Heritage Conservation Workshop "Ceramic Heritage"
On January 26, 2026, in Ungheni, the heritage conservation workshop "The Heritage of Ceramics" took place, carried out within the project "Gates for the sustainable integration of the culture of the Middle Prut Valley in European tourist routes" (ROMD00219), implemented by the Ungheni City Hall, in partnership with the Iaşi City Hall, within the Interreg VI-A NEXT Romania-Republic of Moldova 2021-2027 Program.
The workshop brought together over 50 participants – keepers and promoters of traditions, cultural specialists, museum staff, folk craftsmen, journalists, as well as members of the project teams from Ungheni and Iași, providing a framework for professional dialogue and exchange of experience between the two banks of the Prut. The activity began in an informal socializing setting in the premises of the Ungheni Palace of Culture, facilitating interaction between participants, and then took place in the Exhibition Hall of the Ungheni Museum of History and Ethnography.
At the Museum, the participants viewed the exhibition of traditional ceramics, made up of valuable pieces from the museum's collection, representative of the ethnographic and historical heritage of the area. At the beginning of the workshop, Silvia ZAGOREANU, director of the Ungheni Palace of Culture, spoke about ceramics not only as a utilitarian or artistic object, but as a witness to history, our cultural identity and continuity between generations.
Eduard BALAN, The deputy mayor of Ungheni stressed the importance of the "Ceramic Heritage" workshop as part of a broader effort to preserve and capitalize on the common cultural heritage of the Middle Prut Valley, highlighting the role of the Ungheni-Iași cross-border project in transforming traditions into a living resource for education, tourism and sustainable development.
emphasized the results already achieved in the first year of implementation, mentioned the integration of the Ungheni Museum of History and Ethnography into the National Ceramics Route and thanked the partners, specialists and folk craftsmen for their contribution to strengthening cultural identity and cooperation between communities.
Corneliu CIRIMPEI, The State Secretary of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Moldova spoke about the deep connection between history and material heritage, referring to the importance of the Țuțora area as a space of common historical memory and cultural interference on both banks of the Prut.
Dr. Aurica ICHIM, The Manager of the "Regina Maria" Municipal Museum in Iaşi emphasized that ceramics, discovered in archaeological sites and present in everyday life for centuries, are a silent witness to great historical events and cultural continuity. She highlighted the need to protect, research and valorize ceramic heritage as an essential part of the common cultural identity, emphasizing the cross-border dimension of the project and the strength of ceramics as a common cultural language between Ungheni and Iaşi. In this context, she mentioned that "the ceramic heritage is one of the richest in Eastern Europe", constituting a valuable resource for intercultural dialogue and the development of cultural tourism.
Vasile IUCAL, Director of the Ungheni Museum of History and Ethnography, mentioned that ceramics are not just a beautiful object - they are a tangible page of history. Each vessel, each ornament tells a story about the people, customs and techniques that connect us to our ancestors. The preservation and promotion of these pieces represents a bridge between the past and the future, between our communities and the generations to come.
The workshop program included specialist interventions, supported by:
Veaceslav FILIMON, Head of the Documentation and Archiving Department, National Center for the Preservation and Promotion of Intangible Cultural Heritage, who highlighted the role of cultural institutions in promoting and transmitting traditional crafts;
Ion CIOBANU, expert archaeologist, general director of the "Orheiul Vechi" Cultural-Natural Reserve, who approached ceramics from a historical perspective, as a source of information regarding the life of communities and cultural evolution;
Vasile IUCAL, director of the Ungheni Museum of History and Ethnography, who presented traditional ceramics from the museum's heritage, highlighting the historical and ethnographic value of the pieces.
A moment of particular interest was the practical part of the workshop, coordinated by Adrian TRIBOI, a folk craftsman, who, together with his wife, Violeta TRIBOI, presented ceramic objects made by them, illustrating the continuity of the traditional craft.
During the demonstration, Adrian TRIBOI presented the stages of making a utilitarian ceramic plate, including modeling on the potter's wheel, decorating and glazing. For a better understanding of the process, previously made pieces were used, corresponding to each stage, explaining that the entire process of making a ceramic object takes place over several weeks, through successive stages of drying and firing.
During the practical presentation, participants asked questions and constantly interacted with the facilitator, and at the end, several of them had the opportunity to try modeling on the potter's wheel, experiencing firsthand the craft of traditional ceramics.
The general objective of the workshop aimed to capitalize on and promote traditional techniques for preserving ceramics and painting on ceramics, to transmit theoretical and practical knowledge to museum staff, craftsmen and promoters of traditions, as well as to cultivate respect for the cultural identity and common heritage of the two countries.
The "Ceramic Heritage" workshop highlighted the importance of dialogue between museum heritage, historical research and living traditional craft, as complementary forms of preservation and transmission of cultural values.
