How to Turn a City Walk into a History Lesson: Educators Master the Excursion Method

As part of the practical lab “From Concept to Educational Excursion,” participants discussed the theoretical foundations of building excursion routes, explored the principles of field pedagogy, and learned how to turn urban space into a classroom without walls. Special attention was paid to how to engage children with history and make them not passive listeners but active participants in the research.

Under the guidance of historian Volodymyr Poltorak, the teachers worked with maps, marked key points of the route on them, determined the logic of its structure, and discussed how to adapt the excursion for different ages of children and what interactive tasks could be offered to students during the walk.

“It’s impossible to imagine from a textbook what actually happened. The strongest side of history is the chance to imagine, feel, and become involved in the processes of the past. Objects let you feel the spirit of the time, and through them you can interest children in what is close and engaging to them,” — Volodymyr Poltorak is convinced.

That is why during the practical part participants not only listened to stories but also completed tasks they will later be able to use in their own lessons. The teachers were divided into two teams, so the instructors not only searched for interesting details but also competed with one another, since the element of play is one of the key tools for engaging children.

“Learning needs play,” — the historian emphasizes. Sometimes it is precisely competition, the search for an answer, or an unexpected fact that helps a child remember a historical event much better than a page of a textbook.

The excursion route was devoted to Ukrainian Prague — a city that for centuries has preserved numerous traces of Ukrainian history and culture.

The first stop was the place where, in 1876, the first complete, uncensored edition of Taras Shevchenko’s “Kobzar” was printed.

“Prague is connected to Ukraine by the most varied of ties, and this place is sacred for our culture, because it was here that a truly unique event took place. It was here that the Ukrainian Bible — “Kobzar” by Taras Shevchenko — was printed for the first time without censorship. This text shaped all the generations of Ukrainian public figures after its publication,” — says Volodymyr Poltorak.

The historian also drew the teachers’ attention to how this story can be made interesting for children. It is important not just to name a date or an event, but to show human connections and mutual support between peoples.

“The plaque was installed already in the 20th century, but it was precisely at this historic site, at the printing house of the Grégr brothers — local figures of the Czech national liberation movement — that a meeting between representatives of the Ukrainian and Czech movements took place,” — he says.

Another story that especially interested participants was the account of the beginning of the worldwide fame of “Shchedryk.” In May 1919, Prague hosted the first European tour of the Ukrainian Republican Capella under the direction of Oleksandr Koshyts. It was on May 11 that the European premiere of Mykola Leontovych’s “Shchedryk” was performed at the National Theatre in Prague.

After the performance in the Czech capital, the melody began its journey around the world and later became known as Carol of the Bells.

For the teachers, this became an example of how a single story can be used to talk with children about several important topics at once: Ukrainian music, cultural diplomacy, the Ukrainian People’s Republic, and Ukraine’s place in world history.

And also — how to find a detail that is sure to interest schoolchildren. During the tour, the Ukrainian artists brought along a good supply of throat lozenges to protect their voices and keep them in shape before performances. It is often such unexpected facts that become a “hook” for children, helping them remember an entire story.

The final stop on the route was devoted to Kunigunde of Halych — daughter of Rostyslav of Halych, who became Queen of Bohemia.

“The history of any people is better learned in the places where it happened. Here, an important site in the center of Prague is the monastery where Kunigunde of Halych, who married the King of Bohemia, was buried,” — says Volodymyr Poltorak.

The story of this woman helps show children that the ties between Ukraine and Czechia go back not decades, but hundreds of years.

“Her tomb has survived thanks to the Ukrainian archaeologist Ivan Borkovsky, who in the 20th century studied the medieval past of Czechia and found confirmation of deep, ancient ties between Czechia and Ukraine,” — the historian adds.

This particular story became a true discovery for many participants.

“When I was recently studying the Czech Přemyslid dynasty with my children, it turned out that the wife of one of the famous Czech kings, Přemysl Otakar II, came from Ukraine, from my native Halychyna, which is close to my heart. For me, this was a real “aha moment.” I was a bit shocked, but at the same time I felt a much stronger sense of self-identification,” — shares teacher Olha Ferents, who now lives and works in the Czech Republic.

It is precisely such discoveries, the program’s organizers are convinced, that help Ukrainian children abroad feel their own connection to history and understand that Ukrainian traces can be found far beyond the borders of their homeland.

“An excursion is not just an opportunity for children to step outside the school walls and listen to a guide — it is, above all, a tool for learning. It is a way to explore, ask questions, search for answers, and experience history personally. It is through such experience that a connection is formed with culture, place, and one’s own roots,” — emphasizes Natalia Omelchuk, coordinator of educational projects at the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation.

On June 27, 2026, at 2:30 PM, a presentation of the results of the year-long program “Roots and Wings: A Story That Unites” will take place, about which as we wrote earlier. Over the year of work, the program brought together teachers from Ukrainian schools and cultural-educational centers from Prague, Brno, Olomouc, Jihlava, and České Budějovice. Together they worked on creating modern educational practices that help Ukrainian children in emigration not lose their identity, study the history of Ukraine, and feel a sense of belonging to the Ukrainian community.

The Pylyp Orlyk Foundation is implementing the “Roots and Wings” program in Czechia in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute in Prague, with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Czech Republic.