Culture

In order to preserve our culture,
we must continue to create it.

Johan Huizinga

We were all born into a certain culture. Culture is the combination of knowledge, beliefs, and social norms that humans adopt and transmit to future generations. Culture is the main factor of socialization that regulates various spheres of human interaction, from day-to-day communication to the functioning of the world economy. Cultures are the central element of national identities, their core or spiritual pivot.

 

Cooperation in the field of culture enriches relations between societies, promotes cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue. At the same time, cultural and creative industries, and SMEs working in crafts and tourism, can help stimulate economic growth.

 

The conditions for the development of eco-tourism in the Black Sea basin region can be created by the common cultural elements and the historical heritage, but also by the partnership of some administrative units, which share have the same ideal. Ecotourism contributes to a better understanding, appreciation, and joy of discovering and protecting nature and traditional local culture, both for visitors and for the community.

The culture of the cross-border region Cahul-Reni-Galați

The culture is highly valued in all regions, both by locals and visitors. The cultural and creative sectors are also a key asset for regional economic competitiveness and attractiveness, while cultural heritage is a key element of the image and identity of cities and regions and is often the strong point of urban tourism.

Culture of Galati County, Romania

Culture, in its simplest form, refers to the ideas, customs, traditions, beliefs, and even social behavior of certain individuals or societies. Moreover, these traits are manifested through culture and all forms of art.

 

In Romania, two levels of implementation of public policies in the field of culture are relevant: the national one, under the responsibility of the government, and the local one, under the responsibility of the municipalities/county councils. The importance and role of municipalities in defining public cultural policies have increased, given the costs and responsibility of launching and managing cultural facilities and supporting all that is arts.

 

The growing significance of municipalities in the cultural-public policy scene is taking place together with the growing importance of culture in the context of their development policies. The two movements cannot be dissociated. This vision considers several critical aspects, from the perspective of academic research and planning: namely, the autonomy of local policies in a country marked by the territorial concentration of resources; the interaction between public policies and the structural properties of urban areas; the adequacy of municipal policies to new forms of culture, consumer practices and cultural production, but also local challenges in terms of social support, financial resources, governance, and sustainability.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the cultural life in the city of Galați was inspired by the cultural movement and by the initiatives of Spiru Constantin Haret. Thus, local cultural nuclei appeared around schools (“Vasile Alecsandri” High School),  churches (the “Holy Emperors” church) and some private institutions. This is where the first printing initiatives started, publishing publications, organizing shows and art festivals.

 

Galați County has established itself culturally as a city that appreciates and permanently supports both the arts and the valuable members of the community. The development means:

 

  • capitalizing on the county’s multicultural potential to develop cultural tourism;
  • capitalizing on the cultures of various ethnic groups living in Galați: Russians-Lipovans, Roma, Turks, Greeks, Jews, Armenians, but also promoting the multicultural potential of the city;
  • supporting, developing and promoting partnerships between public institutions, non-governmental organizations in all fields of activity, but with priority in such sectors as education, culture, tourism, etc.;
  • the development of multicultural events in the short and medium term, which will later become local traditions;
  • encouraging cultural institutions and organizations to increase their visibility, to become more and more involved in community life in order to increase the quality of the cultural product;
  • setting up spaces for cultural activities, especially in the open air.

Culture of the Reni Territorial Community, Ukraine

On the territory of the Reni community, there are 8 houses of culture (in the town of Reni and in each village of the community), the Center of National Culture, and the Creative Center for Children and Youth.

In all the villages and in the “Moldovan quarter” of Reni there is a specific Christmas custom “Moșul”. However, in the village of Orlivka gained a special dimension during the Soviet era. This ritual tour of the village of all local houses by young people with good wishes and prosperity has become remarkable in the last half-century.

Other complexes of traditional household culture are no less expressive: housing, the food system, family rituals, family life, and social life. In the region, there are institutional forms of representation of such expressiveness (museums, houses of culture, ensembles, etc.). In general, the Romanian language in this small region is the language of interethnic communication.

The Gagauz reservation – Kotlovyna or Bolboka – allows the expansion of the ethnic variability of the region’s population. This is the westernmost of the Budzhak enclaves of the Gagauz people. They perceive their territorial uniqueness with a certain pride: “Gagauz villages up there, and we’re the only ones here who hid behind Yalpug. ” At the same time, they are actively liaising with other Gagauzians in Ukraine and Moldova.

In this village is available not only all the necessary infrastructure to preserve the specificity of this culture, but in a way, an elite professional version of Turkish culture has been created. At one point, representatives of the legendary Chakir family of priests served here, greatly contributing to the national and religious renaissance of the Gagauz people in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At the end of the 20th century, one of the most famous Gagauz artists came here – Peter Mikhailovich Chakir.

Modern generations of Gagauzians from this village can learn the identity of their past and of their culture in the process of studying at school, in a wonderful museum, and in a house of culture. The private family life of the Gagauzians in Kotlovyna directly contributes to the preservation of the cultural expressiveness of a number of ceremonial, culinary, and economic traditions.

The local church should be considered a special place of preservation and, at the same time, of development. The Church of the Holy Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary prays at the request of the believers in the Gagauz language. The spirituality of this nation allows us to look to its future with optimism. Is not incidental that the Gagauz International Festival of Culture was organized in 2010 in Kotlovina.

Similarly, Bulgarian culture is represented on the territory of the Reni Territorial Community. Bulgarians make up a significant part of Reni’s urban population, but most of them live in the former Karagach settlement, now the village of Nagirne. This is one of the oldest settlements of “Transdanubian immigrants” in Budzhak. It is safe to say that the first waves of migrants passed through Karagach and spread widely in the region: Imputsita, Chiishiya, Kubei, Karakurt, and a number of others were founded by this ethnocultural group of Balkan people who crossed the Danube and the Karagach tract.

 

As in other Bulgarian settlements in Budzhak, Nagirny has both family and public infrastructure for the reproduction of popular culture. The housing complex, the farm complex and the food complex of the locals are also distinct. Calendar rites keep specific data of “Tryfon Zarizan”, “Yanuvden”, “Gergevden”, “Dimitriden” and others. Thanks to the activities of the school and the House of Culture, modern institutional options have been created for the preservation and development of Bulgarian culture.

 

Given this diversity, it is no coincidence that the “Danube Multinational Cultural Residence” was created in 2019 in the central park of Reni. The Danube Multinational Cultural Residence, the Danube Headquarters, Danube HQ, is the cultural headquarters for different nationalities.

 

Everyone who seeks to preserve the traditions of his people finds support and help here. Granting cultural autonomy to ethnic communities in Bessarabia is the main purpose of the residence. Thanks to the Danube HQ residence, the city of Reni has become a true laboratory of tolerance, a forge of patriotism, and an integral part of independent Ukraine.

Culture of Cahul district, Republic of Moldova

Cahul district stands out with a rich cultural history and a present in which culture is an important pillar of the local community. Therefore, culture is promoted mainly through culture houses, churches, museums, libraries, with an emphasis on promoting traditional folk culture and art.

The network of cultural institutions in the district consist of 106 units, of which there are 44 cultural houses and homes, a multifunctional community center – “Piata Horelor” Cultural Center in Cahul; an Innovative Community Center (Fab Lab) within the Children’s Library “Grigore Vieru” in Cahul, located on Victoriei Boulevard, 12A (https://www.facebook.com/FabLabCahul, https://www.facebook.com/ bibliotecagrigorevierucahul); 43 public libraries, of which 40 libraries included in the “Novateca” program; 6 extracurricular artistic education institutions (Cahul municipality, Colibași village, Slobozia Mare village, Moscow village, Burlăceni village); 7 registered museums (Cahul municipality, Crihana Veche village, Văleni village, Slobozia Mare village, Burlacu village); 6 craft centers (Cahul municipality, Pașcani village, Colibași village, Zârnești village, Manta village).

All cultural institutions are subordinated to the Culture Section of the Cahul District Council – a decentralized state service methodologically subject to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Moldova, and administratively – to the local public administration authorities of level I, ie town halls. As state institutions, they have a regular activity schedule, ie from Monday to Friday, from 8:00 to 17:00.

The following artistic groups are active in Cahul district: professional artistic groups such as the folk music and dance ensemble “Izvorașul” of the “Nicolae Botgros” Palace of Culture from Cahul; “model” artistic ensembles – 37, including folk ensembles, folk music, and dance ensembles, music and dance ensembles, folk dance ensembles, folk music orchestras (for children), trumpets orchestras, whistle ensembles, choirs, vocal ensembles, fanfares, puppet theaters, art studios (3 choreographic and 1 theatrical), craft centers; art studios for children – 4; amateur artistic groups – 58 (20 groups of adults; 38 groups of children); creative centers for children – 2; creative circles – 19.

Number of traditional craft / modern craft centers within the Cahul territorial administrative unit – 6

No.

Name of the center (workshop)

Locality, address

Tupe of activy

Owners

1.

Private craft workshop

Village Pașcani

Woven in slab, carpentry

Olteanu Constantin

https://www.facebook.com/constantin.olteanu.94

2.

Private craft workshop

Village Colibași

Leather processing

Cojan Constantin

https://www.facebook.com/constantin.cojan.756

3.

Private craft workshop

Village Colibași

Vegetable fiber processing

Dorin Elizaveta

https://www.facebook.com/elizaveta.dorin

4.

Community Craft Center

Village Zârnești

Sewing and embroidering national costumes

Stângă Ecaterina

https://www.facebook.com/ecaterina.stanga

5.

Craft center

Village Manta

Grigoriţă Valentina

6.

Craft center

Village Colibași

Various types of activity

Meșter popular

7.

Community

Cahul Municypality

Modern crafts

Siniţina Liubovi

https://www.facebook.com/liubovi.sinitina


Total number of folk craftsmen within the territorial administrative unit Cahul – 79: artistic processing of wood – 3; the art of lace – 14; artistic embroidery – 15; artistic fabrics – 3; vegetable fiber braids – 4; making folk instruments – 1; needle knitting – 10; artistic processing of the leather – 4; amateur painters – 2; other genres – 23.

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