TRADITIONAL CRAFT SKILLS IN THE CONTEMPORARY LATVIAN RURAL ENVIRONMENT

This article intends to give an insight into what place the traditional craft skills occupy in the contemporary Latvian rural environment, using as a point of observation the activities of the 'Meet your Master!' event, organised by the Latvian National Centre for Culture. The interest of both the society and the individuals in focusing on the traditional cultural heritage is encouraged by the desire for expressing their cultural identity in today's cosmopolitan world. The same motivation prompts the use of traditional knowledge in rural tourism, in the activities of individual manufacturers etc. Traditional skills are the basis for mutual interaction among the community members and a meaningful way of spending leisure time, which as a whole lead to improving the quality of life.