In Chernivtsi New Tourist Route Was Introduced

Chernivtsi City Council with support of the European Commission realizes the TACIS project “Joint Cultural Heritage: Ukraine-Romania”. Within the framework of the project a presentation of the international tourist route of the same name was dedicated to the development of cross-border cultural tourism. The route is aimed at providing of high-quality tourist services, which are skillfully combined with elements of the authentic Bukovynian culture.
Representatives of the organizations-partners of the project: cultural centre “Bukovyna”, City Councils of the cities of Suceava and Campulung Moldovenesc (Romania), tourist companies, Institute of Tourism, private hotels, mass media of Suceava county were invited to the presentation of the project. From the Ukrainian side Deputy Mayor Mykola Popadyuk, Consul General of Romania to Chernivtsi Tetyana Popa, Vice-Consul of Romania to Chernivtsi Eleonora Moldovan, head of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Chernivtsi Regional State Administration Petro Bryzhak, members of the project working-group, representatives of the tourist sector of Chernivtsi region participated in it.
The presentation eventuated on December, 11, Friday. And on Saturday the Romanian guests and project experts set off along the route around Chernivtsi region. They visited marvelous monuments of spiritual heritage – Halych and Saint Anna’s monasteries, museums-workshops of national art. The tourists met with craftsmen, tasted delicious dishes of the national cuisine, spent interesting evening on Saint Andrew’s day in the hotel-restaurant complex “Stizhok” in the village of Berehomet of Vyzhnytsya district, participated in the festival of folklore “Play to me, Kobzar”. Such a visual and practical presentation produced unforgettable impression on the guests.
Within the framework of the project three directions of the route were worked out. The first one “Bukovyna in Cultural Diversity” unites National Houses of Bukovyna as centers of cultural activity of diverse ethnic groups that dwell here. Each one has its own history and affiliated amateur folk groups that revive and cherish cultural traditions of their nation. As far as the route envelopes also centers of folklore, which are very numerous in our lands, real and authentic beauty of Bukovyna reveals itself in vivid colors of costumes and polyphony of choirs, bright colors of dances, in unique spirit of mutual respect and tolerance.
The best folk events, traditions and rituals can be seen on diverse holidays and during festivals: these are well-known “Bukovynian Meetings” in Chernivtsi and Campulung Moldovenesc, Christmas Fair in Soborna Square of our city, festival “According to Ancient Customs” in Suceava and many other bright events. One can get more detailed information about the events on the official portal of the City Council chernivtsy.eu, project “Joint Cultural Heritage”.
Route two “Bukovyna in Cultural Diversity” represents pearls of architecture and sacral art and is called “Churches. Cathedrals. Monasteries of Bukovyna”. It embraces unique spiritual heritage of the Bukovynians. Here without a doubt the first place belongs to the Residence of Bukovynian Metropolitans, today – building of Chernivtsi National University which impresses with grandeur, richness and diversity of styles and their organic combination. It will also be interesting for tourists to visit the Armenian Church, Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Benjamin’s Synagogue in Lukyan Kobylytsya Street, St. Michael’s Church. In the region the route is complemented with the Monastery of Saint Pious Anna near Vashkivtsi, Hreshchatyk Monastery in Zastavna district, Halych monastery near the village of Neporotove, Bancheny and Bila Krynytsya Monasteries.
It goes without saying that well-known painted monasteries of Suceava county: Humor, Moldovitsa, Voronets, Sucevitsa, Putna and Dragomirna add peculiar attraction to the route. Marvelous exterior paintings of these monasteries are known all over the world. A greater part of them was enlisted to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The route “Ways of Bukovynian Crafts” unites museum treasures of the land and workshops of national craftsmen of Bukovyna. Chernivtsi museums will be interesting for the tourists: Museum of National Architecture, Ethnographic Museum, Art Museum, Museum of Aviation and Cosmonautics, Museum of History and Culture of Bukovynian Jews, Museum of Bukovynian Diaspora and also unique museums of national art: Museum of Pottery in the village of Kobolchyn, and Museum of Vyzhnytsya College of Applied Arts named after Vasyl Shkriblyak. This list is crowned with the most prominent historical monument of Chernivtsi region – Khotyn fortress.
Of equal richness are the collections of the museums of Southern Bukovyna: “Art of Wood” in Campulung Moldovenesc, Museum of National Customs in Gura Humorului, Ethnographic Museum in Vatra Dornei, and Museum of the Bukovynian Village in Suceava. Besides museums, tourists will have the opportunity to visit workshops of national craftsmen, purchase well-known black ceramics in the village of Marginea near Radautsi, and try to make ceramic works in Kobolchyn, visit workshops of well-known artists Volodymyr Voronchak, Frozyna Huley and Mykola Shkriblyak.
Great interest from both Ukrainian and Romanian tour-operators was apparent. That is why we have grounds to hope that soon Romanian and our tourist companies will offer two- and three- days routes around the places of cultural heritage of Bukovyna and soon our land will turn into favorite place of leisure and cultural and spiritual enrichment for guests from many countries of Europe and the entire world.