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- Русский
It is with great pleasure, but also with emotion, that I am here today in Moutoullas, a village which, as the birthplace of my mother, I have associated with nostalgic memories and beautiful moments. Memories and moments that will be awakened in everyone by this special event, which is taking place today in the community, dedicated to the traditional art of boatbuilding, with which Moutoullas is closely associated.
Allow me to warmly congratulate the Troodos Development Company, the Moutoullas Community Council, the Association of Expatriates and Friends and the Association of Volunteers and Friends of Moutoullas for co-organizing this event, within the framework of the Greece-Cyprus Interreg V-A cross-border cooperation programme, whose objectives include improving the attractiveness of areas of natural and cultural interest.
Such initiatives are crucial for the protection, preservation and dissemination of our country's cultural heritage. A heritage that includes a vast wealth of monuments, traditions and customs preserved to this day and related to the life cycle and activities of the people of our island.
As part of this heritage, the art of boatbuilding is an important peculiarity of the Moutoulla - Pedoulas area. The inhabitants, taking advantage of the rich timber of Troodos, developed the area as the only one in Cyprus where tubs were made, a basic and necessary item for every household of the old times, in terms of making breads and other bakery items.
As the writer Tefkros Anthias says in an article about Moutoullas in the newspaper 'Eleftheria' in September 1937: '... There are many villagers who make tubs and from them they earn their bread. They have no special workshops. Their big common factory is the forest, where tree trunks are turned into tubs, on the spot, after careful, tinkering work...'...
Nurturing a special love for this art, the inhabitants of the region and especially of Mutoulla, continued their occupation in their own workshops or in the courtyards of their houses, succeeding in keeping it alive and passing it on to the new generation.
Of particular importance is the decision of the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO, in 2020, to include the traditional art of making tubs in Moutoullas in the National List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Cyprus.
Friends,
Culture, together with our language and religion, constitute the special character of our country. Their preservation and dissemination, on the basis of a coherent policy and targeted actions, is a priority of the Government, the competent Deputy Ministry and the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth.
Equally important priority is the strengthening of communities and rural residents, showing particular interest in the challenges they face.
Both the Community Council and the organized groups of Moutoulla and the wider region can count on the support of the Government in initiatives aimed at the development of rural communities and the progress of their inhabitants.
In conclusion, I would like, once again, to warmly congratulate the organizers for this beautiful event of the revival of the Moutoulla tub, but also for all the actions that make the community a reference point.
In conclusion, I would like, once again, to warmly congratulate the organizers for this beautiful event of the revival of the Moutoulla tub, but also for all the actions that make the community a reference point. Among other things, the exhibition of relevant photographs and tools used in an earlier era by boat-building craftsmen and the process of building the boat are a unique experience for all visitors.
I have no doubt that through the zeal and love that distinguishes the residents for the place, our customs and traditions, we will soon have the opportunity to visit other similar events in Moutoullas, which are the best ambassadors of our tradition and culture.
Thank you.
(OP/EXP)
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