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The President of the Republic received participants of folklore festival20.06.2004
President Arnold Rüütel today in the Rose Garden of Kadriorg received the participants of the 17th CIOFF International Folklore Festival BALTICA 2004. President Rüütel is patron of this folklore festival.
According to the President of the Republic, the festival BALTICA was an excellent example of continuing cultural cooperation between Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. "Baltica 2004 focuses on three intertwining and partly overlapping cultural areas - Europe, the Baltic countries, and the Finno-Ugrians. Being Europeans, let's stay Finno-Ugrians and let's build bridges of culture both on the shores of the Baltic Sea and further to Europe," President Rüütel said.
The Artistic Director of the Festival, Mrs Ingrid Rüütel, noted that in the Estonian folklore movement there was a predominance of young and middle-aged people who often had a rather high social position. "Traditional culture is an alternative to global mass culture and unculture, a basis for creating a new culture and promoting cultural singularity in future, too," Mrs Rüütel told.
The President and Mrs Rüütel also attended the 1st Main Concert of BALTICA on Saturday.
The BALTICA festivals since 1987 have been carried out under the auspices of the International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Art in turn in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The BALTICA festivals present and promote folk songs, folk dances and instrumental folk music, as well as national costumes and handicraft in their historical forms. This year's festival is dedicated to the 70th birth anniversary of Kristjan Torop.
Public Relations Unit of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, June 20, 2004
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