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List of Intangible Cultural Heritage elements in Ukraine

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List of Intangible Cultural Heritage elements in Ukraine
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The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defines intangible cultural heritage elements as non-physical traditions and practices performed by a people. As part of a country's cultural heritage, they include celebrations, festivals, performances, oral traditions, music, and the making of handicrafts.[1] The term "intangible cultural heritage" is formally established by the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which was drafted in 2003 and took effect in 2006.[2][3] The inscription of new heritage elements on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists for protection and safeguarding is determined by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, an organization established by the Convention.[4] Ukraine ratified the Convention on 27 May 2008.[5]

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Location of Ukraine within Europe

Since 2012, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine[a] has also maintained the National Register of Elements of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ukraine to safeguard the country's cultural elements,[10][11] which is required by the Convention for the further nomination of elements to the UNESCO lists.[2] In turn, to enter the National Register, elements must play a significant role in the social life of a community and have concrete measures of protection for a period of one to five years. Submissions of elements are reviewed by the Expert Council on Intangible Cultural Heritage, an advisory body that controls the inscription of elements on the Register.[12][13]

As of September 2025, seven items from Ukraine are inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity Lists. The first Ukrainian element listed – Petrykivka decorative painting – was inscribed in 2013.[14] The egg painting tradition of pysanka is a transnational element shared with Estonia.[15] Three items were nominated for inclusion on the UNESCO lists in 2026: the Embroidery technique 'white-in-white' of the town Reshetylivka in Poltava region; the Rivne region tradition of the Polissia Dudka-Vykrutka; and the Safeguarding practice of the "Tradition of the Generous Evening in Ukraine" through formal and non-formal education.[14][16][17] In addition, 115 items are inscribed on Ukraine's National Register.[b] Although all regions of Ukraine are represented in the National Register through elements such as borscht and holubtsi, it does not yet include entries specific to Kherson, Kirovohrad, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, nor to the city of Sevastopol.[22]

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Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

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UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity consists of three lists.[23]

+ Transnational element

Representative List

This list aims to represent the intangible cultural heritage of Ukraine worldwide and bring awareness to its significance.[2]

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Need of Urgent Safeguarding

This list covers elements that are endangered and thus require appropriate safeguarding.[2]

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Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

This list accredits programs and projects that safeguard intangible cultural heritage and express the principles of the Convention.[2]

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National Register

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The National Register of Elements of the Intangible Cultural Heritage consists of five inventories.[37]

 Element later inscribed in the UNESCO Lists

Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage

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Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

The inventory includes elements of intangible cultural heritage that are under threat of disappearing due to hostilities, consequences of Russian occupation, natural impacts, or temporary displacement of population.[37]

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Inventory of Proper Practices of Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage

The inventory accredits communities and organizations that help to preserve intangible cultural heritage.[37]

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Inventory that Represents the Culture of Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine

The inventory highlights elements of intangible cultural heritage that belong to indigenous peoples of Ukraine,[37] which include Crimean Tatars, Crimean Karaites, and Krymchaks.[l][174]

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Inventory of Elements that Have Been Revived After the Disappearance of the Tradition

The inventory includes elements of intangible cultural heritage that had disappeared but were successfully revived.[184]

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See also

Notes

  1. On 3 September 2019, the Honcharuk Government merged the ministries of Culture, Information Policy, and Youth and Sports, forming the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports.[6] On 23 March 2020, with the restoration of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Shmyhal Government established the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy.[7] On 6 September 2024, it was renamed to the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications.[8][9]
  2. Hundreds more elements are inscribed on local and regional registers of intangible cultural heritage corresponding to hromadas (municipalities) and oblasts (regions) of Ukraine, respectively. The regional registers are regulated by regional centers of folk art, while local registers may be created by the local governments' departments of culture.[18][19][20][21] Although it is common for elements to first enter a regional register before being inscribed on the national one, this is not required by national law.[12] Strictly local and regional elements of intangible cultural heritage are not included in this list.
  3. Words directly transliterated from Ukrainian or other languages are shown in italics, excluding placenames and people's names. For the romanization of Ukrainian, the national system is preferred, and words in their plural form are not translated (e.g., pysanky, not pysankas).
  4. Shared with Estonia
  5. The English translations used here are unofficial, as the National Register is only available in Ukrainian.[22] Official Ukrainian names are shown below the translations, with links to the relevant Ukrainian Wikipedia articles if applicable.
  6. The name of this element is currently outdated. As the result of the 2020 administrative reform in Ukraine, the Kyiv-Sviatoshyn Raion (district) where the village of Luka was located was merged into Bucha Raion.[44]
  7. The name of this element is currently outdated. On 7 November 2017, Reshetylivka became a city.[47] In addition, as the result of the 2020 administrative reform in Ukraine, the Reshetylivka Raion (district) where the city was located was merged into Poltava Raion.[44]
  8. Hutsul pysanka and Ukrainian pysanka are inscribed as one item in the UNESCO list.[15]
  9. The name of this element is currently outdated. As the result of the 2020 administrative reform in Ukraine, the Dubrovytsia Raion (district) where the village of Svarytsevychi was located was merged into Sarny Raion.[44]
  10. The name of this element is currently outdated. As the result of the 2020 administrative reform in Ukraine, the Teplyk Raion (district) where the village of Rozkoshivka was located was merged into Haisyn Raion.[44]
  11. See Help:IPA/Ukrainian and Ukrainian phonology for clarification on the pronunciation.
  12. These three groups are recognized by the Ukrainian Government as the indigenous peoples of Crimea.[174] Since Russia's occupation and internationally unrecognized annexation of the peninsula in 2014, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol have been disputed,[175] with most countries recognizing the territory as de jure part of Ukraine while de facto it remains under Russian control.[176]
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References

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