The Grassroots Institute joined the toloka No. 5 at the old cemetery in Uzhhorod!

By Dr. Olga Donets

Uzhhorod is a city with a centuries-old history and multicultural heritage. One of the forgotten symbols of this heritage is the old cemetery on Kapushanska Street, which has been neglected for a long time. Once it was a place of worthy rest for the city’s residents, but over the years the cemetery became practically abandoned and turned into a natural garbage dump. The total area of ​​the cemetery is about 4 hectares (40,000 m²). Numerous old graves have been preserved on this territory, which are almost completely overgrown with bushes, and some of them are covered with garbage. Today, this space requires significant effort, time and human resources for restoration and arrangement. In order to clean one grave with an area of ​​​​about 4 m² from overgrowth and garbage, one person needs to spend about two hours. If we take into account the total area of ​​the cemetery, we can understand that for a complete cleaning, the efforts of more than 1,000 people for two tolokas are required.

Our public organization “The Grassroots Institute” actively supports initiatives aimed at preserving the cultural and historical heritage of Ukraine. We joined toloka No. 5, organized by the Urban Trees Uzhhorod community, which has been organizing events to improve the territory of Uzhhorod for several years. We express special gratitude to Dr. Pavel Lenyo, an active member of our organization, who actively participated in cleaning the territory. His efforts and perseverance inspire other participants to continue their work.

Why is this important?

Ancient cemeteries are not just the resting places of our ancestors, but also an integral part of the cultural face of the city. By restoring such territories, we not only return their historical value to them, but also create a space for memory, where everyone can honor past generations. Preservation of the cemetery on Kapushanska is not just about cleaning. It is about responsibility to history, about leaving behind a worthy legacy and creating a platform where Uzhhorod residents can remember their loved ones and feel a connection with the past.

Join the next cleanups!

We call on all Uzhhorod residents and caring city residents to join the next cleanups! Together we can restore the cemetery to its proper appearance and preserve its historical value.

Follow the next events and join the initiative together with #Urban Trees Uzhhorod:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/urbantreesuzhhorod

#GrassrootsInstitute #UrbanTreesUzhhorod #Uzhhorod #Toloka #HeritagePreservation #JointEfforts

Contact: mail@tgi.org.ua