Acronym

WALLACHIAN

NUMBER

PBU2/0833/18

Project type

Micro-project

STATUS

Completed

THEMATIC OBJECTIVE

HERITAGE

PRIORITY

1.1 Promotion of local culture and history

PARTNERSHIP

PL-UA

LEAD BENEFICIARY

Association for Development and Promotion of Podkarpacie "Pro Carpathia" (Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Poland)

BENEFICIARY

Association of self-governments "Euroregion Carpathians - Ukraine" (Lviv Oblast, Ukraine)

Project description

Wallachian shepherding culture is an example of an identity that has been connecting the inhabitants of the Carpathians throughout the centuries. It can be traced in similar words, grazing method, cheese production techniques, authentic rituals, music, and handicraft. However, all this richness is likely to disappear as traditional shepherding is replaced with modern farming methods.  

The solution was the WALLACHIAN project creating the Wallachian Culture Trail on the Polish-Ukrainian borderland. The activities began with the inventory of the places, materials, and information related to different aspects of pastoral culture. Then, the cross-border trail was marked and infrastructural elements installed (2 Carpathian gates and 2 educational boards). The routes start at symbolic Carpathian Gates on both sides of the border (in Bystre and Kolochava) and go through the most interesting places of pastoral culture in Podkarpackie Voidoveship and Zakarpattya, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv Oblasts, showing the directions of pastoral migration. To promote the folklore and Wallachian heritage on the Polish and Ukrainian side, two films were created. The films include key activities related to sheep farming based on archaic forms characteristic for the Wallachain culture. The other included Carpathian University - workshops on the manufacturing of pastoral instruments and Carpathian pastoral products workshops as a cheese-making workshop and regional ornamentation workshop. The publications on Wallachian heritage present this culture to the public.

Grounded in Wallachian heritage the Trail contributes to the protection of common Polish-Ukrainian history and culture. The partnership of the organisations on both sides of the border strengthens the potential of the borderland based on sustainable use of natural and cultural resources by its inhabitants and local communities. The visitors travelling to this area are enriched with new experiences discovering something authentic and unique.