There are several complex museums of folk architecture and life in Ukraine — Carpathian «Visit Center», near Kiev skansen in the village of Pirogovo and Crimean «Native Village». This beauty appeared in the traditionally Russian-speaking and Tatar-genetic region thanks to a family of enthusiasts — Tatiana and Oleg Potapov. Curiously enough, the couple was provoked to create a private oasis of Ukrainian culture by their acquaintance with the works of Vasily Skuratovsky, one of the key contemporary ethnographers, author of «Bereginya» and founder of the First Folk Studies Studio.
«Native Village» was founded in 2010 on the lands of the former collective farm «Ukraine», the ancient Tatar village of Biyuk-Karalez and the present village of Krasny Mak. Krasny Mak, falling under the jurisdiction of Bakhchisaray district. This is one of the most picturesque parts of the Karalez valley formed by the Inner and Outer ridges of the Crimean Mountains. The growth of the village is limited by natural cordons — limestone stoliform mountains, nicknamed by tourists «Karalez sphinxes». Within walking distance from Krasniy Mak are the legendary cave towns — Mangup-Kale, Eski-Kermen, cave monasteries — Chelter-Marmara, Chelter-Koba and Shuldan, as well as the one-of-a-kind Kyz-Kule Castle, the Church of the Three Horsemen and Donators. And if in the Carpathians or near Kiev «Native Village» would look very natural, here, in the heart of the mountainous Crimea, it is recognized as almost the most original and original local attraction.
The basis of the skansen are 3 Ukrainian huts. The family Potapovs traveled half a country, while they found, bought, dismantled, transported to Crimea and recreated the living quarters of the villagers, the age of which exceeded a hundred years. The huts are taken from different historical and geographical regions of the plain part of Ukraine. The first owners used linden logs for their construction as wall material, and in the new homeland the huts received fresh thatched and reed roofs, lime-lined huts, new shutters and paintings made in accordance with the canons of folk magic: flowers symbolizing life, solar swastikas and birds of protection.
In the same spirit reconstructed hut interiors: clean whitewashed stoves and icons in red corners, crosses on the walls, embroidered towels, wooden furniture and icons, causing burning envy of all visiting antique dealers and art critics. Almost every thing in the «Native Village» has its own story of salvation or search, worthy of a lengthy story or a full detective novel.
Near the huts there is a well-juravel. It was dug using folk knowledge about the occurrence of underground water. The supposed territory was covered with burdocks for the night. In the place where in the morning the largest amount of liquid was collected on the leaves, the owners dug a well. In front of the huts are beehives, exactly as they are drawn by illustrators of Ukrainian folk tales. They are stakes, with a hollowed-out gut, covered with straw «caps». A little apart there is a chapel where every guest of the «Native Village» has an opportunity to address God. The whole museum complex is surrounded by a fence, which is a kind of magic circle, providing the owners with protection from dark forces.
Not only from Bakhchisarai, but also from Simferopol and Sevastopol, parents bring their children to the «Native Village». The thing is that the owners, in addition to traditional excursions, organize master classes for children. Tetyana Potapova teaches juniors to create motanok dolls, straw steers, teaches the basics of Petrikovsky painting, pottery and the principles of cooking ancient Ukrainian dishes — gambovtsy, verguny, baba-sharpanina, langosh and lezhni. At the end of the master class, parents are invited to eat the viands made by children’s hands, as well as to drink varenyukha cooked by the host. The private museum «Native Village», though inferior in size to its Kiev and Carpathian colleagues, has truly Napoleonic plans for development. In addition to spreading Ukrainian culture in Crimea, the owners are going to open an interactive «Museum of National Food», a monument to the First Kobzar, establish their own folklore group and become «Crimean Hollywood» — to screen a couple of Ukrainian fairy tales, works by Gogol, Kvitka-Osnovyanenko or Ivan Kotlyarevsky, using the accumulated ethno-material.