How to get young people interested in archaeology and medieval history of the Ukrainian south? The project “Tiahyn Fortress: A Dimension of Non-Formal Education”, implemented by IRC “Legal Space”, proposes to go the way of education in an entertaining format. This new educational technology combines gaming techniques, methods of interactive and active learning, motivation to learn and interact.
The project has become a vivid example of how history, archaeology, and gaming can be combined into a powerful educational tool. Its “heart” and inspiration was the medieval fortress of Tiahyn in Kherson region, an archaeological monument of national importance, a common cultural heritage of three peoples – Ukrainian, Lithuanian, and Crimean Tatar.
The key product of the project is an innovative educational product, the Tyahyn Fortress board game. The game was created based on real archaeological excavations, historical events, and unique artifacts found by the Southern Medieval Expedition of the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, led by Doctor of Historical Sciences Svitlana Bilyaeva. The expedition explored Tiahyn in 2016-2021, and with the outbreak of full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine, the excavations had to be stopped. However, the work did not stop: the IRC “Legal Space” and its partners continued to look for new forms and methods that would help to reveal the true history of the Ukrainian south to the widest possible audience. This is how the idea to create the Tyahyn Fortress board game came about.
The game’s peculiarity is that the players do not fight but cooperate: they build a fortress together, explore artifacts, study medieval history, and get to know the characters – the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas, the Crimean khans Mengli I Gerai and Khadji Gerai, and the leader of the Cossack detachment Bohdan Hlynskyi.
The game board is based on the actual plan of the Tiahyn fortress, the “Events” cards are based on historical facts, and the “Artifacts” cards are based on archaeological findings. The game features such rare elements as an icon on a flounder fish, medieval cuisine of different nations, medieval weapons and household items. The text games were played by teenagers who had never heard of Tyahyn – young visitors to the Fedorovych Museum (the village of Vykno in Ternopil Oblast) and pupils of the Center for Out-of-School Education in the village of Velyki Birky (Ternopil Oblast). The game was a real delight for children, teachers and museum workers alike.
Here are some comments from the participants:
– Very interesting game! After the game, I looked at the time and it flew by incredibly fast.
– The game is interesting, and it spreads the culture that is important for modern teenagers to know. That’s why I think it’s great that games like this are being distributed now, not some fantasy games about elves and the like.
– This game is really educational. It develops mathematical skills, it really complements what a person didn’t know about some devices and things that were used in the Middle Ages. And in general, it is interesting.
– The game is very addictive. And it’s very interesting to learn about excavations, about things like the icon on the flounder – it was very unusual and interesting, so I recommend it!
– The game is quite intellectual, and we can learn a lot of new things in it, for example, about dishes and medieval recipes.
– The game is very informative and interesting. You just need to figure it out at first to understand it, but once you get into it, it becomes incredibly interesting. For groups and companies, this is a must have! I recommend it!
– I really appreciated the way the game was drawn – the figures, the details, the big map. It’s very stylish and cool. And the game is really addictive – it’s not a game you can play in 10 minutes. You sit for an hour in a company and have fun together.
Indeed, the Tiahyn Fortress game not only introduces little-known pages of our history, but also teaches cooperation, develops logic and strategic thinking. And most importantly, it contributes to the formation of a common identity.
The project team is now planning to scale up: printing new sets, training moderators, and using the game in schools, shelters, and hubs, including for displaced children. Already, the game is a tool for integration, cooperation, and dialogue based on a common past. In the future, it will also become a bridge to modern European education.
The project involved an expert from Lithuania, the director of the Center for Local History and Research, Kristina Puzarenė, who in 2022 received a master’s degree in archaeology from Vilnius University with a thesis on “Archaeology in School Education: International and Lithuanian Experience.”
Ms. Khrystyna said: “It’s impossible to make children fall in love with history just by sitting at their desks. That’s why I organize study trips to archaeological sites for my students, children communicate with history researchers, scientists, local historians, and even help artists who touch on the history and culture of our land during festivals and art residencies. I use various teaching methods in which children are not passive listeners but active participants. Such practices really shape a child’s worldview and foster love for the history of their country, their city or village.”
Natalia Bimbirayte, director of IRC “Legal Space” and chairman of the board of the NGO “Cultural Center Ukraine-Lithuania”, adds: “It is very important for us that, despite the war and challenges, we continue to develop and move forward. “Tiahyn Fortress is not just a game. It is one of the elements of a cultural and educational strategy that shapes memory, national pride, responsibility and a sense of belonging to the European cultural and historical space. Such initiatives build a bridge to a common future.”
The project “Tiahyn Fortress: The Dimension of Non-Formal Education” is implemented by the IRC “Legal Space” and supported by the European Union under the House of Europe program.
