KA3030

Name of the project: Ethno-architecture of Fennoscandia in XXI century

Acronym: ARCHITECTURE

Project ID: KA3030

Lead partner  Kizhi State Open Air Museum of Wooden Architecture and Ethnography (Russiz, Republic of karelia)

Partners: Petrozavodsk State University, Oulu vocational college 

Priority: 2. Attractive cultural environment

Thematic objective: Promotion of local culture and preservation of historical heritage

Duration of the project: 30 months

 

Project goal is to preserve the wooden architecture and unique cultural environment, improve professional teaching methods, involving local people in preservation of their native wooden houses and villages.

Project “Ethno-architecture of Fennoscandia XXI century" Fennoscandia - is the North-West region, including Norway, Sweden, Finland, Western part of Karelia and Archangelsk region. The project is realized by the "Kizhi" museum together with Petrozavodsk state university and Professional College of Oulu within the cross-border cooperation programme "Karelia". This project aims to preserve the wooden architecture and unique cultural environment, improve professional teaching methods, involving local inhabitants in preservation of their native wooden houses and villages. Project has started on the 1st of February.

Wooden architecture is a unique part of the world cultural heritage. Historic settlements with wooden buildings are the center of cultural identity and cultural environment in the Republic of Karelia, in Finland, and the whole region called Fennoscandia. At the same time this is the most vulnerable part of cultural heritage, it requires special care in its conservation and protection.

The main problem that inhibits proper conservation of wooden architecture is that there are not enough professionals who are trained for practical activities on wooden architecture monuments. Local communities, volunteers, owners of historic houses, and students are not involved in the conservation activities as they do not have sufficient knowledge or practical experience, neither do they have an opportunity to consult an expert. Educational programs do not cover practical skill-building activities; they do not include activities that would reveal existing experience of conservation works on actual sites, immersion in historic environment, or new tendencies in wooden architecture development. It is a real burning issue of today to ensure conservation and passing on of carpentry mastery, as well as to promote carpentry as a profession. Local communities are not involved in the decision making process regarding development and management of territories. Subsequently the local communities and administration do not realize the importance and opportunities that cultural heritage provides.

Project is aimed at increasing quality of training, methodological support and level of interest of professionals and local communities in the field of conservation and sustainable development of historic settlements with wooden architecture.

Project includes a lot of activities: researches in the sphere of wooden architecture, training courses, study tours around Karelia and Finland, cooperation with local community, publishing, international seminars and exhibitions.

Hankeuutiset

Project leader: Olga Titova

Phone: +7 814 2 79 98 14

Project coordinator: Ekaterina Lazareva

Phone: +7 814 2 79 98 63

e-mail: architecture@kizhi.karelia.ru