Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, hosted the exhibition "The Heritage of Crimea," organized by Crimean Tatars Zera and Zarema Mustafayeva, founders of the Crimean Tatar Foundation USA. The exhibition showed Americans the rich cultural heritage of the Crimean Tatars, the indigenous people of Ukraine.
This was reported by the "Voice of America".
"This exhibition is a unique opportunity for the American public to get acquainted with the rich cultural heritage of the indigenous people of Ukraine - the Crimean Tatars," said the organizers, who are actively engaged in research on this topic at the university.
The exhibition featured photographic reproductions of paintings depicting Crimea in the 18th century, as well as traditional jewelry such as a sash and earrings worn by Crimean Tatar women. Guests had the opportunity to view ancient coins of the Crimean Khanate and collectible porcelain dolls.
"Each doll is dressed in authentic Crimean Tatar clothes with traditional jewelry recreated from archival photographs. The dolls are one-of-a-kind, each with its own name and personal story based on real events in the lives of Crimean Tatars", said Zarema Mustafayeva.
The exhibition also included a screening of Akhtem Seitablaev's film Khaytarma, which deals with the deportation of Crimean Tatars. This film made a great impression on the students and faculty of the university, many of whom have only just learned about this tragedy.
The guests were treated to traditional Crimean Tatar kurabiye cookies and were fascinated by the spectacle of coffee-making in the sand. Tamila Tasheva, the representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, also recorded a video message for the participants of the event.
"We wanted not only to show cultural elements such as traditional dances, jewelry and culinary traditions, but also to tell about the complex history of the Crimean Tatars, their peaceful resistance for the recognition and preservation of their identity", emphasized Zera Mustafayeva.
Author: Danylo Pievchev