A Second phase of the joint project of UNESCO, the Norwegian Directorate of Cultural Heritage and the National Museum of Georgia “Restoration and Revitalization of the Giorgi Chitaia Open Air Museum of Ethnography” was launched in July 2007.

The project is generously supported by the Norway Funds-In-Trust to UNESCO. While the first phase was focused on measures to safeguard the collection of traditional houses situated on the Museum site and involved establishing a partnership between the Open Air Museum and the Maihaugen Museum in Lillehammer, Norway the second phase is built on achievements of Phase 1 of the Programme and contains four principal components aimed at continuing conservation measures on the traditional houses, as well as widening the scope of activities to address other major needs.

Aims of the project’s II phase are:

 

1.       Continuing restoration work on two traditional houses and building the capacity of the museum in the field of timber conservation;

 

2.       Archival and field research and documentation of endangered knowledge about traditional methods of maintaining the houses in remote regions of Georgia;

 

3.       Establishing an inventory of the Museum Collections, including movable objects such as traditional furniture and household utensils;

 

4.       Developing a crafts programme aimed at educating youth about Georgian traditions, and improving the livelihood of local communities producing crafts, while generating income for the museum.

 

The following set of activities shall be undertaken within this year to meet major needs of the Museum and objectives of the UNESCO/GNM programme:

 

·         A five-day workshop in the field of timber conservation to be held by a Norwegian craftsman in Tbilisi;

 

·         Establishing a carpentry and restoration apprentice programme at the museum;

 

·         Georgian heritage professionals to participate in a training workshop on timber restoration and conservation, to take place in Norway in October  2008;

 

·         Creating an electronic inventory of the Open Air Museum Collections and associated research material;

 

·         Developing the Museum’s Craft Programme within the framework of the partnership with the Maihaugen Museum and in close consultation with a national craft organization, and organizing one training for craftsmen and 2 crafts workshops in the museum;

 

·         Organizing 2 field trips in regional Georgia with the aim of researching traditional techniques and skills for the construction and maintenance of traditional timber architecture;

 

·         Rehabilitation of an existing building on the museum premises into a restoration workshop facility;

 ·         Developing the museum-to-museum partnership with the Maihaugen Museum in Lillehammer, Norway.