In October, the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) marked the European Heritage Days by strengthening its monitoring of cultural heritage sites that are significant to the conflict-affected communities in Georgia. Particularly for the people who are affected by the conflict the most, access to cultural sites and the possibility to maintain their customs and traditions provides them with a sense of normal life. At the same time, cultural heritage can also serve as a uniting aspect and bring local communities divided by the Administrative Boundary Line closer together.
In recognition of the Heritage Days, which take place this year under the theme “Heritage of Routes, Networks and Connections” EUMM Head of Mission Bettina Patricia Boughani participated in a cultural heritage patrol. She visited the exhibition “Traditions of the Didi Liakhvi Valley – Village Kekhvi” at the Cultural Heritage Information Centre of the Didi Liakhvi Gorge State Museum. The exhibition tells personal stories of the Internally Displaced People from the village Kekhvi, who fled from the war in 2008. Local experts on cultural heritage talked about different customs and traditions that people in the village used to have before the conflict, and how they have since tried to rebuild their lives far from home.
During the patrol, the Head of Mission also visited the Historical-Ethnographic Museum of Gori, which hosts rich archeological collections of artefacts of Shida Kartli region from different epochs of Georgian history. During the discussions with the Head of Mission, the cultural heritage experts of both museums strengthened the importance of preservation of the cultural heritage both tangible and intangible.
The EUMM underscores its commitment to bringing stability in
the region and thus will continue raising awareness on the importance of common
heritage and its protection.
Learn more about the European Heritage Days here.