On January 27, 2022, the launch conference of the project “United by Heritage: Preserving the Historical Heritage of the Pniv Fortress in Ukraine and the Ardud Fortress in Romania for the Purpose of Tourism Development” will take place.
The main objectives of the conference are:
- to present the current state of scientific research and exploratory works on the castles in Pniv (Ukraine) and Ardud (Romania) in the context of further preparation of the heritage interpretation concept, the integrated management plan for the Pniv Fortress, and the development of technical interpretation tools for these sites;
- to generate topics related to the interpretation of the heritage site “Pniv Fortress.”
During the conference, the results of such activities will be presented, along with existing practices of using the heritage of the medieval Ardud Fortress in Romania, which will be showcased by the Romanian project partner – Ardud Municipality, Satu Mare County. The Ukrainian team will present the research findings on the 15th-century architectural monument of national importance in Pniv village, Nadvirna district, Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine – “Pniv Castle.”
An exclusive speaker of the event will be Eliza Marin, Country Coordinator of the European Association for Heritage Interpretation Interpret Europe in Romania. She will focus participants’ attention on well-known practices of interpreting heritage sites in European countries, particularly those related to castles and their history.
It is expected that the participants of the conference will discuss the presented experience and generate possible topics (ideas) for creating the interpretation concept of the heritage site in Ukraine. Thus, this cross-border meeting will become an opportunity to collect the most unexpected, even provocative, ideas that may be used in preparing the heritage interpretation concept, aimed at creating a unique visitor experience around the theme of the Pniv Fortress. The concept will form the basis for the preparation of the Management Plan of the Heritage Centre “Pniv Fortress,” which will be designed within the project.
The interpretation tools of the future Centre will encompass a variety of modern and traditional techniques, ranging from interactive tours to state-of-the-art multimedia. As a result, the project aims to create a well-structured, practical, and interactive system of interpretation that will contribute to a deeper understanding of heritage and enhance visitors’ appreciation of the past, which must be preserved and enriched for present and future generations.
The project “United by Heritage” (2SOFT/2.1/169) is implemented by the Ivano-Frankivsk Tourist Association in partnership with the Pasichna Village Council (Ukraine), Ardud Municipality, and the Satu Mare Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Romania), with EU co-financing under the Joint Operational Programme Romania–Ukraine 2014–2020 of the European Neighbourhood Instrument. The total project budget, running from December 24, 2020 to April 21, 2023, is EUR 496,811.12 (approx. UAH 16,643,000.00), with the grant amounting to EUR 444,195.10 (approx. UAH 14,880,536.00).
The project activities are designed to integrate the cultural heritage of local communities into the local economy, making it a prerequisite for sustainable development. Accordingly, the project provides for the preparation of a number of conceptual and technical documents to ensure sound management and use of the target heritage sites. In particular, it is planned to develop a design for the construction of the Pniv Castle Heritage Interpretation Centre as a key visitor attraction, as well as to prepare a management plan for the heritage site based on its interpretation concept.
The infrastructure component of the project includes concrete measures for the preservation of both monuments and ensuring the safety of their visitors. It is also planned to prepare scientific and design documentation for the conservation of the castle ruins. In Ardud, powerful dehumidifiers will be purchased and installed to control air humidity and ventilation, ground lighting will be installed in the fortress galleries, stone paving will be laid, and the fortress entrance gate will be repaired. At the same time, in Pniv, interpretation/information boards will be installed, along with external lighting for the castle ruins.
As part of the project’s soft component, cross-border international professional workshops will be held with the participation of historians, architects, experts in heritage preservation and information technologies; trainings for local stakeholders in Ardud; reciprocal visits for experience exchange; a joint study visit to Ireland; international medieval culture festivals; and the International Forum of Partners “United by Heritage.” In addition, the project partners will prepare tourist guides and maps/plans of the fortresses and release promotional video clips.
Detailed information about the project is available on the official website of the project’s lead partner and on the project’s joint Facebook page.
Conference programme draft and registration form for participation are available
Contact person – Iryna Novosilska, project director, tel. (0342) 542950, e-mail: office@taif.org.ua.
This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the Tourist Association of Ivano-Frankivsk Region and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or of the Joint Operational Programme Romania-Ukraine 2014-2020 management structures (www.ro-ua.net).
The Joint Operational Programme Romania-Ukraine 2014-2020 is financed by the European Union through the European Neighborhood Instrument and co-financed by the participating countries in the Programme.
