I entered through a broken window in Neptun Baths and I did not go out
Through the Herculane Project, architect Oana Chirila and her colleagues are trying to save one of the most beautiful spa resorts in Romania.
In the 5 years of its existence, the Herculane Project initiative has managed to bring together architects, authorities, sponsors, volunteers and especially the local community, in order to find solutions to bring the resort to light. But there is still a lot of work to be done with the skepticism accumulated over the past decades, says Oana Chirila, president of the Locus Association and "mother" Herculane Project.
When and how was your organization/initiative born? What was more complicated at first? What went easier, from your experience?
Our initiative was born in 2017, after a spontaneous visit to Băile Herculane. That's when I walked through a broken window in Neptune Baths and I didn't go out. I wrote an article that I published on the BoredPanda website, it went viral and that's when I realized how important the Baths are. We contacted City Hall and we met and somehow that's how it all started. Later I tried to coalesce a team around my desire to do something for Herculane and I also founded the Locus Association.
The most complicated aspect was to win the trust of the authorities, of the potential sponsors and partners, given that we were, a handful of students who had not yet encountered the true face of the Romanian system. We had to show that we are persevering, that we will not stop at the first obstacle and that no matter what the situation we will look for the best and most sustainable solutions. At the same time, the most difficult process was and is to win the trust of the local community.
It was a struggle from all points of view from the very beginning. Volunteering is beautiful and helps, but it is an activity that comes with compromises, sacrifices and a lot of responsibility.
What's the result you're most proud of so far?
There are several aspects of which we are very proud. First of all, we are very proud to have been able to coalesce such a large community of supporters, volunteers and donors around the project. Without these people we would have achieved absolutely nothing in these 5 years of activity.
Secondly, we are proud of the fact that we managed to do some projects with impact, to start a construction site on the most important balneary heritage monument in Romania and to include Neptun Baths on the list of the 7 Most Endangered Heritage Sites in Europe for 2022.
Thirdly, I am proud of ourselves, that we have had the patience, the perseverance to continue regardless of obstacles, and I am proud that we can do what we love.
What does the relationship with the community look like? Do you feel that you are supported in your mission? If so, does this support also translate into concrete actions (involvement through volunteering, donations, etc.)?
On the one hand, we are supported, and on the other hand, there are still many people who have lost hope and are sceptical. Given the history of the last 30 years in Băile Herculane, corruption, "the biggest robbery in tourism", as it is very often presented somehow, it is also normal for a part of the community to be skeptical when some young people come who do projects only from donations... Because our project does not always have very visible results in terms of Neptun Baths, for example. We may be repairing a roof over the weekend, but from the street people still see a monument that is about to fall and that needs millions of euros, not tens of thousands of euros.
We have people who have been actively involved in our projects, either with volunteering or helping us with services such as accommodation, food for us or volunteers. We have rejoiced and continue to rejoice every time we see such support.
What do you think are, at the moment, the big hurdles for NGOs in this area? Will there be more support, interest from the authorities, from the community?
In the field of heritage safeguarding, the biggest obstacles are the lack of funds and the legal problems of monuments. I would also add the lack of concrete support from the Romanian State to create support programs for the owners of real estate classified as part of the cultural heritage.
From our experience, having a monument that we have been trying to save for 5 years only from donations, I could say that this area has not yet become a truly visible one in the media or in social media. Many of us are still small, although every NGO does a very good job on its piece. Perhaps in the future more cooperation between NGOs will help to make our common cause much more visible – cultural heritage is a resource for sustainable development and it is our duty to capitalize on it for future generations.
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3 Comments
Baile Herculane sunt o bijuterie acoperita de praful vremii.Ar fii o mare pierdere pentru tara noastra si pentru turistii care vor sa o viziteze!
SOS Baile Herculane!Baile Herculane sunt o bijuterie acoperita de praf!Ar fii o mare pierdere pentru tara noastra si pentru toti cei care vor sa o viziteze!
SOS Baile Herculane!