At the end of October, one of the cultural projects supported by the financial mechanism of the European Economic Area started at the Open Air Museum of Lithuania in Rumšiškės —“The Traveling Aristavėlė Manor” The project presentation took place there, and three days of decorative painting training complemented it.

The Aristavėlė Manor in the Open Air Museum of Lithuania is preparing for a trip that will visit ten regions on the outskirts of Lithuania and two communities in Norway. The traveling manor aims to introduce the culture of manors by using different senses.

Program of the event:

Tuesday, October 19th
9.00–9.45 Start of the event and registration of participants;
9.45–10.15 Elena Braziulienė “Visual presentation of the project “Traveling Aristavėlė Manor” and the tent-dome”;
10.15–11.00 Ruslanas Aranauskas “Aristavėlė Manor Tour to the Open Air Museum of Lithuania”;
11.00–11.30 Coffee break;
11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Interactive presentation of the everyday life of Aristavėlė manor “Aristavėlė manor prepares for a trip”;
13.00-14.00 Lunch break “Table tale”;
14.00–14.45 Educational session “Table setting”;
14.45–15.30 Speeches of partners, cultural workers, presentation of their institutions;
15.30–17.00 Tastes, smells, and colors of the manor. Educational activities, games, and other activities for children and young people. Reflection, the conclusion of the event, and farewell.
The event is hosted by VšĮ “Dvarų kultūra”.

Presentation of the informational project “Traveling Aristavėlė Manor (TAM)”:

Wednesday, October 20th
Norwegian experience in preserving wooden architectural heritage:
9.00–10.00 Meeting with the working group, familiarization;
10.00–12.00 Lectures with a coffee break. “Introduction to Community Development: Social Capital, Active Democracy, Community Engagement, Community Entrepreneurship”; Mobilization & Participation.
12.00-13.00 Lunch break;
13.00–15.00 Lectures with discussion and summary. “Cultural Heritage as a resource for wider community social and economic development”; “Asset-based rural community development”; “Bottom-up development, local initiatives, working together within the community and between the community and others”.

Cultural heritage specialist Rhys Evans (The University College for Green Development) from Norway lectures on community development and cultural heritage.

This event is organized under the project “Traveling Aristavėlė’s Manor – TAM”, project code: LT04-1-KM-K01-011. The project is financed from 2014-2021. Funds of the European Economic Area financial mechanism program “Development of access to culture and strengthening of cultural education”.

We are very happy to announce that our long-planned, long-thought and long-dreamed of project “Travelling Aristavėlė Manor” has been approved and will receive funding! The project has been prepared and submitted under the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism Program “Culture” initiative for “Developing Access to Culture and Strengthening Cultural Education”, 2014-2021.

Using a valuable example of 18th century wooden architecture – the Aristavėlė Manor of the Open Air Museum in Lithuania – and its polychrome research, a service of high artistic value will be created – the interactive “Travelling Manor of Aristavėla” (TAM). It will present the culture of this particular manor, as well as the culture of Lithuanian manors in general, through the different senses (touch, hearing, smell, taste, sight), taking this cultural service to 10 Lithuanian regions and 2 Norwegian Lithuanian communities.

The project of the “Travelling Aristavėlė Manor” is a continuation project, as it will follow on from previous projects carried out by the applicant under the European Economic Area and Norwegian Financial Mechanism Programs: 1) “Revitalizing and Teaching of Lithuanian Traditional Handicrafts and Restorers of Wooden Heritage in the Open Air Museum of Lithuania through the Restoration of Aristavėlė Manor House” Phase I.  The project was funded under the European Economic Area-Norway Financial Mechanism Program 2004-2009. 2) “Development of wooden built heritage conservation, research and training center in the former Aristavėlė Manor House”, project number EEA-LT06-KM-01-K-01-100, phase II. The project was funded under the European Economic Area and Norway Grants 2009-2014 for Lithuania under the program “Conservation and Revitalization of Cultural and Natural Heritage”.

It is thanks to these projects that the 18th century Aristavėlė Manor House opened its doors in 2016 and has been attracting visitors ever since with various cultural events – concerts, exhibitions, and creative evenings. The building has also been adapted to the needs of the Research and Training Centre for Wooden Architectural Heritage after the renovation work was carried out.

Funding amount: €187,050.80

More information is coming soon on this new project, which will be running for two years!

Etnoachitectual village Salos (Ignalina disrict) is surrounded by forests and lakes, on the shore of Alksnas. The picturesque location in erratic village is one of the few of its kind remaining villages in Lithuania. Such naturally occurring villages are the oldest of their structure, so Open Air Museum of Lithuania, through the European Economic Area and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism, had a wonderful opportunity to sort out these authentic farmhouses. On 16 November 2016 the event was established which was as a conclusion of the Project. The event was attended by the mayor of Ignalina Henrikas Šiaudinis, Highland National Park and Labanoras Regional Park Director Gedas Kukanauskas, relevant employees and local communities.

The museum’s director V. Reipaitė thanked everyone who contributed to the project and together with Ignalina‘s mayor and director of the park drew a near-future plans for village actualization. The architect of the museum Ruslanas Aranauskas thoroughly acquainted with management workflow and detailed the key solutions.  Project training and publicity activities coordinator Emilija Dabregaitė introduced the public with eco movements in villages all around the world and Lithuania. After that R. Aranauskas held a short tour around Salos village and told more about the results of this project.

The project was financed by the European Economic Area support and Lithuanian state funds under the Ministry of Culture, the implementation of a program of cultural and natural heritage preservation and revitalization.

PROGRAMME

Contact information

The museum, together with partners from Norway (Buskerud fylkeskommune) organized an intensive 6-days training, during which was trained up to 30 participants (including 7 colleagues from Norway). They were taught and led by 6 experienced carpenter from Lithuania and 3 of the Norwegian lecturers. During the training week were achieved amazing results:  restored barn of Daujėnai homestead (rebuilt wall geometry and raise the foundation), made a small barn prototype, which will be used for educational activities. Also, the granary was moved from its old place to the place near Aristavele estate to supplement the exposition.

Participants faced with challenges, but coped with them very well. At the end, all participants admitted that at first it was not easy to adjust to different ways of working, but both Lithuanian and Norwegian masters were interested to gain more practical experience, so their expected results have been achieved.

Also during trainings the general public was introduced with the best practices of wooden heritage protection in Norway in the village of Salos. Lecturers from Norway lectured about the wooden houses conservation policies in their country and gave practical examples. After the lectures a discussion was held, during which all the participants together with the private owners of wooden houses discussed the most pressing issues and shared their valuable advice.

Open Air Museum of Lithuanian in order to preserve the wooden cultural heritage is planning to organize more similar activities.