5th Month of Culture

Today we visit virtually one of the world’s largest and most prestigious museums, the State Hermitage Museum. Its foundation dates back to 1764, when Empress Catherine the Great acquired an impressive collection of works from the Berlin merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky. It is located in the historical center of St Petersburg (which is inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites) on the Neva embankment, and consists of the Winter Palace, the Small Hermitage, the Great (Old) Hermitage, the Hermitage Theatre, the New Hermitage and the Reserve House of the Winter Palace. The collection of the State Hermitage includes over 3 million works of art and world culture artifacts containing paintings, graphic works, sculptures, works of applied art, archaeological artifacts and numismatic objects. The museum celebrates the anniversary of its founding each year on 7 December, St Catherine’s Day.

The fluier is a kind of flute, which is used in Romania’s folk music. It is the equivalent to the Irish tin whistle, but it is made out of wood with the lower aperture of reduced diameter. There is a wide variety of versions. The largest fluier is known as the fluier mare or caval, whereas the smallest version is known as the fluieras or trisca. Similar musical instruments can be found in neighboring countries, such as the Greek floghera, the Ukrainian dudka and the Bulgarian duduk.

Alexandre Roinashvili is known as the first photographer in Georgia and the founder of Georgian photography. He lived between 1846 and 1898, and besides photography, he also studied painting. Roinashvili worked mostly on Causasian landscapes and portraits. His photo ateliers were Tbilisi’s main meeting points where all social classes (including famous writers, poets, musicians and politicians) headed to get their portraits taken. In addition, he offered his studio to the First Georgian Theater troupe, in order to have a proper space to perform, and was a supporter of the Literacy Society trying to fight illiteracy across the country. Now, most of Roinashvili’s archives are part of the Georgian National Museum’s collection and two books of his photographic legacy have been published.      

October and November are pumpkin months. So, let’s start the week with Bundevara (Serbian: бундевара), a Serbian pumpkin pie. This fragrant, sweet pastry consists of phyllo sheets and a creamy filling, which is made of fresh, grated pumpkin, sugar and spices, such as cinnamon or nutmeg. You can also add raisins. Bundevara can be served either hot or cold, and it is recommended to dust it with powdered sugar on top of its crispy crust before consumption.  

It’s time for a movie night! Now, the Moldovan documentary "Soroca's Great Theater" is available online. It concerns the life of Roma people, who come from Soroca town in the north of Moldova, aiming at raising awareness about human rights and diversity issues. In December 2018, the documentary won the ADAMI Media Prize for Cultural Diversity in Eastern Europe in the category ‘’Information (Non-fiction)’’.

Golem Grad is a beautiful island located in the centre of the highest tectonic lake on the Balkans, Great Prespa Lake, a few kilometers from the Greek and Albanian borders. It is also known as ‘’Snake Island’’, because it has a high concentration of (harmless) water snakes. The inhabited island is part of the Galičica National Park and has tortoises, cormorants and pelicans. During the medieval times, there was a monastery complex. Now, visitors can see the battered church of St Peter, which dates to the 14th century and bears remnants of frescoes, the remaining stumps of a Roman house, the overgrown foundations of a couple of early Christian Basilicas dating to the 5th and 6th centuries, and an impressive waterside ruin of a 4th-century Roman cistern. In addition, hiking and boat tripping are the two activities which tourists prefer.

Vaska Emanouilova was the first woman artist to leave a lasting mark on the Bulgarian sculpture society. She lived between 1905 and 1985, and graduated from the State Academy of Arts. Vaska Emanouilova worked mostly on portraits of famous people of her time, rural people’s lifestyle and the nature, and she liked using bronze, terracotta, and gypsum. Moreover, she loved painting and participated in several art exhibitions. A few months before her death, Emanouilova donated 90 of her works (sculptures, drawings, water colours) to the Sofia City Art Gallery. Today, one of the branches of this gallery is named after her and houses many displays.

Vyshyvanka (Ukrainian: вишива́нка) is a traditional Ukrainian clothing. The main feature of this shirt is the embroidery on the neck, cuffs and hem. Both women and men wear this traditional attire, which has many differences depending on the ethnographic region of the country. Furthermore, Vyshyvanka has become a fashionable piece for everyday life. Numerous fashion brands and magazines have been inspired by this embroidered clothing.

Fërgesë Tirane is a baked cheese and vegetable specialty originating from the capital of Tirana. This dish is made by sautéing the vegetables, while butter and flour are mixed to make a roux with melted cheese set over it. All the ingredients are mixed in small clay pots, seasoned, and baked in the oven. After the dish has slightly cooled down, it is served with crusty bread on the side.