The National Museum of the Romanian Peasant is part of the European family of Museums of Popular Art and Traditions. It is a national museum, under the Ministry of Culture’s patronage. In possession of an especially rich collection of objects, hosted in a Neo-Romanian style historical monument building, our Museum developed a highly original museography honored in 1996 by receiving the EMYA – European Museum of the Year Award. The originality of the exhibiting style is continued in the Museum’s publications, cultural projects, concerts, conferences, and exhibition openings.
The Museum is in charge of the research, acquisition, conservation/protection, restoration, and promotion of the cultural heritage in Romania. Its 30-year-long field research projects developed in the area of ethnology and cultural anthropology include peasant musicians, customs and rituals, local private peasant collections, urban ethnology, and cultural diversity. This, along with the expertise of its researchers and collaborators provides the department with the suitable tools for conceiving and developing a project focused on the conservation and revitalization of cultural heritage in Romania.
Ever since the Museum was founded, the Ethnological Research department’s specialists had an interest in documenting the rituals that are still alive in Romania, documenting, for example, for several years the customs of the “Cuci” (the Cuckoos), by making a short film on the customs in early 1990 and then in 2014-2017. For this reason, we can see nowadays the changes that occurred in time for this custom. Moreover, starting from ideas that the research department initiated, the Museum developed several international cultural projects, involving research on intangible heritage such as: “The Stone House” (financed in 2006-2007 by the European program CULTURA 2000); and “Childhood. Remains and Heritage” (financed in 2011-2013 by the European program CULTURA 2007-2013); “Applied research for sustainable development and economic growth following the principles of conservation: Supporting the Buzău Land UNESCO Geopark initiative” (where the Museum was a partner, a project financed in 2014-2017 by EEA Grants and Ministry of Education in Romania); “Îți dau noră, îți dau avere. Mariage aranjate la romi” / “I give you a daughter-in-law, I give you wealth. Roma’s arranged marriages practices” (financed in 2020 by the Administration of National Cultural Fund); “De la tilincă la opincă. DicționAR pe sărite” / “From tilinca to opica.”
The National Museum of the Romanian Peasant
Address: Şoseaua Kiseleff 3, Sector 1, 011341 Bucharest ROMANIA
Website: https://muzeultaranuluiroman.ro
