To Get Together – Joint Preservation of Ukraine’s Living Heritage
The Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS) invites you to the expert event “To Get Together” – Joint Preservation of Ukraine’s Living Heritage. The event will take place on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at Kulturama, Račianska 22A in Bratislava, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
Migration, whether forced or voluntary, involves not only physical relocation but also the transfer and transformation of cultural practices, values, and traditions. Crises and conflicts present specific challenges for living heritage, particularly when they lead to large-scale forced migration. Due to the war in Ukraine, more than 130,000 people have found temporary refuge in Slovakia. Their integration process includes not only social and economic aspects but also cultural dimensions—preserving and creating living heritage. This includes oral traditions, language, social customs, rituals, celebrations, crafts, and other expressions passed down from generation to generation (UNESCO, 2003).
These topics are the focus of research by Mgr. Martina Wilsch, PhD., from the Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology SAS, within the project “To Get Together” – Strengthening the Capacity of Displaced Ukrainian Communities Through Living Heritage. The project, supported by the UNESCO Fund for Intangible Cultural Heritage, is being carried out by the Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology of SAV, v. v. i., in collaboration with the civic association Sme Spolu and the Milan Šimečka Foundation from June 2023 to March 2025.
The event will focus on the protection of Ukrainian living heritage in the context of displacement, its significance in the lives of Ukrainians in Slovakia, and its potential to contribute to their resilience and integration. In addition to presenting the results of the nearly two-year project, findings from qualitative research in this area will be shared, along with related recommendations and examples of best practices for protecting and supporting intangible cultural heritage in Slovakia and abroad (Ukraine, Romania, Hungary). The final program will feature a musical performance on the traditional Ukrainian instrument, the bandura.
The event is intended for experts, particularly researchers, public institution representatives, members of non-governmental organizations, and cultural and community center professionals involved in integrating war refugees from Ukraine into Slovak society and preserving intangible cultural heritage. Special attention will be given to the challenges and opportunities of protecting and supporting intangible cultural heritage in the context of forced migration, cultural identity, and social cohesion.
Simultaneous interpretation between Slovak and English will be provided throughout the event.
There will be an opportunity for media representatives to ask specific questions between 12:00 and 1:00 PM.
Please confirm your participation by Monday, February 17, 2025, via the registration form or by emailing martina.wilsch@savba.sk.
For any inquiries, please contact: Martina Wilsch, Email: martina.wilsch@savba.sk, Phone: +421 911 414 654.
Implemented as part of the project “To Get Together” – Strengthening the Capacity of Displaced Ukrainian Communities Living in Slovakia Through Living Heritage, supported by the UNESCO Fund for Intangible Cultural Heritage under the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Source: Ústav etnológie a sociálnej antropológie SAV, v. v. i.
Photo: Ján Háber