Auchindrain for Argyll

Between 5^th - 14^th April 2007, Joanne Howdle, Museum Manager at Auchindrain Museum participated on a European Union, Leonardo da Vinci exchange programme to Eastern Slovakia. The main focus of the exchange for Joanne was visiting the open-air Museums in Svidnik and Bardejov Spa.

The Slovak National Museum Of Ukrainian - Ruthenian Culture

The Slovak National Museum Of Ukrainian - Ruthenian Culture in Svidnik, is part of the Slovak National Museum of Ukrainian - Ruthenian Culture. Mr Hivzid the Curator of the Museum explained that the Slovak National Museum of Ukrainian - Ruthenian Culture was founded in Prešov in 1956 and that it is made up of three Museums:

• Museum of Ukrainian - Ruthenian Culture (Open Air Museum)
• Cultural-Historical Museum
• Dezider Milly Art Gallery

The Museum of Ukrainian - Ruthenian Culture in Svidník is located on a man-made site that spans 10 hectares. The Museum contains some sixty reconstructed buildings which have been brought to the Museum to preserve them and illustrate for visitors the living conditions of the Ruthenian - Ukrainian people of Slovakia in the past. The Museum contains reconstructed houses, barns, stables, cellars, a pub, a wooden Church and a school. Adjacent to the Museum is agricultural land, which is farmed to illustrate the agricultural practices of the past. The Museum also has a working blacksmiths shop and farm animals, which wander around the Museum site and bring it to life. The Museum aims to preserve and interpret the life and folk culture of the Ruthenian - Ukrainian people of Slovakia in as detailed a way as possible. Mr. Hivzd explained that the Museum took the conservation of the buildings in its care very seriously and that the staff at the Museum included traditional craftsmen who help to maintain and preserve the buildings. Mr. Hivzd explained that the open air Museum has twenty-two dedicated members of staff, which is a sharp contrast with my own Museum, which employs two members of staff to look after twenty-two historic buildings!

Whilst we were given a guided tour of the Museum by Mr. Hivzd and learnt about folk customs I felt that the interpretation of the buildings left me with more questions than it answered. All that was available in terms of interpretation was a piece of A4 paper in each building which gave a brief summary in three languages of the main features of that building. When I took on my own job we had similarly poor interpretation, which as a result of visitor comments we have improved. When asked about the range of interpretation offered by the Museum Mr. Hivzd said that visitors could pay for a guided tour of the site if they wanted to. It seemed to me that much of the interpretation at this Museum was reactive to visitors needs rather than proactive.

Mr Hivzd explained that the Museum was just in the process of building a café, a shop and accommodation for visitors. He also explained that the Museum runs an annual events programme, which promotes and keeps alive traditional customs and traditions. The Museum also has an outdoor theatre in its grounds, where an annual cultural festival takes place.

The Museum of Folk Architecture and Folk Lore of Upper Šariš

The Museum of Folk Architecture and the Museum of Folk Lore at Bardejov Spa are part of the Šariš Museum group, which runs:

• The Royal Town Of Bardejov Exhibition
• The Icon Museum, Bardejov
• The Museum Of Natural Science, Bardejov
• The Museum Of Folk Architecture, Bardejov Spa
• The Museum Of Folk Lore, Bardejov Spa

The Museum Of Folk Architecture

The Museum of Folk Architecture in Bardejov Spa is the oldest open air Museum in Slovakia. Mrs Blandova the Curator explained that construction of the Museum began in 1960 when a building from Frička was relocated to the site. The Museum opened to the public in 1965. The Museum site is spread over 1.5 hectares and is home to twenty-four traditional buildings, which reflect the folk culture and the construction techniques employed by two ethnic groups namely the Slovaks and the Rusyns who live in the regions of Upper Šariš and Northern Zemplín. Mrs Blandova explained that most of the buildings in the Museum date from the 19^th - 20^th Centuries A.C.E. and are typically made from wood. The buildings in the Museum’s care include:

• Timber Residential Houses
• Agricultural Buildings
• Buildings Used For Manufacturing Tools & Equipment
• Religious Buildings

The Museum runs an annual events programme, which includes special exhibitions, performances by folk groups on Slovak National Day and handicraft demonstrations.