The author reflects upon the Balkans as an ethnographic museum of Europe. She explores this idea in connection with the extinction, transformation, and revitalization of traditional cultures in the Balkans. Phenomena such as time perception, fascination with living "antiquities", the specifics of long-term phenomena, opinions on the Balkans' backwardness and different attitudes towards cultural heritage are discussed. The author also examines rescue field research, changes to the academic paradigm, and postmodern efforts to preserve cultural diversity. and Autorka se zamýšlí nad představou Balkánu jako etnografického muzea Evropy v souvislostech zániku, transformace a revitalizace tradiční kultury na Balkáně, vnímání času, specifik jevů dlouhého trvání, názorů o zaostalosti Balkánu, záchranného výzkumu, fascinace živými "starožitnostmi", postojů ke kulturnímu dědictví, postmodernistických snah o zachování kulturní diverzity i proměn vědeckého paradigmatu.
The text summarizes several indings from ethnographic ield research in the region of Poreče in northwest Macedonia (FYROM) in the years 2011–2014. hree presented annual festivities (Vodici, slava Petrovden, kukjna slava) are treated within the research of everyday culture in rural areas in the Balkans. Within the scope of folk religion the contribution deals with contemporary meanings of the festivities, their social function as manifestation of individual and group identity (individual religious identity, kin group maalo identity, identity of community of villagers and compatriots). and Text shrnuje několik poznatků z terénního výzkumu v regionu Poreče v severozápadní Makedonii (FYROM) v letech 2011–2014. Pojednává o současných slavnostech (Vodici, slava Petrovden, kukjna slava), které sleduje v rámci výzkumu každodennosti rurálního prostředí na Balkáně. V kontextu náboženství a lidové víry sleduje současný význam festivit s důrazem na jejich sociální funkci; jako projev individuální a skupinové identity (náboženská identita jednotlivce, identita příbuzenské skupiny maalo, sounáležitost společenství obyvatel vesnice a vysídlených rodáků).
While in the past customs and rituals formed completely natural part of people’s lives, as the old social structure fell apart, the original groups of bearers of community customs (young people working on the farms, recruits, etc.) disappeared and had to be replaced by organized bodies such as voluntary fire brigades. When some of the old traditions vanished, the need arose for new cultural elements to be created. thus organizations inspired by the legacy of
their ancestors started their activities focused on saving residues of local traditional culture. Folk culture has a unique ability to represent people. This happens on three levels: communal, club and individual. Communities use traditional culture to express their uniqueness and belonging to an ethnographic region. The second level relates first of all to voluntary fire brigades for whom traditional events mean chances to take active part in the retention of annual customs, to show themselves in the most festive manner, and to raise money for their own activities as well as for public purposes.
Individual efforts to keep traditions and to participate in creation of local identity constitute the third level. What makes people retain and renew old customs is the need to socialize, to share community values that distinguish them from other groups.
Traditional culture is a source of self-identification and representation.