What is the cultural capital? Capitals of Culture

To find out who is more important on the road - ambulance, firefighters, police or official with flashing light, we created a problem and asked four experts to find its solution.

In Russia, they are once again trying to reduce the number of official cars with flashing lights - according to the decree of President Putin, from July 1, there will be 569 of them instead of 1,040. But, for example, new minister education Dmitry Livanov refused the flashing light own initiative. But scandals involving motorcades, road closures and accidents still occur with alarming frequency.

On June 14, the Nagatinsky Court of Moscow ruled that the presidential administration must pay 325 thousand rubles to Elena Yarosh as compensation for moral damage as a result of an accident. In January 2011, her car collided with the BMW of the Presidential Envoy to the State Duma, Harry Minha, who jumped into oncoming traffic on the Rublevo-Uspenskoye Highway. The driver of Minkha, Vladimir Shugaev, who died at the scene of the incident, was found to be the culprit of the accident. However, often not only ordinary drivers, but also city services become victims. A few weeks ago it became known about an incident that occurred in Leningrad region back in October 2011: traffic police officers blocked the road for the motorcade to pass (as it turned out, the then governor of the Leningrad region Valery Serdyukov was driving) and did not even allow an ambulance with its flashing lights and siren on, as a result the patient died right in the car.

The movement of official motorcades is regulated not only by traffic rules, but also by classified documents Federal service security guards - they are the basis for blocking roads. However, often officials with flashing lights drive in the general flow, simply from time to time allowing themselves to drive into the oncoming lane and violate other rules traffic. We tried to imagine what will happen if such an official meets emergency vehicles at the intersection of equal roads.

An ambulance, firefighters, police and an official with a flashing light simultaneously drove to the intersection of equivalent roads. All have flashing lights and an audible signal turned on. Everyone is to the right of each other. Who should go first?

Solution options

Natalia Shcherbakova- Director of the driving school "Perspective"

“This situation is not regulated by the rules. It only says that in a situation where everyone has equal advantages, cars are separated “by agreement.” At the same time, there is also a Soviet story that emergency services should leave in accordance with their telephone numbers: 01, 02, 03, 04. That is, the fire service goes first, then the police, followed by the ambulance and the gas service. An official with a flashing light must pass after all emergency services. These telephone numbers were assigned for a reason: Moscow often burned, so fire services were historically the most important. Then the police were sent to search for the arsonists, and then, if someone was hurt, an ambulance was sent out. This is all, of course, from the realm of urban tales, but I remember that earlier, even in exam papers there was this question and answer that emergency services are passing by according to their phone numbers.”

Peter Shkumatov- coordinator of the “Blue Buckets” movement

"This good question. They must somehow agree. The subtlety is that there should be no flashing lights on the cars of officials at all. And so - the flashing light of an ambulance is absolutely equivalent to the flashing light on an official’s car. The only thing is that if you don’t give way to an official, you will face a fine of 300 rubles, and if you don’t give way to the ambulance, then the punishment may even include deprivation of your license.”

Sergey Kanaev- coordinator of the Federation of Car Owners of Russia

“A car with a red and blue flashing light has an advantage - only the police have this. This means that the police must pass first, and the rest of the cars disperse according to the “rule right hand”, that is, letting through the one who is to the right of them. After the police, the car that was to the left of it will pass, in our case it is an official. Then the ambulance and firefighters.”

Evgeniy Biryukov- traffic police officer

“Such situations cannot happen in Moscow. At intersections there are either traffic lights or signs main road and secondary. If you come across a road without signs in Moscow, then contact us immediately - the traffic control center will fix it. There shouldn't be intersections like this in the city. That is, your situation is unreal.”

Every year two cities become centers cultural life for all of Europe. They are called “cultural capitals” and are chosen based on the results of a competition. By 2017, 56 European cities had already played this role, and from 2021 there will be not two, but three capitals of culture every year. We figured out how this EU initiative is changing the appearance of cities and affecting the tourism business.

The idea behind designating capitals of culture is to strengthen cultural ties between European nations and support local creative industries. Cultural capitals attract a huge number of tourists; festivals, exhibitions, concerts, and fairs are organized there throughout the year. The culture in the city is simply in full swing, and locals and tourists get caught up in it all.

In addition, preparing for the role of European Capital of Culture means an improvement for the city appearance and infrastructure: repairs, construction, improvement of urban space and transport are taking place. To be elected as cultural capital - good chance for municipal authorities to improve the quality of life of citizens.

Some interesting facts about the cultural capitals of Europe in different years:

Every euro invested in 2015 in the city of Mons (Belgium) brought €6 to the local budget.

The city of Marseille (France) attracted a record number of tourists as the cultural capital of Europe in 2013 - 11 million visitors.

Wroclaw (Poland) attracted the largest amount of investment to prepare as European Capital of Culture in 2016 - 615 million euros.

When Stavanger (Norway) was European Capital of Culture in 2008, the city collaborated with 50 other countries on cultural exchanges.

In 2000, the first Zinneke Parade took place in Brussels, the European Capital of Culture that year, which subsequently became a tradition and takes place on the streets of Brussels every two years.

And in 2015, the first creative and cultural incubator “DEPO2015” opened in the Czech Pilsen - right in the old bus and tram depot.

How do you become the cultural capital of Europe?

Cities submit their applications for the competition 6 years before the year of the proposed election. It is known that the winning cities prepared their applications within 2-3 years.

Applicants must meet several conditions. First, the city must have a cultural development strategy approved by local authorities, which fits into the overall strategy for city development and economic growth. Secondly, for a city to become the cultural capital of Europe, everyone must be interested in this: from city authorities to ordinary citizens. Many candidates enlist the support of schools, universities, youth clubs, non-governmental organizations, private entrepreneurs, and small and medium-sized businesses in their applications.

There is no mandatory requirement for candidates to undertake as many activities as possible. Moreover, the main emphasis in the program should not even be on attracting tourists (this is rather an integral side effect), but on developing the cultural life of the city and preserving its heritage for citizens.

Each candidate chooses a topic that emphasizes his uniqueness. For example, in 2015 in Mons, where IT is successfully developing, the topic was “ Where culture meets technology" In 2017, Aarhus accepted the role of European Capital of Culture under the motto " Re- think"with the idea of ​​showing how through art one can reconsider and change urban space.

During the year, candidates are selected in two stages. After pre-selection, shortlisted candidates finalize their applications. The assessment is carried out by a special panel of the European Commission, which issues a decision in the form of a recommendation for candidates. To complete the formal procedure, the government of the country in which the candidate city is located designates the city as European Capital of Culture and announces this 4 years in advance.

Feeling of responsibility and involvement

One of the goals of the project is to involve local residents in organizing urban space in a way that is convenient and to their liking. In the city of Pilsen in the Czech Republic, which was the capital of culture in 2015, citizens launched the “Foster the City” initiative and identified public spaces that needed improvement. They then developed an action plan for each of them, each chose which project he/she would like to participate in, and did everything necessary with the expert support of the cultural capital project team.

In 2008, about 10 thousand volunteers registered in Liverpool to host events as part of the European Capital of Culture. Every student in the school took part in at least one event during the year.

In 2009, dozens of events called “Cultural neiboorhoods” were held in Linz, Austria. Locals they organized events right in courtyards, in shops, at bus stops.

How it all began and what will happen next

The initiative of the project belongs to the Greek Minister of Culture Melina Mercouri and the French Minister of Culture Jacques Lanou. In 1985, at a meeting of the Council of Ministers of the European Union, they decided that European citizens need to know more about their culture and share this with their neighbors. The first city to receive the honorary title was Athens (Greece).

Since then, the project has evolved greatly, and much more money is allocated for events. Cities have learned to attract outside investment, and business cooperation within the framework of cultural exchange has become more widespread. The development of technology also contributes to the increase in the scale of the holiday.

In 2017, the European Capitals of Culture will be Pathos(Cyprus) and Aarhus(Denmark).

In 2018 - Leeuwarden(Netherlands) and Valletta(Malta).

In 2019 - Plovdiv(Bulgaria) and Metera(Italy).

In 2020 - Rijeka(Croatia) and Galway(Ireland).

In 2021 - Timisoara(Romania), Elefsina(Greece) and Novi Sad(Serbia).

Every year the European Commission publishes a report on the results of the initiative for last year. From 2019, cities will do this themselves and send it to the European Commission for comments.

I'll see what topics my friends talked about. The topics are always so different and unusual that for me it is often a pleasant surprise. Today we have as an interested person renatar :

“There is a tradition of declaring the European Capital of Culture every year.
In 2014 there will be two of them - Riga in Latvia and Umeå in Sweden. It would be interesting to read about Umeå, what’s interesting there and how they plan to delight tourists. :-)"

So let's go to Sweden...

In northern Sweden there is the city of Umeå, where a third of the population are students and the total population is 114 thousand.

The first time the city is mentioned dates back to the 14th century. Since the city was located far from Swedish territory, it was subject to constant attacks. In 1720, when the Great Northern War ended, the city was captured by Russian sailors. IN Finnish war it was again captured by Russian troops, and Sweden could not do anything, fearing to lose the southern part of its lands. But everything worked out, in 1809 peace was concluded between Russia and Sweden and the city was liberated.

Engraving of Umeå, made between 1690 and 1710

You can also visit Umeå because of the unique fun and excitement of the city. Every year the administration throws out something new: music festivals, competitions, theatrical performances and other.

Umeå is also famous for its cultural life; there are several theaters here, including the Norrland Opera. Modern, extraordinary troupes stage extraordinary performances, and entertainment for children can be found right on the street and in the city square.

In February, it is worth seeing the Winter Festival of figures made of snow and ice, in May there is a Swedish rounders tournament, in June there is a chamber music festival, and in July there is a ballad festival. In the fall, connoisseurs will enjoy festivals of jazz, swing and blues, and every two years a baroque music festival is held. Umeå simply attracts creative and interesting people, creating a rich, and bright life in any season.

Walking onto the town hall square, you might see a jazz concert, magicians, or an art performance, and the next day Umeå turns into the capital of women's football in Sweden. Sculpture Park, art galleries, an opera house - and all this in a city with a population of 100,000 people!

Umeå also offers more active entertainment. In the summer, they will be the Umelagun water park, a museum of traditional Swedish life, islands in the sea, to which a small cute boat or steamer will take you. At any time of the year, guests are greeted by excellently equipped ski slopes and slopes in mountains that are not inferior in height to the Alps. In winter, you can go sledding on the thick ice of the frozen sea bay. Fans of an active lifestyle will happily overcome river rapids, ride snowmobiles, dog sleds, or reindeer. The city has gyms, swimming pools, ice skating rinks, golf courses, and an excellent Equestrian Center.

In Umeå you can also spend time with extreme sports, especially for those who love skiing, sledding and snowmobiling. In summer you can swim in the sea and sunbathe on excellent beaches, go to the Umelagun water park or sit on the river fishing. When you are in Umeå, you cannot miss the amazing mountain areas where you can feel all the beauty of nature, look at the crowns of trees and mountains while riding a cable car.

Another excursion that you should visit is to the Holm Islands, which are located 10 kilometers from Umeå. Even on the road to the islands, you can enjoy an unforgettable sight - Swedish nature. There is a ship museum on the islands, which is a must-see; you can simply swim in the sea and buy souvenirs in a special shop.

Residents of Umeå will certainly recommend visiting the world's longest funicular, which travels for two hours among the most beautiful mountains above the treetops. And at the Bergrum Buliden Museum, you will not only learn about mines and minerals, but also feel a real earthquake.

Umeå is one of 134 cities in Sweden with historical status. Since 1976, the city of Umeå has been twinned with the city of Petrozavodsk; as a sign of friendship, the Swedish side gave a gift - a Wishing Tree.

One of the Volvo Trucks enterprises for the production of truck cabins is located in the city; it employs about 2 thousand workers. Komatsu Forrest's European headquarters is also located here.

On the outskirts of the city there is a port on the Baltic Sea, to which ferries operate regularly from Umeå to Vaasa. The city also intersects key highways in northern Sweden, the railway from southern Sweden is accessible, and Umeå Airport is located 4 kilometers south of the city.

The territory of Umeå kommun differs from urban areas; the specificity of the north is reflected here, as well as throughout the entire territory of Norra Norland. In the outskirts of the city there is the “Moose House”, where they will tell you everything about moose and deer, which, by the way, are considered symbols of Sweden, you will find out why they are so important for the indigenous people, how they are tamed, and of course they will let you “communicate” with the animals. You can ride in a dog sled through ancient forests, go skiing, snowmobiling, canoeing and kayaking in the summer, or just stroll around the city and nature reserves nearby. The city itself, like its surroundings, is very green, it is often called the “city of birches”

University

Also in this city is located the most large university country in which the hospital operates. By the way, Umeå is a city with a very developed medical research center. There are two day schools and one evening school in the city - for emigrants who want to learn and improve the Swedish language.

Umeå is a young, welcoming, friendly city. The amazing openness of the residents, the richness of cultural and sports life, natural wonders, and a variety of recreational activities - all this invites guests to stay here

About a third of Umeå's residents, as mentioned, are students, since the largest university in northern Sweden is located in the city.

The status of European Capital of Culture since 2014 is further proof that Umeå is an excellent city with its own cultural life and atmosphere.

"European Capital of Culture" as an honorary title is awarded to one or more European cities for a period of one year based on a preliminary application and competitive selection. The selected city is presented throughout the year as a center of cultural life European continents in order to attract attention to its cultural development. Actually, the “European Capital of Culture” is the most famous and effective cultural initiative of the European Union. The history of the European Capital of Culture program is relatively short. This honorary status has been awarded to cities at the initiative of the European Union since 1985. The project was originally called " Cultural cities Europe" (since 1999, the cities began to be called the cultural capitals of Europe) and was born through the active actions and initiatives of the Greek Minister of Culture M. Mercouri. The first five years were represented by historical European cultural centers- Athens, Florence, Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris. The project had big success, so it was decided to expand its scope, paying attention to provincial cities.

Further, the direction in the process of selecting cultural capitals changed - an average statistical city is beginning to be elected as a representative of the “Capital of Culture of Europe”, both in terms of geographical (size, population), cultural and historical characteristics, and in terms of level economic development. Thus, a potentially powerful industrial city, attracting state budgets and third-party investments to its own development, optimized the urban cultural environment and developed the appropriate infrastructure. Let us recall that the cultural capital of Europe is selected by a council of independent experts, suggesting the possible development of cultural infrastructure and improvement of the investment situation in the city. The process of preparation for the decisive selection is as follows: cities begin to compete for the assignment of status, then submit applications for participation and begin the strongest “public relation” promotion of various art projects, several years before the implementation of the cultural events themselves. The status of European Capital of Culture means that the city will host cultural events of optimal quality throughout the year: “Each cultural capital has tried to surprise audiences for 25 years.” The honorary title “European Capital of Culture” has given more than 40 cities the opportunity to introduce millions of people to their national cultural specificity and originality. local traditions. In 2000, in honor of the millennium, nine cities became European capitals of culture. The European Capital of Culture program itself was integrated into the global project of the European Union “Culture 2000”. Since 2005, there has been an innovation in the project - two cities have the status of European Capital of Culture. To date, a program of cultural capitals has been formed until 2016, and applicant countries are forming a queue even until 2025. Moreover, the list of candidate cities is far from capital cities.

The honorary status of “European Capital of Culture” provides the city with a chance to move to a qualitatively new level of cultural life: to implement innovative cultural ideas, cement existing ties between countries and organizations, and finally, to involve as much as possible in creative processes in particular and cultural life in general. a large number of of people. Cooperation between target groups, regions and also at the level of ideas plays an important role. (For example, Tallinn as the “European Capital of Culture 2011” represents the conceptual integrating idea of ​​the cultural events of the program with the so-called “Coastal Stories”. This name, reflecting the geographical location of Tallinn, postulates the characteristics of the territory as a locus of intersection of diverse cultures, a center of dialogue of cultures.) Thus, the cities participating in the European Capital of Culture project, not limiting themselves to organizing a single event, but concentrating on a whole range of cultural events, promote the emergence of contacts (mutually beneficial exchanges) between countries, organizations, and people.

What is the status of the “European Capital of Culture”? The European Capital of Culture program is based on the concept of cultural promotion of European cities through infrastructure development cultural tourism. Speaking about the cultural dimension in the development of European cities, it is worth taking into account the significance of the socio-economic factor, and attention should be paid to the dynamics of economic changes in municipal structures. The European Capital of Culture program itself has had a tremendous impact on the participating cities, as evidenced by many system documents (for example, financial report, released by the authorities of Liverpool - “European Capital of Culture 2008”), which recorded the literal “resurrection” of the municipal cultural environment. In general, a comprehensive analysis of the processes that took place during the implementation of the European Capital of Culture program will make it possible to realistically assess the prospects of some Russian cities (for example, Perm).

The main content of the European Capital of Culture program is various kinds of events and cultural events. If we turn to statistical data, more than five hundred cultural events are held throughout the year in various cities that have been awarded the title of “European Capital of Culture”. At the same time, experts note a characteristic trend: the total number of cultural events associated with the program is decreasing, but the events themselves are becoming more complex, turning from classical exhibitions or concerts into complex projects affecting many segments of culture. Accordingly, the budgets of cultural events increase significantly, and their cultural status varies. Every cultural capital should host independent decisions on issues related to the compilation and preparation of the program. It is worth mentioning the existence of specific recommendations from the European Union regarding the nature of cultural events in the European Capital of Culture program; they must correspond to two systemic qualities - reflect pan-European features and rely on local cultural traditions using local territorial resources. The goal is twofold: to demonstrate “pan-Europeanness” on the basis of national cultural achievements. This appointment helps to strengthen the EU institution while maintaining territorial and ethnic characteristics.

276 cultural events were announced in the Liverpool 2008 program - exclusively significant cultural events predominate here; for example, 15 “Liverpool” events are named as global events. This increase in the cultural life of the city is recorded in public opinion: according to sociological surveys by British services, 60% of citizens confirmed the fact that in the city in 2008 the number of cultural events increased significantly. In fact, according to experts, about 800 various events related to cultural area, but mainly of an educational nature (master classes, seminars). Such a significant number indicates intensification cultural events; It turns out that on average a couple of events took place in the city every day. Such oversaturation contributes to the “public relation” potential of the city through constant mention in the media, indexing on the Internet, which, in the end, increases the image of the city, making it a media object, so to speak, a cultural “newsmaker”. Media openness increases awareness of the city among a mass of potential consumers (investors, tourists, potential citizens).

The status of “European Capital of Culture” is extremely high, which contributes to a guaranteed increase in the tourism potential of the area affected by the program. In principle, the very emergence of the European Capital of Culture project implied an increase in tourist flows and made the development of intra-European tourism one of the main goals of the program. It is interesting that in general there is an increase in the tourist flow - by 10 - 12%, for example, hotel occupancy is increasing, although there are exceptions. So, the program demonstrates in the media space a stable information characteristic of the participating city, promoting tourism potential and investment attractiveness.

It is known that cities located on the territory of countries that are members of the Council of Europe take part in the “European Capital of Culture” program, the Committee for Culture of which annually allocates a grant of about 280 million US dollars for their implementation. If the festival is held in a country that is part of the European Economic Community, then the festival directorate receives additional subsidies from this international political and economic organization. What we are interested in here is the third-party process of project financing.

Unfortunately, the economic pattern of the effect of investment injections into the regional economy due to the status European capital does not manifest itself clearly. Economists do not see a direct correlation between the increase in a city’s investment potential due to participation in the European Capitals of Culture program. But British scientists, based on the example of Liverpool 2008, testify that due to frequent and effective mentions of the city in the media, the opinion of business representatives about the city has changed - the city began to look safer. While in 2001, 40% of investors surveyed considered Liverpool an unsuitable place for business, in 2009 this figure was only 15%. More than 8% of them expressed the opinion that it is the assignment of the status of a cultural capital to the city that allows them to judge the city as a suitable place for doing business.

In addition, during the 4 years preceding the “capital” year, more than one and a half thousand companies were created in Liverpool, working in one way or another in the field of culture, with total number 11,000 people employed. Data for the Austrian city of Linz also reflects the positive dynamics of the development of the cultural industry - over 5 years, more than 4.5 thousand additional jobs were created in companies related to the cultural industry. Additional jobs and qualified personnel are, of course, a great advantage for the development of the city.

Thus, the key issue is project financing; for example, Liverpool 2008 went down in the history of cultural capitals thanks to its largest budget. If we roughly convert the amount of funding into rubles, then in total about 6.5 billion rubles were raised and spent over 5 years. You can also see how the budget was distributed over the five years. All expenses are divided into three groups - expenses for events and their organization, marketing and promotion of the project, and administrative and management expenses.

Thus, subsidies for such large cultural events of pan-European significance as the “European Capital of Culture” are provided by the Council of Europe and the European Economic Community. Without such subsidies, the program’s activities would be carried out on a much more modest scale, since it is practically impossible to achieve self-sufficiency. However, the financial side is not limited to subsidies, but involves broad material support, both from the host state or city, and private investment.

The Russian city of Perm plans to apply for the title of European Capital of Culture in 2016, despite the fact that only cities in EU member states can apply for this status. According to experts, Perm is one of the most culturally developed cities in Russia. In cooperation with the cultural capitals of Europe 2010, the implementation of the international network project “European Accents in Perm” began. But there are certain difficulties, even without taking into account the fact that formally the Russian city does not have any rights to participate in the European Capital of Culture program. These are, first of all, financial requirements that require large financial injections into the region. Comparing Liverpool's spending to budget levels Perm region, you can see that with a planned figure for the year of 1 - 1.5 billion rubles, within 5 years we will receive an approximately comparable amount. But it is important to consider that this moment Budget financing of existing programs and infrastructure is planned; accordingly, it will be necessary to attract additional funds in volumes equal to the five-year budget for culture in the Perm region.

One of the most important resources similar projects are people with a unique set of competencies. The project team in Liverpool consisted of only 15 people. By 2008, the number of organizers had increased to hundreds, but some of them were government officials, working part-time in the committee for organizing events of the European Capital of Culture. Obviously, such an event requires a serious level of management and specialists with this qualification. Presence of universities in Perm, in educational programs which have specialties related to management in the field of culture, in this case, an absolute resource advantage.

On modern stage development of the European Union, policy in the field of culture has not yet been fully formed, despite all the effectiveness and success of the European Capital of Culture project. Disunity and inconsistency of actions between EU member states in implementing a common cultural policy complicates the European integration process, one of the catalysts of which is culture. In addition, the process of cultural mutual enrichment between EU countries and European representatives(Russia), not members of the European Union. Assessing the individual results of the European Capital of Culture program, implemented over two and a half decades in various European cities, we can come to the conclusion about the high effectiveness of this program, its positive effects in the small business segment, in the fields of education and culture. Many Russian cities in the future (for example, Perm), having significant cultural and personnel potential, have a great chance of participating in such a program.

Aarhus - the cultural capital of Europe at the intersection of past and future (photo gallery)

Compact, stylish, gourmet: the Danish city of Aarhus was founded by the Vikings. From January 21, it can officially call itself the European Capital of Culture 2017.

• Second after Copenhagen



Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017

compact city



Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017

Old and new



Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017

Modern Art



Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017

Rainbow panorama



Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017

Danish design



Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017

City of gourmets



Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017

Urbanism Reserve



Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017

Visiting the Vikings



Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017

For every taste

• Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017

  Second after Copenhagen

  January 21 is the official opening of the Year of the European Capital of Culture for the Danish Aarhus. With a population of about 250 thousand people, it is the second largest city and second most important port in Denmark. Located in the east of the Jutland Peninsula, on the shores of Aarhus Bugt Bay. Aarhus is one of the oldest cities in Denmark. As excavations have shown, it was founded by the Vikings in the 8th century.



Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017

compact city

The best way to explore the city is on foot. Historical Center Aarhus is small. Despite the fact that the city is the second largest after Copenhagen, all the sights can be seen during an hour-long walk.



Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017

Old and new

Modernity and antiquity in Aarhus are located next door and smoothly transition into one another. It is not surprising, therefore, that for the European cultural year Aarhus chose the motto “Let’s rethink”: the new, as we know, is the well-forgotten old. In Aarhus, the old days have not been forgotten, but are being rethought and at the same time discovering something new.



Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017

Modern Art

Main center contemporary art in Aarhus there is a museum fine arts ARoS, on the roof of which the installation “Your rainbow panorama” “landed” in 2011. The “rainbow panorama” was created by the famous Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson.



Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017

Rainbow panorama

A visitor to the ARoS Museum, who ascends to the rooftop installation, walks through a 150-metre-long artistic parkour and views the city below and the Baltic Sea through a “rainbow”, the palette of which includes intense colors from inky blue to lemon yellow.



Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017

Danish design

A leisurely and relaxed atmosphere reigns on the streets of Aarhus. In the center you can spend endless hours shopping, wandering through fashion boutiques, antique shops and shops with products in the style of the famous Danish design. There are numerous cafes and restaurants on both banks of the Aarhus River. And in winter, city residents like to sit at tables on the streets, enjoying the sun’s rays.



Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017

City of gourmets

Aarhus is also famous for its culinary delights. The gastronomic spectrum ranges from gourmet layered sandwiches to Michelin-starred experimental cuisine. The interiors of cafes and restaurants are also varied, from 16th-century antiquity to modern design.



Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017

Urbanism Reserve

Usually museums are under open air show village life. The Gamle By Museum, on the contrary, preserves the traditions of urban culture. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest of its kind in the world. Houses dating back 500 years were brought here from all over Denmark and reassembled in their original form. Gamle By also displays relics of the 1970s: tape recorders, vinyl records, attributes of the hippie subculture.



Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017

Visiting the Vikings

Reconstructed Viking settlements are shown in the open air in ethnographic museum complex Moesgård in the vicinity of Aarhus. IN exhibition halls archaeological relics are located ancient history Denmark, since the Stone Age. The sloping roof of the museum, covered with a lawn, is a promenade.



Aarhus - European Capital of Culture 2017

For every taste

The cultural year program in Aarhus includes 350 projects. Among them: the premiere of a Viking opera on the roof of the Moesgård Museum, an exhibition of floating sculptures and other art exhibitions, concerts, festivals, as well as a table set for 1000 guests - Aarhus and the Midtjylland region in central Denmark also received the title of European Gastronomy Region in 2017 .

See also:

Under the sign of Aphrodite

Paphos is located in the southwestern part of the island of Cyprus and is, according to ancient greek mythology, birthplace of the goddess of love Aphrodite. As part of the 2017 European Capital of Culture programme, Paphos, which shares the title with Denmark's Aarhus, has created a coastal sculpture park. One of them depicts Aphrodite.



Paphos - European Capital of Culture

Ancient myths

The birthplace of Aphrodite is believed to be Petra tou Romiou in Paphos, also known as Aphrodite's Rock. According to legend, Aphrodite was born from snow-white foam formed in the sea from the seed and blood of Uranus, castrated by Kronos. This happened near the island of Kiethera. The "Foamborn" sailed to Cyprus on a shell and emerged from the sea waves in present-day Paphos.



Paphos - European Capital of Culture

Paphos Archaeological Park

Paphos is famous not only for its legends. Archaeological Museum open-air near the harbor of Kato Paphos is famous for a large complex of antique villas with well-preserved mosaics from Roman times. In the photo: a mosaic depicting Daphne and Apollo. Aristophanes' comedy "Lysistrata" will be staged in the archaeological park as part of the cultural year program.



Paphos - European Capital of Culture

Long-lived cedar

Immortalized in the mosaic stones of the Paphos Archaeological Park is a unique plant - the cedar Cedrus brevifolia, growing only in Cyprus. Cyprus cedar is unpretentious, but grows only in the mountains. Some trees reach up to 40 meters in height and live for more than 500 years. Valuable wood has been in demand for centuries. Nowadays, cedar forests in Cyprus are protected.



Paphos - European Capital of Culture

Royal Tombs

The large necropolis, two kilometers from the harbor of Paphos, takes its name from the splendor of the decoration of the tombs. In the tombs, many of which date back to the 4th century BC. e., they buried not kings at all, but rich townspeople. The necropolis, like mosaics, is an object World Heritage UNESCO and part of the archaeological park. Excavations on its territory began in the 1960s and continue to this day.



Paphos - European Capital of Culture

Turtle Beach

One of the few places in the Mediterranean where people swim to lay eggs sea ​​turtles, is located in Cyprus on Lara beach near Paphos. The famous turtle beach is located in a quiet bay and is a nature reserve. From May to August, when hatchling turtles move into the water, the use of cars is prohibited in this protected zone.



Paphos - European Capital of Culture

Harbor as a stage

Paphos has a typical Mediterranean climate. Ideal conditions for open-air performances. Berlinsky's performance Philharmonic Orchestra will become one of the main cultural events of the year in a region with a population of about 60 thousand people.



Paphos - European Capital of Culture

Oriental delicacies

Cyprus is located 70 kilometers south of Turkey and 100 kilometers west of Syria. Local kitchen- a mirror of the history of the island. It was formed under Greek influence, incorporating the features of Turkish, Arabic, Lebanese, and English cuisines. In Cyprus they eat meat, vegetables, fish and, of course, sweets. In the photo: suzhukos - grape juice boiled until thick with almonds.



Paphos - European Capital of Culture

Tourist Island

In Cyprus, the tourist season continues all year round. You can swim and sunbathe here in late autumn at air temperatures of 35 and water temperatures of 27 degrees. About three million tourists visited Cyprus in 2016, more than usual due to tensions in Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia.



Paphos - European Capital of Culture

Magnet for tourists

Vacationers in Cyprus in 2017 will enjoy a rich The cultural program- more than 300 events in the cultural capital of Europe Paphos. You can even go skiing in the Troodos mountain range in the central part of the island from January to March. Ski lifts take skiers to the top of the mountain, named after the gods Hera, Hermes and, of course, Aphrodite. The most difficult descent is named after Zeus.