changes should have been made in some places.

17.10.2018 r.

  The weather is great again - it's hard to believe that half of October has already passed - it must be like that for us. In the morning, we went to another interesting place - an open-air museum: the village museum in Marzytsy, not far from Lovitz. Yesterday we got acquainted with beautiful houses in the city, and today - country houses decorated in folk style. We compared how the buildings differ from each other, what was similar in the everyday life and architecture of Poland and Ukraine - because we visited a similar open-air museum in the village of Rokyn near Lutsk. Everyone really liked the hunting patterns and decoration. We became participants in two master classes - a hunter's vytinanka and making flowers from corrugated colored paper. Our products will be suitable for decorating tables during the festival.

  After lunch, we received an invitation to visit the partner school in the village of Shchavin, to meet with students and teachers. First, we toured the school building, a wonderful sports hall, a historical corner, classrooms, later we tasted sweets and talked about the differences in the educational system, educational subjects, and teaching methods. For example, Polish students study the literature of other countries in Polish language lessons, while Ukrainian students have a separate subject - literature, and Ukrainian lessons relate directly to language learning. Everyone also hopes for the development of cooperation between schools in Shavin and Kolky.

  In the evening, a big rehearsal of the festival took place - for the first time in the premises of the Lyceum named after S. Stashits, exactly where our festival will be held in two days. This was very important, because we finally saw the hall, could plan all exits, transitions, predict the placement of exhibitions and musical equipment, as well as other technical matters. Everything was "lost" in a large room in a completely different way. At some point, we panic again, will we be able to grasp everything? - but still "Who, if not us?".

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18.10.2018 r.

  Today, until lunch, we spent time in the historical part of Zgęże – a landmark of the 19th century – the street of weavers. First, they visited the city museum, where they viewed the interiors of townspeople's houses in the exposition, as well as the exhibition "History of the City of Zgęża". This was an addition to what was seen earlier in the museum in Plotsk and the open-air museum in Malzytsy - now we have a somewhat more complete picture of the living conditions of people of the 19th century in the city and in the countryside. We walked through colorful restored streets with wooden houses  where weavers once lived. We also took advantage of the hospitality  - we used the "Volker" hall for another rehearsal of our festival. Here we were found by representatives of the Polish-Ukrainian Youth Exchange Council, who came to us for the purpose of monitoring. Our fears about the previously planned "checkup" were in vain - it was a pleasant, relaxed meeting. 

  After lunch, we worked in groups, making the final preparations of the festival "gadgets" - attaching labels with the logo of our project and the festival poster to the souvenirs, which were collected in large numbers, preparing captions for photos for the exhibition of our work results , planned the placement of exhibition tables and their decoration.

  After an early dinner, we will relax together before tomorrow's event. We went to Łódź to see the city at night. The walk started from "Manufaktura" and ended on Piotrkovska Street. Although Polish participants see it almost every day, visiting famous interesting places and seeing everything through the eyes of Ukrainian partners was a pleasant joint activity. We paid attention to small things and often found that we had not noticed such aspects before...

19.10.2018 r.

  From  in the very morning - tension and commotion in the group: will we have time to cook, will the guests come, will everything turn out as we would like? We had 3 hours for the technical preparation of the festival in the sports hall of Lyceum "Stashchitsa".

  1:00 p.m. - time has passed... Fortunately, we made it, and the guests arrived not only from the partner lyceum,  but also from school No. 6 and from "Elektronika", that is in Łódź. We were also honored with their patronage: the mayor of Zgezh and the deputy chairman (honorary patrons of the project), as well as the director of the Lyceum named after S. Stasitsa and school No. 6. We managed to "spin" the joint fun. At first, we felt resistance - the guests watched more than participated, but every next moment our "positive aura" was transmitted to others, so we ended the festival together. Everyone really liked our "brand" t-shirts, painted in Sochevka - they couldn't believe that it was our handiwork! We ended with a treat - the Polish table was "hearty", and the Ukrainian table - "dessert", everything was very tasty. It worked!!! After finishing, we started cleaning the hall, danced for a long time to Polish and Ukrainian music. It was great, but our mood is getting sadder every time - the time of parting is approaching.

  In the evening we met at a solemn dinner - at first there was a bit of an official part, then a bit of entertainment, we danced, but the mention of the near separation saddened us. The girls cried in each other's arms - we don't want to say goodbye... Virtual contacts will not replace face-to-face meetings - but everyone has a task: to think and send ideas for the next project. Hope somewhat dampened the sadness, so in the end it was possible to have a little fun to say good-bye.

 

20.10.2018 r.

  After breakfast, everyone was in such a mood that it is better not to talk. They filled out the final questionnaires and tried to agree on the division of tasks for the preparation of the report. Everything was falling out of our hands... Even handing out souvenirs and diplomas did not help - in the end it was even worse, because the completion of the project was already obvious. Unfortunately, all the joy that accompanied us for three months completely evaporated. There was no consolation, even the weather, which was like a dream before, adapted to our moods - it was cold and rainy.  We looked terrible - wet from tears and rain. The inevitable end of our meeting has come, but we hope that the desire for future meetings will mobilize us to "open our minds" and send ideas and exercises for a new project. This is the most important goal for us!