T H E H I S T O R Y O F K R E S Y
Osady - Military Settlements 1921-1940
Translation from the book
Z Kresów Wschodnich R.P. Wspomnienia z Osad Wojskowych 1921-1940
(From: The Eastern Borderlands of Poland, Memories of Military Settlements 1921-1940)
Pub: Ognisko Rodzin Osadników Kresowych (OROK)
(Association of the Families of the Borderland Settlers)
London, UK. 1992 and 1998 (out of print)
ISBN 1 872286 33 X
Province (Województwo) WOŁYŃ
JADWIGA MARKIEWICZ (WINNICKA)
OSADA CHORÓW
Community (Gmina) Ostróg n. Horyniem
District (Powiat) Zdołbunów
My parents – Aniela and Stanisław Winnicki were born in Sochaczew in the province of Warsaw.
After receiving the plot, my father brought my mother to Wołyń, where there was really nothing. They started from the beginning with virtually nothing. While building the house and other buildings, my parents lived in a village two kilometres away from the settlement. The construction and farm implements were funded by a loan which my father received from the Settlers’ Union whose President was Lieutenant K. Janicki. The first few years were very hard and difficult, because it required the supply of new equipment, preparing the land and planting orchards which were beautiful in our settlement.
The settlement of Chorów had 25-30 families. Settlers’ wives were typically from the same areas as their husbands. A few ladies were from Chorów, or from Ostróg. Our school had seven grades; the teaching was done by the ladies from the settlement who were teachers. They also organised meetings and cooking classes. There was our own theatre, choir, and library. This school was also attended by children from the local villages and neighbourhoods where there was only an orthodox church. Seven kilometres away from the settlement was the town, Ostróg, and it was also our parish. A priest came from Ostróg for religion lessons, and we had our first Holy Communion there.
The nearest train station was Orzenin from where we would travel to Równe for farm business reasons.
Each family had typically two or three children, five families had four children, and our family consisted of six – three daughters and three sons.
In Ostróg there was a secondary school, to which my older brother received a scholarship before the war and went together with a few other children his age. The scouting movement was very well organised – we had various games and entertainment. There was also a military organisation named “Krakusy”. It was constantly active, and organised various competitions and horse parades, which were prepared by Mr. Radwan. Every year we celebrated the traditional harvest festival where the entire settlement, both the young and adults, had a very good time.
The relationships with the local population were generally good but youths in school frequently declared war on each other. We all spoke two languages: Polish and Ukrainian.