A joint project of the Vilnius Region and the Ashmyany Region

In the beginning of November the project entitled “Two countries – a common culture and history” has been launched. The Vilnius Region is going to carry it out together with the Ashmyany Region in Belarus. Although both regions are in the territories of different countries they share common cultural and historical heritage and they want to promote it.  

The cooperation between the two regions has been going on since 2007 when the Vilnius Region Government signed a cooperation agreement with the Executive Comitee of the Ashmyany Region. The goal of this latest project, apart from its cultural aspects, is to promote borderland tourism.

Museum exhibitions and facilities in Władysław Syrokomla Museum in Borejkowszczyzna and in the Ethnographic Museum in Ashmyany will be renovated. Both partners will launch a virtual cross-border tourist route “Historic trails in the Ashmyana Ridge”. The route will be available on the website of the Vilnius Region Government and the Tourist Information Centre of the Vilnius Region.

In May there will be the “Spring of Poetry ”Festival organized in Borejkowszczyzna. It will a two-day workshop for young poets from the two countries with the participation of renowned Polish poets from Lithuania and Belarus. A book of poetry is going to be an effect of the workshop. Another event, the Festival of History “Halshany Castle”, will be in August. By the way of reminding the common history, there will be over 40 royal, noble and craft outfits from 13^th and 14^th century restored. This will be done thanks to the project resources.

The value of the project amount to 172 544 euro, including 10 000 euro from the Vilnius Region Government. The European Union will finance the rest as a part of the Program of Transborder Cooperation Lithuania-Latvia-Belarus.

Source:  http://pl.delfi.lt/kultura/kultura/wspolny-projekt-rejonu-wilenskiego-i-oszmianskiego.d?id=59945845

Tłumaczenie Marta Dubiel w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Marta Dubiel the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.