Wednesday, July 13, 2011

The Multiethnic society of Crimea


The Gasprinskiy Library has always been interested in the diverse society of Crimea. Though Crimean Tatars consider themselves the indigenous people of Crimea, they also recognize that since ancient times, Crimea has been a multiethnic society. A notable phenomenon in recent years in the life of Crimea has been the study and revival of the traditions of peoples across national and cultural borders. For a number of years, the Gasprinskiy Library sponsored an international conference titled “The Library as a center of cross cultural dialogue in a multiethnic society.” They have also sponsored various workshops and trainings for the libraries across Crimea on working with the ethnic groups in their regions.
This month the Gasprinskiy Library has mounted an exhibition in the Reading Hall of the library called “Family Traditions of the Peoples of Crimea: Ethnicities and Cultures.” With books and photographs from the library’s collection and examples of handicrafts, the exhibition highlights the customs, traditions, festivals and rituals of the diverse people of Crimea: Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars, Armenians, Bulgarians, Hungarians, Greeks, Georgians, Jews, Azerbaijanis, and other peoples.
A note to the blog readers: This will be my last blog post for several weeks, as I will be traveling to America.