By Daria Alexandrova
A restoration camp took place in Gjirokastra, UNESCO protected cultural site, on September 1 – 15 gathering people with different backgrounds and interest in restoration.
“Smell it, touch it, draw it, feel it, cook it – heritage as close as it gets!” is a motto of a Cultural Heritage without Borders (CHwB), Sweden-based NGO, which dedicates its work to rescuing and preserving cultural heritage touched by conflict, neglect or human and natural disasters. This year in September they have organized 9th Restoration Camp. For the ninth time young people from different countries, including Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, and Macedonia, got together to gain some experience in restoration.
Lectures in the morning and work on sight in the afternoon – the days were filled with different activities. Students were divided into several groups: one did woodworks, one worked on conserving frescos, another dealt with archeological site interpretation at the archaeological site of Antigonea. The idea was for the participants to learn valuable skills and get practical experience in areas like architectural restoration, spatial development and local community development – all while helping to preserve beautiful and invaluable cultural monuments.
“For some people it was just an introduction to this kind of work,” says CHwB Programme Assistant Jonathan Eaton. “Workshops were held in English, but the whole atmosphere of the camp was very international. This kind of cross-cultural contact is one of the best things that a person can get from participating in the camp.”
This year’s new development “Repair Your Monuments” campaign allowed Gjirokastra’s home owners to fill in application for their house to be repaired. If people lived in a building with some historical and architectural value, they could ask for help restoring it. Things like that build awareness among locals and help get in contact with the community. Discussions with the monument owners promote knowledge about basic repair techniques, which will give local people the incentive to perform regular upkeep within their own capacities.
Young people have also been working on a Hamam, a traditional Turkish bathhouse from the 17th century and with other inhabited monuments, directly helping the residents of Gjirokastra with the repair and conservation of their city. The 9th restoration camp is going to be implemented as part of a wider regional EU funded project “Western Balkans נfrom historical integration to contemporary active participation”.
“Now we use materials like concrete everywhere, but they don’t necessarily fit the settings,” says Jonathan. “You can’t just go and do whatever you want to a historical monument. There are better materials, materials that were used when it was first built. Maybe, they are harder to work with, but they are a better match. An easy way is not always the right one.”
