“In our family, all humanists: philologists and historians”
Elena Tsyvilko has been working in the Mokryanskaya secondary school of the Bykhovsky district for more than 20 years. The teacher of the Belarusian language and literature instills in children not only love for “matchynai language”. Together with schoolchildren, she studies the history of her native land, leads the “Spadchyna” and “Falklore Spadchyna” circles, introduces primary school students to legends and tales, folk songs inherited from their ancestors, local toponymy, explains the meaning of proverbs and sayings. Elena Vladimirovna, in whose family there are many teachers, is sure: a mentor is not only a subject teacher. Its task is broader: to teach the younger generation to think, analyze, draw conclusions, and correctly formulate thoughts.
Didn't go to school yet , but already played it
Elena Tsyvilko, a native of the village of Mokroe, knew from childhood that she would become a teacher - she had not gone to school yet, but already played it:
- Grandfather Nikolai gave a large wooden board, chalk, and I organized lessons, which were attended by neighboring children. I diligently drew letters, they diligently rewrote after me. I learned to read and write early. I am also grateful to my grandfather for this: he read a lot of books to me. And often took with him to work. Nikolai Romanovich Grishchenko taught history here, at the Mokryanskaya school, one of the oldest in the Bykhov region. It was founded in 1851 as a three-year public school. After the Great Patriotic War, the building housed a school, with it a boarding school, in which children from the surrounding villages lived. Grandfather often stayed with them in the evenings, doing homework together. She attended his classes from the age of five. She sat quietly on the last desk and listened to him talk about the war.
There was something to tell. In 1941, Nikolai Grishchenko, who finished ten classes, joined the 152nd partisan detachment of Mikhail Gritsan. He was badly wounded three times. The last injury from an exploding mine was accompanied by a severe concussion. Survived miraculously. One of the comrades, not noticing Nicholas covered with earth, stepped on his face with his boot. Hearing a groan, the soldiers began to dig out the wounded. After the hospital, Nikolai Romanovich went to the front, fought his way to Berlin. He returned home in 1946 with the Orders of the Red Star, Orders of the Patriotic War I and II degrees, medals "For Military Merit", "For Courage". Until the end of his days, he wore a scar on his face from that soldier's boot, he was almost deaf in his left ear, he could not see with his left eye. This did not prevent him from becoming a wonderful mentor, who was loved by children, respected by fellow countrymen and who is still remembered.
Dynasty of teachers
The elder brother of Nikolai Grishchenko Athanasius was also a teacher. The youngest son of Elena Tsyvilko Pavel, who is now studying in the 10th grade of the Mokryanskaya school, wrote a research paper “And I will always take off my hat in front of the grave of an unknown person” about his relative-hero. She was noted at the republican contest "Wars sacred pages forever in human memory."
Mom and son Tsyvilko say:
- Little was known about Afanasy Romanovich: he worked at a school in Bykhov, when the war began, he left to fight the enemy. And in October 1941, the mother received news from the front: "Your son Athanasius has gone missing." All these years it remained unknown where he laid his head, and only recently it turned out: in the Leningrad region.
The work of Athanasius was continued by the sister of the Grishchenko brothers Tatyana, who became a teacher of Russian language and literature. In one of the rural schools in the Bykhov region, their own uncle also taught for many years. After the war, the wife of Nikolai Romanovich Khristina Ivanovna worked as a primary school teacher, who served as a partisan liaison during the Great Patriotic War. Her sister Maria and niece Tatyana also chose the pedagogical path.
Elena Tsyvilko clarifies:
- In our family, all humanists: philologists and historians. My mother, Tatyana Lavrenkina, has worked as a teacher of Russian language and literature for over 35 years.
In the footsteps of Nikolai Grishchenko went six of his grandchildren, two great-grandchildren. The eldest son of Elena Vladimirovna Andrey, like her, graduated from Moscow State University named after A.A. Kuleshov. Both her sons are fond of history, genealogy. Together with my mother, we made a family tree, in which three dozen branches are their ancestors up to the fifth generation. It is kept in the school museum. And on the wall in the office of the director of the Mokryanskaya school, Sergei Lazarev, there is a picture of their educational institution. It was drawn by Pavel Tsyvilko. By the way, now Pavel, under the guidance of a historian, is writing a research paper about ancient crosses found on the territory of the Bykhov region.
Jump with a parachute and enroll in journalism
Loyalty to the teaching profession is a kind of family value, Elena Vladimirovna is sure:
- I explain to children that the main thing in life is the continuity of generations, the preservation of traditions, respect for the historical heritage, loyalty to the roots, to the Motherland. And they must know the Belarusian language because the soul of the people lives in it.
Together with history teacher Sergei Kulaev, Elena Tsyvilko organizes school trips to memorable places.
The teacher certifies:
– There are no bad students: you can always unlock your potential, find an approach to everyone. Grandfather's phrase, with which I agree 100 percent. To interest schoolchildren, I try to constantly develop, improve, learn new things. The teacher must be in an eternal creative search and, of course, sincerely love children, their work.
Recently, Elena Vladimirovna received another specialty - a speech therapist teacher. What else do you dream about? Jump with a parachute and enter the faculty of journalism.
