About an ownerless cemetery in Kobrin's center

Kobrin → Creativity of fellow countrymen → Marchuk Nina Grigoryevna

As one of the oldest inhabitants Kobrina – Ariadna Teleman, – at the beginning of the 20th century tells this cemetery on beauty, to wealth and an ukhozhennost did not concede to the known necropolises of Moscow and Paris.

Time did not keep date when the first gravestone on this cemetery was put. And there is it down the street May Day (once Pinsky, at Poles – on May 3rd) on a natural small hillock. At the beginning of the 20th century there from the downtown transferred wooden Petro-Pavlovsky church. Nearby, through the road, is stone, constructions of 1843, a church of "the most Saint Virgin Mary".

The mentioned cemetery – not the only thing in the territory of Kobrin, but it seems that here buried people notable and well-founded. Ariadna Efimovna Teleman (she is almost hundred years old today) remembers, she all the life lived down the street May Day: "In the 20th years we children liked to walk on this cemetery. Then there it was so beautiful and interesting! In the summer all gravestones were buried in flowers. Equal paths are covered with crushed stone. Gravestones were from white, black and color marble. Inscriptions on gravestones were made Latin letters. Sculptures of the grieving angels – and big, and less, in various poses and different color scale were very much remembered. I remember the gravestones reminding heads of young girls. On everyone there was a Christian cross: whether on a stone, whether separately …" And here such beauty disappears from the face of the earth!?

Today I, the author of this article, decided to visit once well-known Kobrin necropolis anew. I will describe the picture seen by me. To a cemetery I made the way from Petro-Pavlovsky church. By the way, the territory ukhozhennost needs to pay tribute around church. And all this ukhozhennost from an ownerless ancient city cemetery is fenced off by a high board fence through which it is impossible to creep. But after all I found the manhole which is filled up with dry branches, somewhere there in a corner.

What was seen oppresses. Continuous thickets of a bush and nettle. Somewhere gravestones and inscriptions are visible. But they are bent by vandals and time. It seems that only gravestones from an ordinary-looking gray stone remained. Separate inscriptions are read easily. Somewhere metal crosses remained. Entrances to family crypts are destroyed and filled up with the earth. But best of all the crypt remained (local it is called catacombs). The crypt represents a construction from a red brick, in three tiers, about three meters wide, up to 25-30 meters long.

In it at the end of the last century burials began. The dead were buried in coffins. Niches immured and did an inscription. There was a place where to put a candle, to put flowers. It is for certain known that that we in the republic have no similar funeral constructions.

Plunder of a city cemetery happened step by step, since World War I. And if kayzerovsky soldiers in 1915 did not mock at burials, then events of 1918-1921 were the beginning. Fighting skirmishes of Red Army men and belopolyak, left not only graves of the dead, but also inexplicable revenge of vandals in budennovka (according to witnesses).

The second wave of robberies began in 1939. Slowly marble angels began to disappear with gravestones, unauthorized excavation of graves somewhere was made. What there was for soldiers others shrine? After red terror and GULAG this prank by all escaped punishment.

From the beginning of military operations in 1941-42 vandalism increased. And that is why: at school opposite (nowadays school No. 2) the squadron of gendarmerie intended for fight against guerrillas was placed As witnesses speak, most successfully they struggled with the dead.

And further – it is more. At the end of 1944 near school No. 2 barracks for the Soviet soldiers and garages for motor transport were built. Then excavation was conducted already without ceremony. It seems that values found. All niches in a crypt were opened. Everywhere bones, human hair, fragments of coffins, clothes remains, braids from uniforms rolled.

The local government closed eyes to all events. This lawlessness proceeded till 90th years of last century. And nevertheless the power took pity on a shrine. Money for a fence was allocated. Someone collected bones and immured them in niches. Very symbolically following: if to stop near any gravestone of this monument, then on the one hand the cross on a dome of orthodox church, with another – church towers is visible. Indeed, between two shrines one Christ's children are buried.

Three years ago this territory was assigned by the decision of local executive committee to a Catholic community of the city. (Why Catholics? Perhaps, were guided by Latin inscriptions on gravestones?.)

Ice started. In the summer of last year from Poland to our city there arrived the group of young people. They having armed with shovels and axes, began to bring order on this cemetery: burned foliage and garbage, sawed dry trees, burned out a bush, tore a nettle.

I reflected: whether only Poles need this historical necropolis? This article I want to urge to unite to two faiths and to return our past from oblivion and to build a reconciliation cross between live and dead.

Brest courier, 2006

P.S. It is in addition possible to watch many photos to the address: http://ikobrin.ru/kobtur-stpolkl.php

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