Petrebišća 2025: Suhozidna gradnja i razmjena iskustava / Dry stone construction and exchange of experience

Tekst: Barbara Delost
Foto: Georgia Kanellopoulou, Ioanna Ntoutsi, Julia Bakota Švencbir, Kenneth Curran, Oleg Miklić

Od 31. svibnja do 8. lipnja 2025. u ljetnom selištu na padinama Učke, organizirali smo 15. po redu, Baštinsku školu Petrebišća 2025. koja okuplja studente, mlade profesionalce i entuzijaste različitih profila: od arhitekata, antropologa i etnologa do prirodoslovaca i graditelja. Ove godine pridružilo nam se dvadesetak sudionika iz Hrvatske i inozemstva koji su tijekom devet intenzivnih dana zajednički gradili, učili i boravili u kampu.

Kao udruga Dragodid, ovu smo godinu pripremili i proveli program uz snažnu međunarodnu suradnju s partnerima iz Grčke (Boulouki) i Irske (The Dry Stone Wall Association of Ireland – DSWAI) te u partnerstvu s Parkom prirode Učka i Općinom Mošćenička Draga. Tijekom priprema za školu, s partnerima smo se redovito sastajali online kako bismo usklađivali program, podijelili odgovornosti i definirali način vođenja radionica. Neposredno prije početka, proveli smo razmjenu znanja o alatima, tehnikama i terminologiji suhozidne gradnje u našim zemljama. Ta nas je razmjena uvela u zajednički teren gdje smo svatko sa svojim iskustvom doprinijeli ostvarenju zajedničkog cilja: irski su partneri uz našu podršku preuzeli vodstvo nad obnovom zidova i krova, dok su grčki kolege vodili radove na obnovi kamenog poda. I ove godine, kroz dugogodišnju suradnju s mrežom REMPART, pridružilo nam se i nekoliko francuskih volontera.

From May 31 to June 8, 2025, in the summer settlement on the slopes of Učka, we organized the 15th edition of the Heritage School Petrebišća 2025. The program brought together students, young professionals, and enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds – from architects, anthropologists, and ethnologists to natural scientists and builders. This year, around twenty participants from Croatia and abroad joined us for nine intensive days of building, learning, and living together at the camp.

Dragodid prepared and delivered the program this year in close international cooperation with our partners from Greece (Boulouki) and Ireland (The Dry Stone Wall Association of Ireland – DSWAI), as well as in partnership with Učka Nature Park and the Municipality of Mošćenička Draga. In the lead-up to the school, we held regular co-creation sessions with our partners to coordinate the program, divide responsibilities, and define the workshop methodologies. Right before the start, we exchanged knowledge about the tools, techniques, and terminology of dry stone construction in our respective countries. This exchange laid the groundwork for a shared field of practice, where each partner contributed their expertise toward achieving our common goal: the Irish partners, with our support, led the restoration of the walls and roof, while our Greek colleagues took charge of rebuilding the stone floor. As in previous years, thanks to our long-standing cooperation with the REMPART network, several French volunteers also joined the program.

1. Upoznavanje s umijećem gradnje suhozida Introduction to the Art of Dry Stone Walling

Radni zadaci
Work tasks

Na terenu smo radili na tri glavna zadatka: obnavljali smo krov suhozidne kućice korištenjem kamenih ploča, postavljali kamene podne plohe (kaldrmu) te rekonstruirali dvije urušene suhozidne strukture. Središnji zadatak ovogodišnje škole bila je obnova kamene kućice, na kojoj smo nastavili zidati iznad prošlogodišnje razine, dodajući nekoliko redova kamena posebno se fokusirajući na kantune, vrata i prozor.

On-site, we focused on three main tasks: restoring the dry stone hut’s roof using stone slates, laying stone flooring (cobblestones), and restoring two collapsed dry stone structures. The central task of this year’s school was the restoration of the stone hut, where we continued building above last year’s level, adding several rows of stones with particular attention to the corners, door, and window.

2. Kućica prije ovogodišnje obnove The Hut Before This Year’s Restoration

Krov se oslanja na drvenu potkonstrukciju i završava pokrovom od kamenih ploča. Također smo dovršili i unutrašnjost kuće. Pod smo popločali tehnikom koju su s nama podijelili grčki partneri, a u kutu prostora sagradili smo kameno ognjište. Kao završni detalj, postavili smo i nova drvena vrata.

The roof rests on a wooden substructure and is finished with a covering of stone slates. We also completed the interior of the hut: the floor was paved using a technique shared by our Greek partners, and we built a stone hearth in one corner. As a final touch, we installed a new wooden door.

3. Proces obnove kućice The Restoration Process of the Hut

4. Obnovljena kućica Hut Restored

Drugi je zadatak bio obnova podzida. Radovi su započeli uklanjanjem zemlje i pripremom terena, a rezultat je podvostručeni podzid – s prednjim vidljivim licem i stražnjim ukopanim u teren. Struktura sada vraća smisao prostoru koji je godinama bio zapušten.

The second task was the restoration of the retaining wall. The work began with removing soil and preparing the site, resulting in a double-faced retaining wall, with a visible front face and a rear face embedded into the terrain. This structure now restores purpose and coherence to an area that had been neglected for years.

5. Proces iskopa Excavation process

6. Završen zid Finished Wall

Treća zapuštena struktura koju smo ove godine očistili i djelomično obnovili bila je podzidana gomila – kameni zid podignut iznad žive stijene. Prije početka radova bila je potpuno zarasla i gotovo neprepoznatljiva, progutana šumom. Nakon uklanjanja vegetacije, očistili smo kamenje i definirali zidanu strukturu.

The third neglected structure we cleaned and partially restored this year was a terraced stone mound: a stone wall built on top of solid bedrock. Before the work began, it was completely overgrown and almost unrecognizable, swallowed by the forest. After clearing the vegetation, we cleaned the stones and defined the structure of the wall.

7. Stanje prije obnove Condition before restoration

8. Obnovljen zid The Restored Wall

Sve aktivnosti odvijale su se pod vodstvom iskusnih voditelja iz naših i partnerskih redova, a sudionici su se izmjenjivali kroz zadatke kako bi stekli raznolika znanja i vještine. Za ranoranioce, jutra su započinjala tjelovježbom, a večernji program bio je posvećen izlaganjima i razgovorima. Ugostili smo:

All activities were conducted under the guidance of experienced leaders from our team and our partner organizations, and participants rotated between tasks to gain a wide range of knowledge and skills. For early risers, mornings began with exercise sessions, while the evening program was dedicated to presentations and discussions. We hosted:

• Julia Bakota Švencbir (Dragodid): Dragodid – Rolling the stones of engagement
• Kenneth Curran (DSWAI): About The Dry Stone Wall Association of Ireland
• Ioanna Ntoutsi (Boulouki): About Boulouki
• Anera Stopfer (Creative Europe Desk Croatia): Creative Europe – what’s in it for me?
• Grga Frangeš (Mjesto i vrijeme): Učka & Ćićarija – The history of the cultural landscape
• Dimitrije Virag (Blatology): Happiness is in mud
• Vesna Ahel (Park prirode Učka): Bird story of Učka Nature Park
• Georgia Kanellopoulou (Boulouki): Case studies on revitalising traditional stone buildings

Edukativni dio upotpunile su i vođene šetnje koje smo osmislili kako bismo povezali radionički program s prirodnim i kulturnim kontekstom prostora. Sudionicima smo približili mitsko-povijesnu stazu Trebišća – Perun, proveli ih kroz selo Petrebišća uz osvrt na aktivnosti koje tamo provodimo od 2010. godine te ih uključili u tematsku šetnju usmjerenu na prirodne resurse i ljudske intervencije u krajoliku potičući razgovor o mogućnostima održivog upravljanja tim prostorom. Program smo zaokružili planinarskim izletom u selo Mala Učka kako bismo dodatno naglasili povezanost edukacije, baštine i krajolika.

U ostvarenju programa u vidu smo imali minimalni utjecaja na okoliš, organizirajući ekološki održiv kamp. Spavali smo u šatorima, radili na otvorenom ili pod zaklonom, a svakodnevne smo obroke pripremali na plinskim kuhalima. Hrana je bila uglavnom vegetarijanska, pitku vodu osigurali smo u suradnji s lokalnom komunalnom službom, a električnu energiju dobivali putem privremeno postavljenih solarnih ploča. Otpad smo zbrinjavali kompostiranjem i reciklažom.

The educational program was enriched with guided walks designed to connect the workshop activities with the natural and cultural context of the area. Participants were introduced to the mythical-historical trail Trebišća – Perun, guided through the village of Petrebišća with an overview of the activities we have been conducting there since 2010, and included in a thematic walk focusing on natural resources and human interventions in the landscape, sparking discussions on possibilities for sustainable management of the area. We concluded the program with a hiking trip to the village of Mala Učka to further emphasize the connection between education, heritage, and landscape.

In delivering the program, we aimed for minimal environmental impact by organizing an ecologically sustainable camp. We slept in tents, worked outdoors or under shelter, and prepared daily meals on gas stoves. The food was mostly vegetarian, drinking water was provided in cooperation with the local utility company, and electricity was supplied through temporarily installed solar panels. Waste was managed through composting and recycling.

9. Aktivnosti Activities

Ovogodišnja škola bila je sadržajno bogata i organizacijski zahtjevna, ali uspješno provedena zahvaljujući dobroj suradnji svih uključenih. Zadovoljni smo rezultatima koje smo postigli – kako na terenu, tako i u međusobnoj razmjeni znanja i iskustava. Zahvaljujemo svim sudionicima na predanom radu i dobroj atmosferi, partnerima Boulouki i DSWAI na vrijednom doprinosu i entuzijazmu, Parku prirode Učka i Općini Mošćenička Draga na dugogodišnjoj podršci, mreži REMPART na nastavku suradnje, Branku Orbaniću na kamenim pločama i Domagoju Nakiću na pragu. Hvala i predavačima, kuharima, pomagačima i svima koji su na bilo koji način pridonijeli uspješnoj provedbi Petrebišća 2025!

This year’s school was rich in content and organizationally demanding, but it was successfully implemented thanks to the excellent cooperation of everyone involved. We are pleased with the results we achieved, both on the ground and in the mutual exchange of knowledge and experiences. We would like to thank all the participants for their dedicated work and positive spirit; our partners Boulouki and DSWAI for their valuable contributions and enthusiasm; Učka Nature Park and the Municipality of Mošćenička Draga for their longstanding support; the REMPART network for continuing our collaboration; Branko Orbanić for the stone slabs; and Domagoj Nakić for the doorstep stone. Thanks also go to the lecturers, cooks, helpers, and everyone who contributed in any way to the successful realization of Petrebišća 2025!

Projekt Enhancing Cultural Heritage Skills Across Europe (ECHOES), koji vodi DRAGODID, s partnerima iz Grčke (Boulouki) i Irske (The Dry Stone Wall Association of Ireland), posvećen je očuvanju, unapređenju i promicanju europske kulturne raznolikosti i baštine. Projekt je sufinanciran sredstvima Europske unije kroz program Kreativna Europa, u sklopu poziva „Europski projekti suradnje”.

Enhancing Cultural Heritage Skills Across Europe (ECHOES) project, led by partners from Croatia (DRAGODID), Greece (Boulouki), and Ireland (The Dry Stone Wall Association of Ireland), is dedicated to the preservation, advancement, and promotion of European cultural diversity and heritage. The project is co-funded by the European Union, Creative Europe Program, action “European Cooperation Projects”.