The Ivan Patzaichin Festival (September 8 – 12) begins in Tulcea, Friday, September 8, with the inauguration of the memorial dedicated to the great champion and continues with the launch of the "Ivan's Delta" route, traveled by the "Apele Unite ale României" caravan between Tulcea and Mile 23, between September 10 and 12.
The "Ivan Patzaichin" architectural ensemble, created by the Tulcea County Council and the Tulcea City Hall based on an idea proposed by the Ivan Patzaichin Association - Mile 23, is located on the Ivan Patzaichin Cliff, at the end towards Sulina. Built through the collaborative effort of five artists - Mircea Cantor, Virgil Scripcariu, Teodor Graur, Dan Vezentan, Gyárfás Oláh - in accordance with the curatorial vision of Teodor Frolu (Ivan Patzaichin's partner in the projects carried out by him in the last decade of his life), the memorial will become an important architectural and artistic landmark of the city, offering the chance for an interesting urban dialogue with the monument to the Heroes of the War of Independence.
The memorial will represent not only a tribute to the great missing person, but will also mark the departure point for rowing boats to the Delta, an alternative proposal for responsible tourism. One such route, which can be covered by any tourist passionate about nature activities by rowing for 3 days, is the one between Tulcea and Mila 23, the "Ivan's Delta" route, approximately 54 km long on water (29 nautical miles). For the inauguration, a caravan of over 30 kayaks, canoes and other rowing boats, with approximately 100 people, will leave on the morning of September 10, from the pontoon in front of the Memorial Complex, and will dock on September 12 at Mila 23, at the Ivan Patzaichin Museum - a community innovation center under construction.
As in the last 12 years, the Festival will bring to Tulcea rock'n'row concerts on the City Seafront, recently reopened after a major rehabilitation, competitions and water rides at Lake Ciuperca, alternative education workshops for children, debates about the sustainable development of the Delta and the role that communities can assume in establishing favorable development directions, outdoor film screenings and art exhibitions. The Festival's lineup will include big names and bands with great potential, from Vama, Omul cu Şobolani (OCS), Antract, The Schnitzels and VH2, to Farfarello & Orchestra Baladele Deltei, OIEE (Hungary) and Zagăn. The inauguration ceremony of the Memorial Ensemble will be accompanied by a video mapping show – a premiere in Tulcea – on buildings bordering the Seafront, presenting images with significance for the city and its cultural heritage.
