A gathering with the presentation of folk customs and traditions was held at the Chisinau City History Museum on the occasion of the Patron Saint Day of the capital city. The event was opened with a recital of folk music by students of the Arts School “Alexei Stârcea”. Later, members of the community “Bessarabia Sitting” presented manual techniques for sewing traditional blouses. Contacted by IPN for details, Olesea Enachi, founder of the group “Bessarabia Sitting”, said the get-together was staged with the aim of updating the art of the traditional blouse with embroidery on the shoulder and of sewing authentic blouses.
Olesea Enachi explained that the sewing process requires following particular canons as the embroidery must occupy one third of the length of the sleeve. The group updated particular old stitching techniques. A blouse is embroidered during half a year or even a year. Each woman of the group sewed and embroidered by 5-10 blouses, including for men and children.
“It is important to sew authentic blouses according to the oldest techniques. We practically updated, recovered the old blouses used earlier. We now have them in our wardrobes and wear them on the greatest family holidays and on the city’s day,” stated Olesea Enachi, noting that those who are fond of sewing can come to the gatherings held at the Municipal Library “B.P. Hasdeu” each Wednesday at 3pm.
The Museum’s employee Raisa Lungu, a folk master, presented a stitched carpet that was donated to the Museum. The carpet shows the second Water Tower located at the intersection of the streets Veronica Micle and Vasile Alecsandri. Raisa Lungu has woven carpets, skirts, belts since she was a child. She initially taught to weave students of a secondary school. Today she weaves when she has free time and forms part of the group “Bessarabia Sitting”.
Director of the Chisinau City History Museum Valeria Suruceanu said the event involving the community “Bessarabia Sitting” was staged at their Museum for the first time, but they hope that this will become a nice tradition. Both the invitees and the students of the Arts School “Alexei Stârcea” expressed their interest in the get-together. By such events, they promote the history of Chisinau, of the ancestors. “The past that belongs to us should be passed on the future generations as we cannot have a bright future without heritage and traditions,” stated Valeria Suruceanu.
The Patron Saint Day of Chisinau is annually observed on October 14, on the feast of the Protection of the Theotokos.
