Knowledge of common history is important for both Lithuania and Ukraine. During their stay in Lithuania, the team of the project “Tiahyn Fortress as stronghold of the European history of the Ukrainian south” were glad to accept the offer of Lithuanian language teacher Ramune Potasnikova to hold an open lesson at a school for Ukrainian children. Ramune herself is fluent in Ukrainian; she has Ukrainian roots (her father is Ukrainian and her mother is Lithuanian). Ramune was born in Kyiv and lived in Ukraine until 2021.
The open lesson was held for students in grades 8 and 11 of the Ukrainian part of a private Lithuanian school. These are children from Ukraine who have the opportunity to study in Ukrainian according to the Lithuanian curriculum, in particular with the support of philanthropists. They learn Lithuanian as a foreign language, and Ukrainian, literature and history of their native country are compulsory subjects. In total, 450 Ukrainian children study at this school in Kaunas from grades 1 to 11.
During the open lesson, PhD Svitlana Bilyaeva spoke about the history of Tiahyn and the links between the history of Ukraine and Lithuania in a form adapted for children. Natalia Bimbirayte complemented her lecture with stories about the life of volunteers in the archaeological camp and how fascinating it can be to study history if you have the opportunity to discover it by yourself. The Ukrainian children were given a miniature Tiahyn fortress to hold in their hands, and they also liked the stickers with artefacts found by the archaeological expedition, including the oldest mace in southern Ukraine, Lithuanian artefacts, architectural details and ornaments.
Teacher Ramune Potashnikova says that such living history lessons are needed not only for children but also for adults in Lithuania.
