What we can do with a publication containing 140 Transcarpathian and 25 folk artists and craftsmen from the neighbouring Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county? If we look at the practical side, the catalog – where the address and contact for each person is stated – can help the organizers of various events to find easily and quickly the required craftsman.

It will be easier for those, who would like to buy gifts, decorative or household items from craftsmen. Needless to say, it is good for those resellers, who are interested in the same theme, but mostly the wide variety of those, who insist on unique items made by folk artists and craftsmen.

We would like to draw the public’s attention to craft traditions of Transcarpathia and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county  - said József Tarpai, the head of the Ukrainian-Hungarian Regional Development Centre  at the presentation of the trilingual publication  (Ukranian, Hungarian, English).Árpád Hanusz, the head of the Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County Village Tourist Association said, that this county does not belong to county being rich in folk crafts. So the initiative, resulting the given publication and implemented within the framework of the cross-border cooperation, promotes the survival potential of craftsmen. It is important to make them feel that there is demand for their products. This can only be achieved if their products become more widely known. Árpád Hanusz further reported, that crafts houses and workshops of the neighbouring country help young people to deepen their professional knowledge. The idea has been raised to establish such artists’ retreats in our region.

Transcarpathia is a region where the Ukrainian culture is closely intervened with the native Hungarian,Romanian, Slovak, German and other nationalities’ cultures. This diversity is refl ected in folk traditions,diff erent national costumes, folk songs and dances, as well as in such folk crafts as embroidery, pottery, woodcarving, basket weaving, weaving, beading, making corn husk products, emphasised Lyudmyla Hubal, the head of the Transcarpathian branch of the Ukrainian National Union of Folk Arts and Crafts. The European Union does much to preserve ethnic identity.

The head of the organization expressed his hope that cooperation and experience exchange between folk artists forms the basis for a partnership, which promotes the organization of cross-border cultural events, and contributes to the development of folk crafts in the region.

It has been raised at the press conference, it causes a great problem that folk artists can sell their products only at fairs and festivals. It would therefore be desirable to have a non-profit organization, which would assume this serious problem.

The handbook of folk arts and handicrafts in Transcarpathia and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county is published within the Hungary-Slovakia-Romania-Ukraine ENPI Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013 and with the financial support of the European Union and the European Neighbourhoodand Partnership Instrument. The publication cab ne purchased in the Berehovo Tourism Information Centre.