Cemetery of the Parish of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Trzcianne

Cemetery of the Parish of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Trzcianne, founded in early 19^th century – first burial in 1812. Built on a semi-rectangular plan. Situated approx. 300 m from the church, by the road from Trzcianne to Downary. The oldest gravestone dates back to 1866, inscriptions illegible. Another interesting gravestone is a cast iron monument in the form of a tapering obelisk on a cast iron pedestal, originally topped with a cross. The side walls have a framing and a cross in the upper section. The monument belongs to the Ołdakowski family and dates back to 1887. The panels have inscriptions: the main one – originally under the cross – is a laurel crown with the date 1887, below the inscription: THE GRAVE/ OF THE OŁDAKOWSKI/ FAMILY/ PASSERS-BY, PLEASE SIGH TO GOD. The next panel: DYONIZY/ LIVED 64 YEARS/ DIED ON 31^ST SEPTEMBER 1850/ HIS WIFE/ PAULINA/ OF THE HOUSE RUKIEWICZ/ LIVED 58 YEARS/ DIED ON 10^TH JULY 1861, next: JÓZEF/ GARDECKI/ LIVED 64 YEARS/ DIED IN MARCH 1875/ WIKTORYJA/ RUKIEWICZ/ LIVED 65 YEARS/ DIED ON 1^ST MARCH 1877 (this type of obelisk can be found in a Catholic cemetery in Próżana – the gravestone of Ferdynand Leżeński from 1859, or in Grodno – the gravestone of Julian Borowski from 1886). Historically important monuments: a cast iron gravestone of Fr. Paweł Tronczyński, rector of Trzcianne d. 1877. The inscription reads: PAWEŁ TRONCZYŃSKI/ RECTOR OF TRZCIANNE/ LIVED 48 YEARS/ DIED ON 22^ND JANUARY/ 1877; the gravestone of rector Edward Pietkiewicz d. 1911; a couple dozen of historic gravestones, mostly cast iron and iron crosses on stone pedestals. Noteworthy: cast iron crosses and gravestones from Sztabin Steelworks. By the gate there are numerous cast iron crosses atop stone pedestals, including a destroyed cross with an oval plaque reading: FOR THE DEAD SOULS OF/ BENEDYKT MARYANNA/ AND TERESA GRYGO/ AND THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND THE ENTIRE FAMILY. I ASK FOR THREE HAIL MARYS. FOUNDER/ IGNACY GRYGO 1879; the gravestone of the Popławski family from 1880, a modest cross with a plaque reading: ALEKSANDRA/ WEJDA/ LIVED 18 YEARS. KILLED BY A BOLSHEVIK’S GRENADE ON 6^TH AUGUST 1920/ ASKS FOR A HAIL MARY; an openwork, cast iron cross on a granite pedestal, without inscriptions – a vanitas motif with an hourglass in the lower part of the vertical beam; a gravestone made of sandstone in the form of an arch surmounted with a cross, inside the arch a solid statue of a woman. This monument is dedicated to Maria and Władysław Ołdakowski and dates back to 1891/1909. There is a two-part plaque with the inscription: MARJA OŁDAKOWSKA/ MAIDEN NAME GRODZKA/ DIED ON 21^ST MARCH 1891/ LIVED 40 YEARS/ WŁADYSŁAW/ OŁDAKOWSKI/ DIED ON 4^TH JANUARY 1906/ LIVED 72 YEARS/ MAY THEIR ASHES REST IN PEACE/ I ASK FOR A HAIL MARY. An incomplete openwork cast iron cross, filled with acanthus and tracery motif. The vertical beam has a statue of an angel supporting Jesus on his cross, in the lower part of the beam there is a vanitas motif (see: churchyard cemetery in Krasnybór). Another elaborately decorated yet incomplete sandstone monument stands on a rock pedestal, has a laurel crown and plant motifs with an inscription written on an unfolded scroll: WALERIA KASPAROWICZ OF THE HOUSE SICKIEWICZ/ DIED ON 7^TH JULY 1892/ LIVED 55 YEARS/ THIS MEMORIAL WAS PLACED BY HER LOVING HUSBAND AND CHILDREN/ WHO ASK FOR THREE HAIL MARYS. The oldest part of the cemetery, situated in the south-western corner, is neglected and overgrown with self-sown plants. Many graves and gravestones have illegible inscriptions,  are damaged or shattered, many gravestones are incomplete. A cheerful and touching decorative element on one of the crosses is a drinking trough for birds.