Customs and popular crafts at the Ethnic Festival

On 18 September 2011, in the Central Park Ştefan cel Mare took place the eleventh edition of the Ethnic Festival themed “Unity through diversity”.

This event contributes to the establishment and harmonization of interethnic relations, preservation of culture, traditions and customs of the ethnic groups living in Moldova.

The purpose of the Festival is to encourage the spirit of tolerance and of the intercultural dialogue promoted by those more than 80 ethno cultural organizations, which represent 42 national minorities living in Moldova.

This year, the event was in the program of actions dedicated to the 20^th anniversary of Independence of Republic of Moldova and from the founding of the Bureau of Inter-ethnic Relations. The Festival Agenda was very rich: laying of flowers, by officials and representatives of ethnic groups, at the monument of Stefan cel Mare şi Sfînt, the festive concert, visits to the expositions of national costumes, of books, of decorative-applied art, arts, crafts and more.

Each ethnic group presented at the celebration has demonstrated some features of their culture, custom and traditions: Ukrainians, Russians and Belarusians, Gagauzians and Bulgarians, Gypsies and Jews, Poles, Lithuanians, Estonians, Armenians and many other ethnic groups living in Moldova

The Festival was attended by the country leadership, in person the acting President Mr. Marian Lupu, who quickly integrated in the warm atmosphere; Prime Minister Vlad Filat, Mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca and others.

The Festival guests were pleased by the celebrating, by the representatives of ethnic groups which with pleasure took photos with them, serve them the traditional foods and drinks, and by the Moldovan stars that also participated in the concert.

Our fellow countrymen’s the Russians, whom we found in the “Russian Slums”, have confessed: “We are delighted by this Festival and we prepare very serious every year for our presence here. We like Moldova it is a country with friendly and hardworking people, actually we are also a part of it know, because we are living here since was proclaimed the independence.”

At the gypsies court was great joy, because almost all day they danced gypsy dances, we felt joy as well in other ethnic areas, and the guest/tourists present at the Festival remained delighted by the event.

Adriana MARTÂNIUC,

Student - journalist,

Third year,

ULIM