The windmill in Teklyne
The wooden windmill in Teklyne is a sample for others of how to care for the landmarks of Ukrainian work and life. I have already written about windmills in my article "Ancient Mills of Ukraine," in particular, I noted that an ancient mill was restored in an ordinary village in the Cherkasy region.
The windmill was made in 1907. It was restored directly by concerned villagers, and the Volodymyrivka forestry, headed by forester Oleksandr Kysylichyn and forester Petro Yaroshenko, also joined the good cause, and Viktor Demydenko did not stand aside. According to Rostyslav Sytnik, the head of the Balakleyivska amalgamated territorial community, the mill was built by the Manko family, particularly Vasyl Mykhailovych. According to the publication Ridna Cherkashchyna, Mr. Demydenko and Mr. Yaroshenko are direct descendants of that family. The mill functioned until the mid-twentieth century.
Petro Yaroshenko says: "There used to be as many as 14 windmills in the village (Teklyne). It was near them that I and my friends spent their childhood. I wanted to save at least one of them so that my grandchildren would have something to show them." And this is indeed a motivation and an inspiration for others.
In 2019, journalist Oleksandr Sleptsovskyi raised questions on social media and in the mass media about the preservation of the windmill.
At the time, the state of the windmill was unsatisfactory: ‘Here are the traces of a fire: a few meters from the wooden windmill. There are fragments of wood lying nearby: it is clear that they were burning something that was part of the windmill itself. Maybe they were grilling kebabs? Why not? Why look for firewood when it's right there: take it, break it, and burn it?
The metal axle has long since disappeared, the lever lies half-rotten... The former windmill stands in the middle of the field, unwanted and forgotten by everyone. There are no signs, no fences, no tidiness. Anyone visiting of bad people, any carelessness - and it will be destroyed forever. Or it will simply collapse under the pressure of the winds, which, as in the past, rage in the middle of the fields and know very well that this hero has now turned into a frail old man who, if you push him lightly, is gone. Do we really want that?’
These questions were not rhetorical: ‘Doesn't their hearts ache and their souls shudder that this historical site, which could have become the pride of the Smila district, one of the local ‘zest', is unattended, desecrated and forgotten by everyone? Fortunately, these questions were heard and the village really took up the task of preserving the village's landmark.
So, for all 2020, the work was in full swing, and in the spring of 2021, the windmill was brought to a museum-like appearance. It is meaning that it is not a working one, but a fully functional exhibition element. The village community even planned to create an audio guide. Interestingly, the people did not forget about the area around the mill. It was landscaped and flowers were planted. These were beautiful tulips in May 2021 (I saw)
This is a very picturesque area and an ‘Instagrammable’ place (to use a trendy word). A good location for a photo shoot. I advise you to visit it for sure. The windmill is clearly visible from the road, although it is located near a field.
It is interesting that three old wells have been restored in the Teklynske forestry. They put wooden sheds over them, installed signs, and conducted a chemical analysis of the water.
