Bolgar International Volunteer Workcamp Underway in Tatarstan

32 participants have arrived for this World Heritage Volunteers 2017 event.

The opening on July 28th was attended by First President of Tatarstan, State Counsellor Mintimer Shaimiev, who said, “The camp participants are very kind-hearted and strive for new knowledge. We must create all the necessary conditions for them, so that upon returning home they would keep only good and joyful memories and tales for their relatives, friends, and acquaintances”.

Every year UNESCO chooses heritage sites and objects for volunteer camps. This time Bolgar became one of the 50 such places. The camp is co-hosted by the Revival Foundation and KFU World Cultural Heritage Center. The program was co-written by the WCH Center, Institute of Archaeology of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, and Bolgar Museum Reserve.

Director of the Institute of International Relations, History and Oriental Studies Ramil Khayrutdinov commented, “We have come to a moment when it became evident that Tatarstan and KFU, in particular, have one of the best teams in Russia capable of interacting with UNESCO institutions and preparing the necessary documents. World Cultural Heritage Center is in charge of cultural heritage projects in Tatarstan and across Russia – not only preparing nominations but also utilizing a number of labs at KFU. Undergraduates, graduate students, and PhD candidates are involved, as well as experienced researchers from the USA, Germany, and Switzerland. The Center’s core comprises ten KFU employees”.

219 camps have been held and 3,500 volunteers attracted to the UNESCO movement in the ten years of its existence. The Bolgar Workcamp has divided them into three groups. The Visitor Contact Group organizes events for the tourists. The Field Conservation and Restoration Group is aimed at improving the volunteers’ practical skills in hand work. The Archaeology Group works with soil and ceramic washing.

Volunteer from Bulgaria Detelina Genkova shared her impressions, “I work in urban planning, and this is connected to my work. That’s why I applied for participation immediately after I had heard about it. I took a vacation at work. Yesterday I found my first coin here, and it was very interesting to study. We also very often find amber. I like Bolgar very much. This is my fourth visit to Russia but first to Tatarstan”.

Sara Zanini, a participant from Italy, said, “I have long dreamt of visiting Russia, so I came a week ago to have time to see the Red Square. Dreams come true. It’s a good opportunity for international students to practice their craft. I chose Field Conservation and Restoration because I like restoring objects, washing and cleaning them. Thanks to this camp we will learn many new things about the culture and traditions of the country we are in”.

One of the main objectives of UNESCO camps is promoting volunteering at the World Heritage objects. Volunteers can help preserve heritage by doing work which is usually underfunded.

Project coordinator and KFU alumna Nargiz Aytuganova commented, “Volunteering is widespread in Tatarstan, but volunteering specifically at heritage sites is not so popular. This is a test year for UNESCO and us alike. We must show that this camp is sustainable and useful for the museum reserve”.