Every year on October 17, the International Day for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage is observed—a UNESCO initiative designed to draw attention to the preservation of living traditions, customs, rituals, crafts, and knowledge that are passed down from generation to generation and shape the cultural identity of peoples.
For the Donetsk region, which boasts a rich historical and cultural heritage and distinctive traditions, this day holds special significance. Amid Russian armed aggression, the occupation of parts of the region, and the forced displacement of residents, the preservation of cultural heritage is a vital component of safeguarding local identity, historical memory, and people’s connection to their homeland. Every researched and documented element of intangible cultural heritage bears witness to the uniqueness of the Donetsk region, its cultural diversity, and the resilience of its communities.
An important step in this direction was the latest series of meetings of the Regional Commission for Compiling the List of Elements of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Donetsk Region, which took place on the eve of the holiday.
Based on the review of the inventory forms submitted by the communities, a decision was made to include nine new elements in the regional inventory, representing the cultural heritage of the territorial communities of the Donetsk region:
- the practice of plaster casting in the Bakhmut City Territorial Community (Bakhmut District, Bakhmut Territorial Community);
- khurube—the tradition of making wedding and holiday cookies among the Greeks of Nadazov (Mariupol District, Sartana Territorial Community);
- Family knowledge and practices of preparing soup with stuffed dumplings in the Velykonovosilkovska Community (Volnovakha District, Velykonovosilkovska Territorial Community);
- The technique for preparing a mixed Cossack-style broth made from rooster and fish (Kramatorsk District, Kramatorsk Territorial Community);
- the tradition of making festive and memorial pancakes—“mizinchiki”—in the village of Serhiivka (Mariupol District, Mykolaivska Territorial Community);
- the legend of the Cossack Druzhko and the origin of the name of the city of Druzhkivka (Kramatorsk District, Druzhkivska Territorial Community);
- the knowledge and skills involved in preparing beetroot bekmes in the city of Volnovakha;
- the spring ritual “Trampling the Snowdrops” in the village of Ivanopillia, Kostyantynivska Territorial Community (Kramatorsk District, Kostyantynivska Territorial Community);
- the family tradition of making chebureks on Malanka and Vasyl’s Day in the Mykolaiv Community (Kramatorsk District, Mykolaiv Territorial Community).
The regional inventory of Donetsk Oblast’s intangible cultural heritage now comprises 41 elements. This confirms that the region’s cultural heritage continues to be researched, understood, and preserved despite the challenging circumstances of wartime. Behind each element lies the knowledge, experience, and memory of individuals, families, and communities who cherish traditions and pass them on to future generations.
International Day for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage is an opportunity to emphasize once again that by preserving traditions, we preserve the memory, identity, and spiritual strength of a people. For the Donetsk region, every new entry in the regional inventory represents another step toward affirming its own local identity and preserving cultural treasures that cannot be destroyed as long as they are remembered and passed down.
We express our sincere gratitude to the bearers of intangible cultural heritage, researchers, and representatives of local communities for their thorough research, documentation, and preservation of the unique traditions of the Donetsk region. It is thanks to your commitment, perseverance, and dedication to your homeland that its cultural heritage continues to thrive and find its rightful place in the history of Ukraine.
We congratulate the local communities on the official inclusion of new elements in the regional inventory, and we wish all bearers, researchers, and enthusiasts of these traditions a happy International Day for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage!
May every preserved tradition strengthen our unity, enrich the cultural treasures of the Donetsk region, and pass on a living memory of our homeland to future generations.