Oleksandra Wasiejko: Volhynian Massacre Witness and Reconciliation Symbol

Witnessing History Through Family Stories

• 🧠 Oleksandra Wasiejko, known as Grandma Szura, is a symbol of Polish-Ukrainian reconciliation and a "legend of Volhynia."
• 🏡 Born in 1946, she learned about the Volhynian Massacre of 1943 from her parents, as she was too young to remember it directly.
• 🤝 Her parents recounted a time when Poles and Ukrainians lived in harmony in villages like Sokół and Wola, like "one family."
• ⚠️ During the massacre, her father risked his life to hide Poles in a pigsty, saving them from certain death.

The Horrors of the Volhynian Massacre

• 🔪 The massacre involved killings with axes, and villages like Wola and Ostrówki were burned, with screams audible in Sokół.
• 💀 Many victims were buried in mass graves, particularly at a site known as "Trupie Pole" (Corpse Field) near the forest.
• 🔍 The identity of the perpetrators, described as "bandits" with small axes, remains unknown or unspoken due to fear.

Decades of Dedicated Grave Care

• 🌱 Oleksandra's father instructed her to remember and care for the graves of the Polish victims.
• 💐 For decades, she faithfully placed flowers, bread, and sweets on the forgotten graves, fulfilling her father's wish.
• 🕵️‍♀️ She guided Polish visitors to grave sites, including one where two young women and a child were found buried without their heads.
• ⛏️ She was present during the exhumation at Trupie Pole, where bodies were discovered in three layers, indicating a large number of victims.

A Symbol of Reconciliation

• 🤝 Oleksandra is recognized for her efforts in preserving the memory of the victims and fostering Polish-Ukrainian reconciliation.
• 🏅 In 2019, she was awarded the Virtus et Fraternitas medal by Polish President Andrzej Duda for her humanitarian actions.
• ⛪ She attends a Polish church, demonstrating continued inter-ethnic harmony and a belief in shared spirituality.

Enduring Humanity and Hope

• 💖 Her parents taught her to love and respect everyone, fostering a deep sense of compassion for all beings.
• 🕊️ Despite the traumatic past and current conflicts, she maintains hope for peace and reconciliation, praying for health for all people.
• 🇺🇦 She expresses concern for her grandson serving in the Ukrainian army and the ongoing war, while still advocating for goodness.