About organisation
The Tatar Community of Trakai Region founded in 2015 aims to unite members of the Community for joint activities. One of the main fields of activities is fostering the Tatar culture and preserving the Tatar heritage in Lithuania. The folk group “Efsane” acting at the Tatar Community of Trakai Region was founded in 2018 with around 20 members from 8 to 28 years of age. The group introduces the audiences to Tatar culture via dances, songs and telling about traditions and customs. The repertoire consists of dances and songs of both Crimean, Volga region Tatars, but also Turkish and Azerbaijan folklore. In order to deepen the knowledge and skills the group has been inviting professional pedagogues from Ukraine, Crimea, Turkey. Members of the group actively participate in joint events with Tatar groups from Poland and Ukraine, visit historical settlements of Tatars. The group is invited to perform at concerts, festivals, competitions both in Lithuania and abroad. Various workshops of traditional crafts (embroidery, ceramics, symbolic of ornaments), culinary lessons, history lectures for members of the Tatar Community of Trakai Region and the group “Efsane” are constantly organised.
Projects
In 2018–2019 the Tatar folklore group “Efsane” has taken part in over 30 various events in Lithuania and abroad. In November 2018 the Tatar folklore group “Efsane” together with the Culture Heritage Foundation took part in the project in Ukraine. At the event the song and dance classes, meetings at the television and the radio were held. The group had a great chance to learn from professional pedagogues. The project was finalised with the joint performance with the Kiev group “Qirim Ailesi”. In June 2019 the group participated in the International Crimean Tatars’ Festival “Tatli Ses”. During the festival meetings with acclaimed artists, performers from Ukraine, Crimea and Azerbaijan were held. In June 2019 the group participated in the International Competition “Ukraine Unites the World”. In summer 2019 the group gave three tours to Tatar settlements in Poland participating in festive events. In November 2018 the project “The Crimean Heritage of Tatars in Lithuania”, financed by the Department of National Minorities was implemented, which focused on preservation and fostering of national costumes. In 2018 the book “Tatars during the Century of Lithuania 1918–2018” by a member of the Community was published. The book introduces to the Tatar minority in Lithuania, its achievements, works, daily life and heritage.
