Researchers from the Sorbonne University will Study Crafts at Bulgaria's 'Etar' Ethnographic Open-Air Museum

Researchers from Sorbonne University will be studying the cultural heritage at the Etar Open-Air Ethnographic Museum. This was announced by the cultural institution on February 7. Their research will take place in March.

The scientists, along with experts from the Etar Museum, will explore interesting elements of the preserved material and intangible cultural heritage.

The French scientists will be staying at the hotel of the Etar Museum and conduct field research with the craftsmen.

The interest of scholars from various Sorbonne universities in the Etar Museum stems from Gabrovo's membership in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network since 2017, recognising its material and intangible cultural heritage. The first joint initiative was the International Colloquium "Crafts, Design, Creativity: Between Tradition and Modernity," to which Gabrovo Municipality played a significant role. A research by specialists from the Etar Museum is included in the published collection.

In 2023, the Scientific Research Laboratory at one of Sorbonne's North universities requested that the Bulgarian open-air museum be used as an experimental base for their project "Creative Industries Put to the Test of Ecology: The Case of Craftsmanship". The group behind the project consists of scholars from various fields who are exploring the role of craftsmanship in preserving the environment and developing ecological industries, the Etar Museum added.

The Regional Ethnographic Open-Air Museum "Etar" in Gabrovo was founded by Lazar Donkov and opened in 1964 as the Ethnographic Park Museum. It is a centre for researching the traditional culture of the Balkan people, from pre-industrial society to modern times. The museum recreates various customs and traditions from the Bulgarian calendar in reenactments. The Etar Museum employs a team of 70 staff members. In 2024, the museum celebrated its 60th anniversary.

Photos by BTA