Moldovan capital's museum organises workshop for manufacturing masks

Chisinau, 06 December /MOLDPRES/ – A workshop for making traditional masks: The parade of the folk festival of winter holidays, organised in collaboration with the National Centre for preservation and promotion of immaterial cultural heritage, took place today at the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History (MNEIN).  

Interviewed by agency, director of institution, Petru Vicol, has mentioned that the event aims to promote traditional masks and teach children to make them. He stressed that the workshop was led by folk craftsmen who dedicated their work to the creation of traditional masks: Marcel Ostrovschi from Hlinaia village, Edinet district, Grigore Stamati from Ciutesti village, Nisporeni district, Tatiana Popa from Palanca village, Calarasi district, Alexandru Melnic from Glodeni city, Vasile Popovschi from Cenac village, Cimislia district, etc. The event was attended by teachers of technological education and leaders of folk art circles, pupils from the creation centres for children in Chisinau.

"The best masks made today will be presented at an exhibition that will be inaugurated in late December," said Petru Vicol.

The director of the Parent's House Museum in Palanca village, Calarasi district, Tatiana Popa, said the masks are kept from generation to generation. "We have at the museum masks of 70 – 100 years. Masks are used in winter customs. For us, in Palanca, for example, caroling starts from the church, with the blessing of the priest and ends in village Mandra. And of St. Basil, people begin to prepare themselves from St. Andrew. On 08 January, at our museum will take place the Carols Festival: A Christmas carol for eternity, which is meant to promote the caroling in the mist, and on the 13th of January – Festival Malanca, said Tatiana Popa.

The tradition requires masks to be made only by certain craftsmen. Some localities in Moldova have maintained their old masks under more or less preserved customs. The goat, bear and other masks games are staged on Christmas Eve by Saint Basil, and in the northern part of Moldova – at Malanca. Southern locations keep the Great Lent, before Easter. The winter outing consists of a line carrying various masks, to which all villagers participate. The custom is preserved in Cenac village, Cimislia district, craftsman Vasile Popovschi being the animator of this tradition and a well – known mask author.