This is all that remains of the old Lamikov cemetery. After World War II, when the borders were moved, the Lemkos found themselves in three countries. These lands were to remain uninhabited and the people displaced.
I have been interested in photography all my life and remember quite well developing my first black and white films myself... My favorite subjects are...
There was a group of around 800 war orphans came to New Zealand from Poland. One of them was my son's grandmother-in-law. Her and her two sisters had quite a story. I guess like a good many others. Some very sad things happened there during the war!
Lovely photo of the cemetery. The Lemkos are a family? Shame they are scattered. Is this cemetery all in the same country? I wasn't familiar with this style of cross so was curious enough to look it up.
I’m not normally a fan of white vignettes but it works well on this image. It gives it a look of encroaching fog and adds a hint of unease to this graveyard shot.
@randystreat The history of the Lemkos and the neighboring Boykos is complex and not fully known. In modern times, they lived in the forested areas of the Central Carpathian Mountains. Historians don't know exactly where they came from, although they have their own theories. They had their own language, culture and constituted a separate ethnic group. Because they lived in quite inaccessible areas, they lived in isolation and were not interested in the disputes of great rulers. Until the IWW. Then these areas became the front line and many bad stories happened here. After the first war, these areas belonged to Poland, but they lived their own way. During World War II, both the Germans and the Russians wanted to nationalize them. After the end of the war, these areas became part of three countries: Poland, Czechoslovakia and the USSR (Ukrainian republic). It was then that the first wave of displacements took place, the so-called voluntary ones. Lemkos may to choose whether they want to be Poles or Ukrainians and move to the right side of the border. Shortly afterwards, the second, obligatory deportation took place. People were given 2-3 hours of time, they had to leave most of their belongings and were taken to various remote areas. They were also forcibly dispersed, as there could not be more than 10 percent of Lemkos in the new area.
But their memory was never lost. Mysterious forces took care of the old cemeteries and this is still the case today.
The Lemkos were of the Greek Catholic faith and such a cross appears on their graves.
But their memory was never lost. Mysterious forces took care of the old cemeteries and this is still the case today.
The Lemkos were of the Greek Catholic faith and such a cross appears on their graves.
Thank you for this very informative history.