The Ivan Patzaichin-Mila 23 Association is about to sign the financing contract for the construction, in the Danube Delta village Mila 23, of a museum dedicated to former Olympic and world canoe sprint multi-champion Ivan Patzaichin, after receiving the other day the official confirmation of the project's eligibility, association vice-president Teodor Frolu announced.
Frolu made the statement during the festive celebration of the arrival to the village of the 'United Waters of Romania' caravan and of the opening of Dragos Lumpan's photo exhibition "People of the Delta".
The funding for the project estimated at 600,000 euros will be granted through the Local Action Group for sustainable fishing in the Danube Delta from the amounts left unspent so far.
"The last approval came one day before my father died, that's why this project has a special significance for me. I am happy from the bottom of my heart that we are gathered here now and in such high numbers. I hope that next year we are just as many at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Father will surely be with us, because he loved this place," declared on Thursday evening Ivona Patzaichin-Rusu, president of the Ivan Patzaichin-Mila 23 Association.
"The actual museum is an observation tower that takes the visitor through the four essential periods of Ivan's life. One starts with his life as a villager, continues with his stint as an athlete, then as a coach and social entrepreneur, and in the final stage one steps out on a platform at the top of the tower to see the Delta that inspired him and where one can reunite with Ivan," was Teodor Frolu's presentation of the museum design for AGERPRES.
He added that the ground floor of the museum will have a room called "Treasure" where the awards won by Ivan Patzaichin, the gifts he received, his stamp collection, as well as the Platinum Collar he was honored with will be displayed.
The museum will also include a multicultural center that will house the Rusalka association.
"Considering that Mila 23 doesn't have many tourist attractions, we would like the Ministry of Religious denominations to authorize us to restore the altar of the old village church, to organize a museum there as well. We have 90 percent of the procedure completed for taking over the dams from the Romanian Waters Administration and we want to build a promenade that will also be named after Ivan Patzaichin," said the mayor of the Crisan commune, Silviu Rahau.
The Ivan Patzaichin-Mila 23 Association envisages a cultural circuit here.
"We hope that the village waterfront will be restored and that we will be able to reinstall that open-air museum with champions, we want the pedestrian bridge at the pool to become an emblem of Mila 23, because this village is probably unique in the world by the number of world and Olympic champions it has given Romania," Teodor Frolu said.
"We plan to accommodate here artists, researchers, and have this place bristling with life, a place not just for visits, but one that lives through the people of the community, its traditions and through something new. Now, we have a pre-release with a photo exhibition by Dragos Lumpan, an internationally famed artist. The project has just begun, these are photos taken two weeks ago with Delta locals," Frolu said.
The show offered by the Rusalka group to the participants in the 'United Waters of Romania' canoe and kayak caravan that traveled to Mila 23 from Tulcea was attended by authorities, business people and athletes.
The Ivan Patzaichin festival kicked off Monday evening in Tulcea, on the city's promenade, with the presentation of the plans and the model of the architectural ensemble dedicated to the rowing legend.
On Tuesday, as part of the festival, the 'United Waters of Romania' caravan left Tulcea for Mila 23 seeking through this initiative to draw attention to the importance of water.
On Friday and Saturday, the Ivan Patzaichin Festival in Tulcea invites children and adults to workshops and rowing competitions on Lake Ciuperca, to the opening of the exhibition "Challenges and answers on the Danube - Hungary and navigation on the Danube in the interwar period" at the Avramide House, and to the concerts given at the train station by several troupes.
On Friday, as of 18:30 p.m., the festival features 'Ivan's Evening' with the screening of the documentary about Ivan Patzaichin - "Iar ca sentiment, un cristal/And a Crystal-clear Feeling" by Ovidiu Bose Pastina; the program also includes a debate on the Olympic title won by the rowing great 50 years ago, which will see the participation of Ivona Patzaichin-Rusu, Ovidiu Ioanitoaia, Toma Simionov, Vasile Diba, Florin Popescu, Georgeta Andrunache, Elena Fidatov, Catalin Cirnu, Catalin Tolontan, Cristian Gatu and Stefan Birtalan.
The canotca rowing competition "Discover Rowmania" and a conference on "Sustainable development solutions in Tulcea and the Danube Delta" will take place on Saturday as part of the 'United Waters of Romania' debate series, a project aimed at democratizing access to water for as many citizens as possible, at fostering their understanding of the value of the river and its relation to the city and the community.
The Ivan Patzaichin Festival is organized by the Ivan Patzaichin - Mila 23 Association together with the Tulcea City Hall, the Tulcea County Council and the Department for Sustainable Development.
Comentează