USAID LINC Supports Elaboration of Ethnic Table Sets to Promote Crimean Culture
January 15-21, 2012, Simeiz, Crimea — USAID LINC supported a workshop for Crimean craftsmen to help them elaborate sketches for ethnic Crimean Tatar table sets and other ethnically marked souvenirs. The presentation of the results of this work took part on January 21, and gathered over 30 stakeholders, including businessmen, invited artists, media representatives, connoisseurs of ethnic arts, etc.
The core message of the presentation was that Crimea needs to be able to offer authentic but inexpensive souvenirs based on local traditions, including Crimean Tatar arts. “Some tourists are ready to disburse lots of money to buy unique hand-made embroidery, pottery or filigree but we need to offer less expensive alternative to our guest and to promote our culture inside and outside Crimea in this way”, said Mamut Churlu, a famous Crimean Tatar artist who led the work of 12 craftsmen in Simeiz.
According to Mr Churlu, one of the goals of this undertaking is to push away the hackneyed Chinese souvenirs offering original products deeply rooted culture in Crimean history and culture. The group of Crimean artists has developed sketches for porcelain table sets based on traditional embroidery, metal carving, ceramics and painting. These sketches can further be replicated to produce thousands of table sets, souvenirs, badges, magnets and other objects tourists would buy to remember their stay in Crimea. Another potential market includes people interested in traditional arts, ethnically marked restaurants, Crimean Tatars willing to preserve their ethnic culture.
The next step of the project would be the search of businesses willing to invest into production of Crimean traditional tableware and souvenirs.
