Pathways to Heritage - Koliva

Koliva is made in the Greek Orthodox religion to memorialise the dead (it is made from a combination of wheat berries, nuts, raisins and pomegranate seeds). Families of the deceased make the dish on the 40th day after the death, 3rd month, 6th and 9th months, then annually. It may also be prepared at the end of the first week of Great Lent and Soul Saturdays. Made at home, Koliva is brought to church, blessed then distributed amongst the congregation. It is symbolic of death and regeneration. _________________________________ ‘Pathways to Heritage' is a project funded through a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellowship in Archaeology at the University of Glasgow. It is a pilot project in community based participatory research that works with a rural village in Cyprus to explore the connections that local people have to places, practices and ‘things’ in their community. The posed question ‘what is important to you?’ was addressed by participants through photographs, videos and interviews. This set of videos includes the contributions of villagers who participated in the project and gave permission for its use. Nikitari is a rural village located in the foothills of the Troodos Mountains on the island of Cyprus. Like many rural villages, it faces depopulation as people move away from the countryside and into the city. In an effort to understand why people are leaving and why they might stay, an outsider asks the question, what makes your village special? ‘Pathways to Heritage’ is supported by the Department of Antiquities and the Department of Forests, Cyprus. Project aims were co-developed with Mayor Kyriakos Alexandrou and the Nikitari Community Council. The Nikitari Women’s Group (led by Chrisso Kleanthou) and Youth Group (led by Antigoni Tsiarta) made special contributions to this narrative. The work of Andri Evripidou, Danae Alphas, Antigoni Tsiarta, Manto Papadopoulou and Michalis Ashikas was integral to the documentation, translation, and video editing of content making up this story. The ‘Pathways to Heritage’ Storymap was co-designed with Dr. Erin Gibson and produced by Dr Francesca Chelazzi.