Author of the article: Alexandra Bene
Over two weeks, the international volunteers who decided to take part in the project organized by the Astra Museum in partnership with the Cultural Association “Heritage for the Future” and in collaboration with European Heritage Volunteers enjoyed a vast cultural experience. They were able to share, in their turn, various pieces of knowledge accumulated so far during the studies that founded their theoretical basis. The visitors of Astra Museum were very curious and they wanted to find out, via direct dialogue, what is with these nice, not so familiar, faces around. The volunteers practical’ skills were also put to good use. The participants from different countries became familiar with the restoration steps for textiles, leather, and fur objects. The artifacts that were used as work support during the workshop are belonging to the collection of ASTRA Museum. The international volunteers had the chance to practice the eco-printing technique too, the technique used for different types of fabrics. Another interesting activity that they undertook was the one related to the dyeing of textile fibers with natural dyes. They wove at the traditional loom and made the traditional “opinci”, accompanied by specialized folk craftsmen.

The volunteers came from different countries as Belgium, Brasil, Croatia, Lithuania, USA, France and Romania. During their experience at the Astra Museum they were coordinated by Raluca Mirițoiu, textile restorer, in the activities undertaken throughout the textile restoration process and by Nicolae Ana-Maria, expert leather-fur restorer, in the process of leather-fur restoration.
Sorina Neacșu, executive director of the Cultural Association Heritage for the Future, partner in the project entitled ”Diversity and complementarity in the restoration and enhancement of cultural heritage” in terms of the institution it represents, gave us a contextual image of the project by explaining its operating mechanisms.
How do project works?
”The host institution is being identified, which in turn comes with a working topic: what they want to be preserved and restored within their institution”, Sorina informed us. ”The role of European Heritage Volunteers approves this topic and deals with the applications of the volunteers, together with the promotion of the representative subject of the project in their network, and then selects all the candidates; candidates who do not necessarily participate in a single project. They go throughout the season, which usually lasts from July to October, to all sorts of other projects”.
By talking with some of the volunteers involved in the projects, we found out that they divided themselves into two teams here: one who was working with leather-fur and one who was working with textiles.

Some details about the process of restauration
The textiles themselves have a lot of degradation. The most common form of degradation that we find on the textiles is the tearing of the material. As a consolidation technique, they used little patches that go under the hole area which is continued on the front with a special stitch called ”the self couching stitch”. Different sewing techniques were used, especially the techniques which are helping us with the conservation and restauration of the imparities. In restoration we do not repair an object, but we consolidate it locally where is needed so the object can be stabilized. We try to preserve the clothing in order to stabilize the threads and to make it possible for them to be exhibited in public again and prolong their life. These are special restoration stitches and not the reparation stitches we use at home. Leather-fur restoration processes are much more complex. For example, artifacts as vests, sheepskins, wool hats need to through the following steps: chemical cleaning of the interior and exterior parts, consolidation of exterior embroidery, and additions brought to the skin-fur restoration support.


Volunteers point of view
Victorija Slivinskaite, from Lithuania
She told us that, as an overall conclusion, she liked the museum a lot. Asked which aspects in regards to the activity she took part in helped her to shape her opinion, she said: “How we can engage with other people during the workshop. In this museum, the coordinators, some other museum employees, and the instructors – even the visitors, in some way – were interested in what we are doing. So we came to them with this question: Do you really want to know what is happening, what are we doing? I see a lot of communications happening from people with different working backgrounds, staff members, other participants, visitors…”
I did have a few words with other Romanians. I tried to engage as much as I could. I even learned some Romanian words: “Bună ziua!”. To summarize my viewpoint Romania: “I think it is a lovely country, a lovely nation, with people who care about their heritage”.
Elena Wise, from USA
“Hi, I’m Elena Wise. I am from New York, USA. Now I am studying anthropology in Italy. Before studying anthropology, I worked as a textile designer. I find fascinating that I have the chance to put my two fields of interest together: traditional textile and practical work of using the techniques for making things, preserving and restoring them”.
Elena has never been to Romania before, but – using her word – she “actually find it nice and it is amazing to also work in this museum where is a heritage from all over Romania. I understand that the artifacts which can be found here have been brought from different regions. It is very cool to see everything that is here”. She would describe Astra Museum as “a mini Romania inside of Sibiu”.
Mathilde Ferrant, France
I asked Mathilde to tell me a bit about her country. She hesitated first but came just right after with a description: “I think that culture is important in France. We have many foundings for culture and especially for the heritage – I am referring here to castles, cities, and churches.
When it comes to interactions with other countries, I can mention that France likes to promote itself in different places. So, we have a lot of French institutes in almost every country. In an attempt to promote French language, music, movies, and literature”.
I noticed Mathilde analytical abilities, so I asked her to try and make a parralel related to the aspects in which she think Romanian people looks at their national costumes compared with the French ones.
”I think the national costume has disappeared for a longer time, if I were to refer to France, than in other countries, as Romania”, mentioned Mathilde. ”Most of the population has forgotten about this costume and this type of heritage. However, some regions keep preserving them in museums or by presenting them during the ceremonies every year. There is not one national costume that everybody knows and to which the people are feeling attached to”.
She added that, as a particularity, the fact that she thinks ”French people are very proud of their country and their culture and this is a good thing. In France, we preserve a lot the French cinema, the French music, compared to America, for example. The language is well preserved, as I mentioned, but the negative aspect of that is that we are a bit too proud and too closed when it comes to the inner cultural boundaries of our country.”
Maira Kaye, USA
My name is Maira. I’m American-Brazilian. I studied archeology. For my master, I focus on History and Material Culture. The workshop about textile restoration meets my field of interest in this way. I also perceive textiles as an important part of Material Culture.
I have never been to Romania. I thought it would be interesting and it is. The history is interesting. I arrived a bit earlier and I went hiking and climbing, so I can say that I love nature here, the beautiful mountains.
If I were to point out the things that I learned from this experience, I would also mention some aspects of Romanian culture. Just being at the Astra Museum has taught me a lot about Romania’s architecture. There are churches in here, with those lovely wall paintings. I had the chance to listen to some orthodox church music. It was moving. It is a small culture encapsulated in this museum. It doesn’t feel, in fact, like a museum in the open air. It feels like life.
In Brazil, the tread of heritage is being represented by the development of the construction field and by the people who tear down the old building to the ground so they can just build the new ones. Even if there are laws against it, corruption usually bypasses them.
What I can tell about traditions, though, is that I have this belief concerning the fact that they reinvent themselves all the time. We have them, but they come under different faces. The carnival is an important tradition, but it is not the same every year as a form of manifestation.
For example, the people who are interested in textiles clothing that society is gradually abandoning can continue to preserve them because they have the interest in doing that. But we cannot force society to continue wearing them.
Are there any events as these one to be expected in the future?
Sorina Neacșu pointed out to some interrelational aspects that she noticed when it comes to how the participants intteracted, mentioning that ”friendships are born between the volunteers who take part in these workshops”. Looking confidently to the future, Sorina projects a favorable scenario: as participants grow and gain experience, other types of projects can be organized separately. ”I believe, therefore, that we can remain in a constant relationship from which other collaborations can result”.

The sustained effort of the workshop participants led to the completion of the processes for 22 pieces from the museum’s collection, a result obtained with the help of their coordinators. The artifacts could be admired by the public during a temporary opening, arranged by themselves.

Photo credit: Camelia Clej