The “Gediminovichi Way” project was initiated in December 2012 by a number of Ukrainian cities, museums and historical and cultural reserves historically connected with the cultural heritage of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Russian and Zhemitskiy and the Gediminovich dynasty. In May 2013, the Association of Local Self-Government Bodies “The Path of Gediminovichi” was established by authorized representatives of the cities of Khotin, Lutsk, Kamenets-Podolsky, Ostrog and Izyaslav.
As of the end of November 2013, the Way of the Gediminovichi as an international project unites 18 cities, regions and regions of Belarus, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine, including ten members of the Association. The rest participate in the project on the basis of Memoranda of Cooperation signed with the Association. Novogrudok region signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Association on September 13, 2013.
The aim of the project is the development of cross-border cultural and historical tourism. The theme of this project is connected with the cultural and historical heritage of the dynasty of Gediminovich and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the territory of modern Lithuania, Belarus, Poland and Ukraine.
As a strategic result of the project implementation, it is proposed to create a new cross-border tourist route and to certify it as a cultural path of the Council of Europe. It is planned that until 2015 the tourist route “Path of Gediminovichi” will receive pan-European recognition and will be included in the list of cultural ways of the Council of Europe.
This project has the following objectives:
- Creation and administration of the multilingual website of the project: http://www.gediminids.eu/en/
- Development of the catalog of international tourist routes under the general brand “Path of Gediminovichi”.
- Assistance to the revival of historical monuments associated with the Gediminovich dynasty.
- Designation and marking of routes on the ground.
- Assistance to the revival of historical monuments associated with the Gediminovich dynasty.
- Assistance in the study of the formation of the Eastern European identity and the common cultural and historical heritage created during the reign of the Gediminovich dynasty on the lands of modern Belarus, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine by holding conferences, seminars, round tables, public discussions.
- Joint presentation of the tourist product “The Way of Gediminovich” at tourist exhibitions and fairs in Belarus, Germany, Lithuania.
- Creation of a network of partner tourist small and medium-sized enterprises (hotels, museums, reserves, restaurants, tour operators, carriers) interested in using the “Gediminoviches Way” brand.
- November 27, 2013 – On the eve of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius, representatives of the municipalities participating in the Gediminovichi Way project signed an Appeal to European leaders urging them to support their initiative and contribute to the implementation of the project “the first initiative born in Eastern Europe to create a cultural path for the Council of Europe” .