Äike
11-11-2010, 03:42 PM
Round Table Promotes Smoke Sauna as Cultural Heritage (http://news.err.ee/culture/ee5dd2b2-bb48-46ad-8a7e-d8c824bb952d)
On November 12, the Võru County center for vocational training will host a round table to discuss the smoke sauna, an ancient but integral piece of southern Estonian heritage.
The conference will give an overview of the fieldwork by Tartu University ethnology students who spent their summer recording modern perceptions of ancient smoke sauna traditions in southeastern Estonia.
The tradition of the millennia-old chimneyless smoke sauna is said to be well and alive in Võru County, the organizers say, but knowledge and practical skills are disappearing among younger generations.
At a meeting in the spring, organizers decided to apply for UNESCO heritage status for the smoke sauna. The Võro Society and Tartu University's Institute for Cultural Research and Fine Arts also hope to compile a roadmap necessary to proceed with the UNESCO application.
On November 12, the Võru County center for vocational training will host a round table to discuss the smoke sauna, an ancient but integral piece of southern Estonian heritage.
The conference will give an overview of the fieldwork by Tartu University ethnology students who spent their summer recording modern perceptions of ancient smoke sauna traditions in southeastern Estonia.
The tradition of the millennia-old chimneyless smoke sauna is said to be well and alive in Võru County, the organizers say, but knowledge and practical skills are disappearing among younger generations.
At a meeting in the spring, organizers decided to apply for UNESCO heritage status for the smoke sauna. The Võro Society and Tartu University's Institute for Cultural Research and Fine Arts also hope to compile a roadmap necessary to proceed with the UNESCO application.