Preservation of the People's traditions in the municipality of Rezekne Rikavas
Since September of that year, “Rika” has started to realize the project “People's outfit as an integral part of the material culture in the activities of ethnographic ensemble“ Rikava ”. The project is implemented with the support of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) through THE LEADER approach and the implementation of the development strategy of the Rēzekne District Communities.
The total budget of the project is LVL 4737, of which 90% is EAFRD and Latvian State funding, while 10% - Rikavas parish government co-financing.
The Rika association actively participates in the organisation of various activities to promote the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage. This is precisely the purpose of the ongoing project, which results in the creation of a new People's Chat collection for the participants of the “Rikava” of the Rēzekne municipality.
The People's traditions and the People's outfit today are one of the symbols of the national identity that joins the generations, and it is also illustrated by the members of the ethnographic ensemble “Rikava”. He has been working for 55 years as representatives of various generations, ranging from a 4-year-old child to a heartbeat in respectable years. The Rikaviets first collect information and study Latgale People's traditions so that they will then play in attractive and true stories - ethnographic performances such as “Senōs kōzys Latgola”, “Aizdzereibys”, “Krystobys”, “Večerinka”, “rye Tolka” etc. Not only the people of the People's traditions are commonly referred to as folklore theatres, as they show both Latvian intangible (songs, dances, toys, stories, domestic and working rhythms) and material (clothing, footwear, household articles and work tools) cultural values.
An important part of the ethnographic performance is a collective visual image, but the “Rikava” of the ensemble had not been restored for 30 years, although always kept in order, however, the situation “saved” the creative approach of the Rikavier and the skills of the amateur – the necessary suits were either made by themselves or restitched, searched in their home wardrobes, or purchased in the clothing shops used. Within the framework of the project, there is finally an opportunity to wear off collective people's suits that are no longer in line with the understanding of the cultural culture of the People's Chat, replacing it against young ones, first forming a uniform suit of clothes for the whole collection and taking into account both the differences in generations and the themes of the performances.
The participants of the “Rikava” collective “Rikava” have already investigated the ethnographic articles and costume clips, and there is an active collaboration with the producers of peoples and footwear - SIA “Ludza amateur centre” and SIA “crystal shoes”. At the end of the project, Etnographic ensemble “Rikava” will be able to represent its parish and lead in the new People's Chats in both local and regional and international cultural events. The Rikaviets intend to play and play new clothes for children, young people and adults on the traditions of the People's gowns and the wedding traditions not only IN Rikavas parish, but in collaboration with the Latgale cultural history museum in Rezekne.
The ethnographic ensemble “Rikava” was welcomed by the Shozekeepers of the great People's traditions in December last year in the family Saturday organised by the Museum of Culture of Latgale, listening to “Rudiņš vokora” in negotiations. Similarly, the Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian museum employees who have “survived” in the Latvian School of Museum of Baltic Museology “survived” in the Latgalian sauna, “Sastdiņš vokors”. If you want to see, hear and survive one of the behavior, ask and the Rikaviets will definitely respond.
Aija Dundure,
member of the board of directors of the Rika association and the head of the company