WALLACHIAN

Cultural heritage is one of the most important assets of the Polish-Ukrainian borderland. What connects these regions, and the entire Carpathians, is the common Wallachian heritage and associated pasturing. The project regions (Podkarpackie, Lvivska oblast, Zakarpatska oblast, Ivano-Frankivska Oblast) have long traditions of pasturing. However, traditional grazing is vanishing and with it the specific culture, rituals, music, handicraft and landscape. In Poland, there are more initiatives promoting the Wallachian heritage and pasturing culture than in Ukraine. However, it is in Ukraine where that which is merely being re-enacted in Poland still functions, but even there it is gradually vanishing. The answer is the development of the culture trail called Wallachian Culture Trail on the Polish side of the border and its mapping out on the Ukrainian side. Basing on the Wallachian heritage and the principles of sustainable development, i.e. respect for local cultural, natural and social resources, the trail will contribute to the protection and promotion of cultural and historical heritage of the Polish-Ukrainian borderland. For the culture of the borderland, mountains do not set boundaries; on the contrary, they constitute a common denominator for the Carpathian shepherds. Cultural identity does not know the concept of administrative boundaries. Therefore, only the Polish-Ukrainian partnership will enable the development of the Trail with potential extension to other Carpathian countries. Results of the microproject: development of the Wallachian Culture Trail on the Polish side (provision of new infrastructure), mapping out the Trail on the Ukrainian side (inventory, provision of new infrastructure), 2 sheep drives (PL, UA), workshop (UA), Carpathian cheese festival (PL), publications promoting Wallachian cultural heritage (PL, UA). Project addressed to local communities, organisations dealing with the protection of local folklore and cultural landscape, tourists.