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MaNet
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Safeguarding and revitalising the intangible cultural heritage of craftsmen in the Mastorochoria
traditional mountain villages in Greece and in the broader Balkan Peninsula
Authors:
Fotini Giannoulidi, Greece, MA Heritage Management-Universit of !ent and
"thens Universit of #conomics and Business $fg%&'kent(ac(uk)
*heodosia Maroutsi, Greece, MA Heritage Management-Universit of !ent and
"thens Universit of #conomics and Business $tm+,2'kent(ac(uk)
*etana Strashevska, Ukraine, MA Heritage Management-Universit of !ent
and "thens Universit of #conomics and Business $ts-2.'kent(ac(uk)
/armen *albot, U!, MA Heritage Management-Universit of !ent and "thens
Universit of #conomics and Business $ct++-'kent(ac(uk)
Paraskevi 0afeiri, Greece, MA Heritage Management-Universit of !ent and
"thens Universit of #conomics and Business $1223'kent(ac(uk)
Keywords:
cultural management, intangible heritage, ethnography,
sustainability, shared tradition, local communities
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Ma4et5 Mastorochoria 4et6ork
+
Introduction
7*he 6ord Balkan comes from the *urkish 6ord for a chain of 6ooded
mountains8( 9ith this minimal definition, Barbara :elavich, the a6arded historian,
introduces the first volume of her book History of the Balkans ;1<( *he Balkan
Peninsula has been inhabited continuousl since the Prehistoric #ra, 6hilst it is the
uni=ue geomor1hic characteristics and its location as a natural frontier for 9estern
#uro1e and the Mediterranean 6hich are the crucial factors for the evolution of its
habitants( *he area is dominated b high mountains 6hich are interru1ted onl b
valles formed from magnificent rivers( *he Peninsula is surrounded b the "driatic,
>onian, "egean and Black seas that created through time safe 1orts and 1ros1erous
islands( "s a crucial crossroad 6ith limited 1assages, the Balkans formed t6o ma?or
1articularities for its habitants( @arious tribes from the "sian ste11es 1assed, con=uered
or even settled on this land, 6hilst the indigenous 1o1ulation and the oldest nomads
moved to the mountain slo1es and in most cases isolated themselves from the 7ne6
others8 ;1<( *he 1o1ulation snthesis changed continuousl( Aellenes, Macedonians,
*hracians and Bacians, >llrians, Comans, Slavs, Magars, and Bulgars 6ere the
foundations for three ma?or successive #m1iresD Coman, B2antine and Ettoman, that
ruled the area as an entit 6ith res1ect for local customs and traditions( Under the
dominated dogma of the ErthodoF /hurch and the Muslim hegemon during the earl
modern era, customar la6, and accordingl ethics, determined the everda life of the
ma?orit of ordinar 1eo1le( >t is 1recisel this multicultural snthesis, this mosaic of
1eo1les, languages and traditions living in this distinctive natural environment
dominated b rocks and forests that created a common cultural frame6ork, vivid in the
mountain communities until the ra1id changes of the second half of 2.th centur ;2, +<(
*he intention of this 1a1er is to research common characteristics that develo1ed
in the mountain communities of the Balkan Peninsula around the s1ecific culture of
Masters of /rafts of stonemasonr, hagiogra1h and 6oodcarving( *he eFamination of
the shared tradition is contributing to discovering ho6 the Greek and 6ider Balkan
communit can coo1erate in order to efficientl safeguard, transmit and raise a6areness
for the intangible heritage of these crafts( Point of reference is the Mastorochoria
villages of #1irus, located in an area close to the Greek national border that 6as for
centuries a cross-borders or even more, a non-borders territor(
-
The Crucial Role of the Community
/ommunit involvement is considered an indis1ensable 1art of heritage, since
the latter aims for dissemination of tangible and intangible goods from generation to
generation ;-<( "ccording to the U4#S/E 2..+ /onvention on the Safeguarding of
>ntangible /ultural Aeritage, the 6idest 1artici1ation of communities, grou1s,
individuals 6ho create, maintain and transmit heritage, has to be insured ;&<(
Since there are strong similarities in the traditional mountainous villages in the
Balkan states in terms of histor, landsca1e, occu1ation and crafts, the communities in the
Mastorochoria area dis1la similar social and economic limits like the villages of other
Balkan countries( Most of the settlements face the trend of 1o1ulation decrease as
conse=uence of emigration after 9orld 9ar >> and the Greek /ivil 9ar, natural ageing
and urbani2ation of Greek societ ;G<( "nother remarkable feature of the villages is
seasonal changes in 1o1ulation number5 during the 6arm season 1eo1le in retirement
come to the villages and s1end a fe6 months along 6ith ounger 1eo1le from urban
centres or even from abroad, 6ho visit their homeland villages for a short time mostl in
"ugust( /onversel, in 6inter the number of inhabitants in some villages declines to as
little as & 1eo1le ;3<( Ao6ever, the 1o1ulation densit in "lbanian mountain settlements is
higher in com1arison 6ith the Greek, as 6ell the number of oung 1eo1le ;%<( Bes1ite the
slight differences in demogra1h, the communities of the mountainous villages eF1ress
the common need for the develo1ment of 1olicies on cultural sustainabilit through local
engagement and ensuring that those 6ho are the carriers of cultural heritage, are a6are of
the values of the traditional crafts and are 6illing to safeguard and transmit the traditions(
*he core idea for achieving sustainabilit through revival and transmission of traditions
throughout the Balkans is tightl bound to the communities themselves, since 1eo1le
make heritage 1ossible ;,<(
*he communities of the traditional mountainous settlements need a 1latform for
safeguarding and transmitting the living heritage all over the Balkans( Such a 1latform
should have as a core ob?ective the 1romotion of communit initiatives, and the
enhancement of the interaction bet6een communities 6ith common heritage( Moreover,
an interaction bet6een communities and other stakeholders should be develo1ed and the
identit should be strengthened ;1.<( "s a basic outcome, such an eFchange 1latform
6ill contribute to the cultural sustainabilit of the 6hole region(
&
Case Study: Ethnological Museum of the Craftsmen of Eirus
" 1latform based on this frame6ork is 1lanned to be 1rovided b the #thnological
Museum of the /raftsmen of #1irus in Prsogianni, 6hich 6as founded b the
7Progressive "ssociation of Prsogianni8, one of the organi2ations that 6ere created 6ith
the ob?ective to safeguard the cultural heritage of the craftsmen of #1irus( " series of
other centres have been su11orted since 1%%+ b local communit associations, the
craftsmen and the masters of the Greek Bias1ora, 6ho 6ere transferring ne6 ideas and
lifestle in Greece, enriching the cultural heritage of Balkans and su11orting the econom
of the area through the creation of libraries, conservation of architectural sites, and even
the 1rotection of the natural heritage ;11<( *he strategic location of Prsogianni 6ithin
Mastorochoria on the borders 6ill contribute dnamicall to the inter-Balkan
communication ;12<( *he 7Progressive "ssociation of Prsogianni8, 6hile contributing to
the creation of the Museum and /onference /entre ;1+<, 1romotes the develo1ment of
kno6ledge, raise the a6areness of the 1ublic and enriches the local and international
societies 6ith relevant information reflecting the highest ethical standards ;12<(
*he #thnological Museum of the /raftsmen of #1irus is currentl in the 1rocess
of develo1ment, and incor1orates the strategic 1lans of the most contem1orar theories,
according to the research of advisor bodies, such as U4#S/E ;1-<( >n its strateg it
includes a variet of actions, such as holding conferences that 1rovoke research interest
in the societies and educational 1rograms( *hese aim to disseminate and evolve the
kno6ledge, being integrated in everda life in the conteFt of 1reservation of cultural
heritage and ensure that the kno6ledge and skills associated 6ith traditional crafts are
1assed on to future generations ;1&<( *he Museum intends to 1rovide the most com1lete
and com1rehensive information about the lifestle, the 1rofession and the 1ro?ects of the
master stone masons, as 6ell as those of the masters of car1entr, 6oodcarving,
hagiogra1h and fresco 1ainting ;1G< and 1artici1ate in safeguarding the intangible
heritage at a transnational level( *he material that 6ill be eFhibited is a remarkable
documentation of the local architecture and the trans-Balkan aesthetic trends of the last
three centuries ;13<( *he museum ob?ectives are focused on the communication of
kno6ledge through the creation of technologicall u1dated educational 1latforms and
the organi2ation of scientific conferences and lectures mainl based on traditional crafts
;11<, through collaboration 6ith other Balkan countries( " /onference /entre of
"rchitectural Aeritage has been created and collaboration 6ith a future School of
G
Masonr is 1lanned( "ll these 1rograms 6ill facilitate the 1artici1ation of the
institutions from the 6hole Balkan Peninsula and 6ill foster scientific, technical and
artistic studies as 6ell as research methodologies, 6ith a vie6 to effective safeguarding
of the >/A
2
;1&<, as U4#S/E convention indicates( *hrough eF1eriencing the
educational 1rograms, visitors from the local societ or the 6ider Balkan Peninsula and
researchers ;12< 6ill 1artici1ate dnamicall in the MuseumHs research about the
1romotion and 1reservation of the tangible, intangible and natural heritage of the Balkan
countries ;1%<( *hese efforts 6ill facilitate an interactive relationshi1 bet6een the
countries, enriching and enhancing the collected material concerning the cultural
heritage and transmitting the kno6ledge to a 6ider audience(
Trans!"order Cooeration
*he tendencies of the #uro1ean Union for the safeguarding of >/A of crafts have
enabled dnamic actions in the Balkan region ;1,, 2.<( *he cross-border collaboration
bet6een Greece and other countries of the Balkan Peninsula has been encouraged b
several organi2ations and 1rogrammes
+
in order to 1romote, 1rotect, safeguard and
2
>/A5 >ntangible /ultural Aeritage
+
>ndicative cross-border, collaborative organisations and res1ective 1rogrammes for the safeguarding of
>/A in the Balkan Peninsula5
The I#A ! Instrument for #re!accession Assistance$
/ross-Border Programme Greece-"lbania 2..3-2.1+ from 4eighbourhood to Partnershi1
ST%NE&%%'
Stone and 9ood5 #nhancement and 1romotion of traditional architecture in the areas of >oannina
and G?irokastIr
Cultural (eritage &ithout )orders *C(&)+
Cegional Cestoration /am1s
INTERRE, IIIA-CAR'S ,reece . Al"ania/ 0111!0112$
B"J!"4 /UJ*UC# "G#4/K-Promoting common cultural identit through the information,
and 1romotion of indigenous culture and activit as a factor in ensuring cultural continuit and
1romotion of tourism develo1ment the Cegion of 9estern Macedonia and the /hief Prefect
!ortsa(
Mediterranean Centre of En3ironment(
Balkan "rchitectural Aeritage /am1us or 6hen oung students become 6itnesses of the
historical #uro1ean /ultural Aeritage
AeriL - 7Aeritage Stor *elling M Lualit >nter1retation8
Cestauration, #ntretien et Cevalorisation des *errasses de /ulture
#uro1ean /arrefour for Br Stone
)al4an (eritage 5oundation
Balkan Aeritage Field School $BAFS), htt15NN666(bhfieldschool(org
E,NATIA E#IR6S 5oundation
C67T6RA7 7I)RAR8 %5 E#IR6S 9 A7)ANIA
E6R%#EAN :A76ES IN (ERITA,E *E:A(+
,;iro4ast<r Conser3ation and 'e3eloment %rgani=ation *,C'%+
*rained 9ood and Stone /raftsmen of G?irokastIr
3
revitali2e the tangible and intangible as1ects of the cultural heritage of craftsmanshi1 in
accordance 6ith the recommendations of the international advisor bodies( *he
aforementioned efforts, coordinated or individual, aim at unifing transnational cultural
ties through educational 1rograms, training or restoration cam1s and conferences
encouraging the mobilit of students and 1artici1ants, and the involvement of local
communities, as 6ell as 6ider-reaching 1artnershi1s( *he contribution of national and
international universities, foundations and institutions, governmental agencies and
4GEs managed to form a 1romising cultural net6ork, 6hich is develo1ing and
eF1anding graduall in a sustainable 6a( >n the meantime, significant actions have
been taken in order to involve local museums in this net6ork( *he 7Balkan Museum
4et6ork8 1latform su11orts, strengthens and 1romotes the role of the museums in
Balkan Peninsula, 6hich 6as 6eakened mainl due to 1olitical, social and cultural
conflicts $breaku1 of Kugoslavia, hostilities, non-democratic 1rocesses, gender e=ualit)
;21, 22, 2+<( Under the 7communication and develo1ment 1latform8 nineteen museums
from "lbania, !osovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia coo1erate, act collectivel
and interact ;21<( Using this o11ortunit to their mutual advantage, the #thnological
Museum of /raftsmen of #1irus in Mastorochoria could enhance Greek 1artici1ation in
the Balkan Peninsula through its involvement as an active member in the Balkan
museum net6ork( >n this 6a, common 1olicies and 1ractices can be formed for
safeguarding the shared >/A b using the same managerial tools of #uro1ean la6 and
standards( >n addition, the #thnological Museum of /raftsmen of #1irus in
collaboration 6ith Balkan museums can develo1 collective educational 1rogrammes and
6orksho1s for the dissemination of cultural kno6ledge( For instance, a creative cultural
dialogue for craftsmanshi1 could be develo1ed bet6een the 6ork of the Museum of the
/it of Sko1?e, 6hich concerns modern architecture, urbanism and design and the
res1ective museum collection for the architectural 6orks of the craftsmen of
Mastorochoria( Finall, museums should be democratic 1laces, using the cultural
heritage as a unifing force( /onse=uentl, the #thnological Museum of /raftsmen of
#1irus, located close to the "lbanian border, could differentiate its cultural role in the
conteFt of Greek heritage b overcoming the territorial borders through the forging of
bonds of common >/A throughout the Balkan Peninsula(
%
Conclusion
/oncluding this 1a1er 6e feel the need to 1oint out once more 6ith the bright
observations of Barbara :elavich( 7*he real revolution in the Balkans 6as ;(((< not the
/ommunist sei2ure of 1olitical 1o6er, but the subse=uent slo6 destruction of 1atterns of
life that had held for centuries( Similar changes, ;(((< occurred in Greece, 6here
economic advancement 6as inevitabl accom1anied b radical changes in the
countrside8 ;2<( *he 21
st
centur should create a dnamic frame6ork for the culture in
Balkans( *he Balkans that 7have a 1o6erful ontolog ;and< deserves serious and
com1leF stud8 ;2-<(
,
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