The opening ceremony of the European Heritage Days took place Sept. 6 in Dublin, Ireland. The event has been organized for 11 years at the initiative of the Council of Europe, under the patronage of the European Union.

For the last two years, the celebrations have been coordinated by Centro National de Cultura in Lisbon, Portugal. Beginning in September, the main idea of the event is to shape cultural identity and promote the protection of cultural values.

The celebrations take place in 47 countries. In Poland, most events have been slated for Sept. 18-21. Institutions of 11 provinces have registered their participation, and the celebrations will be different in each province. In the Kujawy-Pomerania province, the focus is on forgotten historic monuments; in the Świętokrzyskie province, the history of Romanesque churches and wooden sacred architecture will be focused on; and in the Małopolska province, the heritage of the Carpathian Mountains.

Organized under the moniker The Cultural Community of the Borderland as European Heritage, the celebrations in the Lublin province will be combined with the 6th Festival of Three Cultures in Włodawa, featuring events that include Jewish dance courses by the Snunit ensemble from Warsaw, the Shalom Live concert by Andre Ochodlo of the Agnieszka Osiecka Atelier Theater from Sopot, a concert of Orthodox church songs performed by the Kairos Men's Choir from Lublin and the Holy Trinity's Orthodox Parish Cathedral Choir from Hajnówka, and organ music concerts.

During European Heritage Days, one will have an opportunity to visit many interesting cultural monuments that have been opened to the public for the first time. In Poznań, trips will be organized to local palaces, churches and synagogues, including to Dolsk, Pawłowice, Leszno, Osieczna, Lubiń, Głuszyna and Koszuty. Sept. 20, visitors can participate in the From Romanism to Classicism event at 7 a.m., starting at the Provincial Office on Niepodległości Avenue. Participants will visit a wooden church and the ruins of a Renaissance castle in Wyszyna, a Calvinist complex in Żychlin, and a post-Cistercian complex in the locality of Ląd. Another option is the excursion Through Three Religious Denominations, Oct. 4. The route includes Buk, where a neo-Romanesque synagogue and the wooden Holy Cross Church will be visited; then Łomnica, where a Baroque sacred-residential complex is located; Chlastawa, a former Protestant 17th-century wooden church; Gościkowo-Paradyż, a post-Cistercian monastery complex; and Trzciel, a Jewish cemetery.

The Minister of Culture is the honorary patron of the event, organized with the participation of many cultural institutions, nongovernmental organizations and local governments. Admission to the sites and monuments promoted during the event is free.