On July 17, 2025, on the occasion of Ethnographer's Day, an online round table was held on the topic: «Traditional culture of Donetsk region during the war: from research to preservation,» organized by the Donetsk Regional Educational and Methodological Center for Culture with the support of the Donetsk Regional State Administration and the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Regional State Administration.
The event brought together folklorists, ethnographers, local historians, researchers, cultural workers, museum and library staff, as well as tradition bearers and representatives of national communities in Donetsk region.
The purpose of the round table was to draw attention to the current challenges in the field of preserving traditional culture in wartime, to exchange experiences between specialists, and to create a professional environment for supporting local cultural memory.
The round table program covered five thematic blocks:
• musical folklore,
• traditional clothing and embroidery as manifestations of regional identity,
• fieldwork and recording living traditions,
• the culture of national minorities,
• the use of archival materials in contemporary research.
Nine speakers—ethnographers, folklorists, researchers, and local historians—gave presentations at the event: Kateryna Zhuk, Svitlana Kravchenko, Larysa Azimova, Levon Azizyan, Iryna Kryuchenko, Mykola Akhbash, Olga Kantsir, Anatoliy Medvedev, and Serhiy Haiduk.
Based on the results of the round table, a thematic collection of materials entitled «Voices of Heritage: Pages of Ethnographic Research» will be prepared.
We sincerely thank each speaker for their professional contribution, in-depth research, sincere presentation of material, and willingness to share their experience with colleagues.
