History and Culture of Lithuanian Tatars presented in Gagauzia
The exhibition “Lithuanian Tatars in Archival Documents” dedicated to the Year of Lithuanian Tatar History and Culture is on display at the Regional Art Gallery in Komrat, Gagauzia. The exhibition is complemented by a Lithuanian Television documentary about Tatar traditions and the present.
The exhibition prepared by the Lithuanian State Historical Archive invites us to look back and get acquainted with the development of Lithuanian multinational culture. The exhibition presents documents reflecting the history of Lithuanian Tatars from the second half of the 16th century to this day. Lithuanian Tatars are a unique ethnic group that settled in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania more than 600 years ago, and their immigration was stimulated by the excellent conditions provided to Tatars: freedom of religion and customs was ensured, construction of mosques was allowed, and the rights of noble Tatars were equated with those of Lithuanian nobility. In Lithuania, the Tatars preserved their customs, religion and culture.
The organizers of the exhibition in Komrat are the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to the Republic of Moldova with partners: External Relations Department of the Gagauzia Administration and Gagauzia Regional Art Gallery. In October, the exhibition was shown at the National Museum of History of Moldova in Chisinau.
