# Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ukraine

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) intangible cultural heritage elements (Ukrainian: Нематеріальна культурна спадщина) are the 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. The "intangible cultural heritage" is defined by the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, drafted in 2003 and took effect in 2006. Inscription of new heritage elements on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists for their protection and safeguard is determined by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, an organisation established by the convention.
Ukraine ratified the convention on 27 May 2008. As of December 2024, seven items from Ukraine are inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity Lists, and three items — embroidery technique 'white-in white' of the town Reshetylivka in Poltava region, Rivne region tradition of the Polissia Dudka-Vykrutka, and safeguarding practice of the "Tradition of the Generous Evening in Ukraine" through formal and non-formal education — were nominated in 2023 and 2024.
The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine has also formed the National Inventory of Elements of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ukraine.

## Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
### Representative List

| Name | Year | No. | Description |
| Petrykivka decorative painting as a phenomenon of the Ukrainian ornamental folk art | 2013 | 00893 | It is a traditional Ukrainian decorative painting style, originating from the rural settlement of Petrykivka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, where it was traditionally used to decorate house walls and everyday household items. |
| Tradition of Kosiv painted ceramics | 2019 | 01456 | The distinctive painted ceramics from Kosiv originated in the 1700s and reflect the history and culture of Hutsul people. |
| Örnek, a Crimean Tatar ornament and knowledge about it | 2021 | 01601 | It is a design of ornamentation, which is used on embroidery, weaving, pottery, engraving, jewellery, wood carving, and glass and wall painting; the listing also includes knowledge and understanding of the practice. |
| Pysanka, Ukrainian tradition and art of decorating eggs + | 2024 | 02134 | To create pysanky, eggs are partially covered in wax and dipped in dye to produce colourful patterns and ornaments that may carry symbolic meaning. Nowadays, the tradition is associated with Easter and can be found throughout Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora, especially in Estonia, resulting in the shared nomination of the item from both Ukraine and Estonia. |

### Need of Urgent Safeguarding

| Name | Image | Year | No. | Description |
| Cossack’s songs of Dnipropetrovsk Region | | 2016 | 01194 | These works, sung by Cossack communities in the region, talk about the tragedy of war and the personal experiences of soldiers. The lyrics maintain spiritual ties with the past, but are also entertaining. |
| Culture of Ukrainian borscht cooking | | 2022 | 01852 | This beetroot soup has its place as a distinct culinary practice in Ukraine. The recipe of borscht is passed on within families, and the dish is associated with numerous regional ritual practices. The element is in need of safeguarding due to the displacement of people and disruption of agriculture caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. |

### Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

| Name | Image | Year | No. | Description |
| Safeguarding programme of kobza and wheel lyre tradition | | 2024 | 02136 | Players of kobza and wheel lyre, known as kobzari and lirnyky, were visually impaired travelling musicians that formed guilds. Despite their persecution in early Soviet Union, the tradition has survived with the re-establishment of kobzar guilds in 1980s and the popularization of the tradition in the modern era. |

## National Inventory

As of July 2024, one hundred three items are inscribed in the National Inventory of Elements of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ukraine. The list is divided into five sections.

### National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage

| # | Item | Date inscribed | No. |
| 1 | Tradition of Kosiv painted ceramics ↑ | December 14, 2012 | 001 |
| 2 | Krolevets handloom weaving [uk] | December 14, 2012 | 002 |
| 3 | Opishnia ceramics [uk] | December 14, 2012 | 003 |
| 4 | Petrykivka painting, a Ukrainian decorative ornamental art of 19th–21st centuries ↑ | December 14, 2012 | 004 |
| 5 | Cossack's songs of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast ↑ | January 21, 2015 | 005 |
| 6 | Singing tradition of Luka village in Kyiv Oblast | June 29, 2017 | 006 |
| 7 | Technology of "white on white" embroidery [uk] of Reshetylivka | June 29, 2017 | 007 |
| 8 | Tradition of floral ornamental carpet weaving in Reshetylivka [uk] | February 12, 2018 | 008 |
| 9 | Tradition of ornamental painting of Bubnivka ceramics [uk] | May 30, 2018 | 010 |
| 10 | Tree beekeeping | May 30, 2018 | 011 |
| 11 | Tradition of Hutsul pysanka ↑ | November 16, 2018 | 012 |
| 12 | Tradition of folk ritual "Vodinnia Kusta [uk]" in Svarytsevychi village in Rivne Oblast | November 16, 2018 | 014 |
| 13 | Tradition of Samchyky decorative painting [uk] | July 4, 2019 | 015 |
| 14 | Artistic wood carving of Chernihiv Oblast | July 4, 2019 | 017 |
| 15 | Hutsul koliada and pliesy of Verkhovyna Raion of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast | December 28, 2019 | 018 |
| 16 | Custom of performing Arkan with Kovalivka dance in Pechenizhyn settlement hromada | August 5, 2020 | 019 |
| 17 | Art of making the musical clay toy "Valkivskyi svyshchyk [uk]" | August 5, 2020 | 020 |
| 18 | Technology of making wax vinok in Vinnytsia Oblast | August 5, 2020 | 021 |
| 19 | Culture of Ukrainian borscht cooking ↑ | October 13, 2020 | 022 |
| 20 | Carpathian lizhnyk production | October 13, 2020 | 023 |
| 21 | Borshchiv folk embroidery [uk] | October 13, 2020 | 024 |
| 22 | Technology of Klembivka embroided shirt weaving "with a flower" | October 13, 2020 | 025 |
| 23 | Easter folk ritual "Vodyty Volodara" in Rozkoshivka village in Vinnytsia Oblast | October 13, 2020 | 026 |
| 24 | Tradition of Yavoriv pie [uk] cooking | July 6, 2022 | 027 |
| 25 | Making the spherical Christmas star in Matskovychi village | July 6, 2022 | 028 |
| 26 | Knowledge and practice of Sakhnovshchyna [uk] korovai cooking | July 6, 2022 | 029 |
| 27 | New Year tradition of Bukovina Malanka | July 6, 2022 | 031 |
| 28 | Characteristics of Klezmer music performance in Podilsk Raion of Odesa Oblast | July 6, 2022 | 032 |
| 29 | "Moshu" (men's koliada) Christmas ritual | July 6, 2022 | 033 |
| 30 | Knowledge, skills and practices concerning Biliaivka fish yushka cooking and eating | July 6, 2022 | 034 |
| 31 | Milina – knowledge, skills, and rituals | July 6, 2022 | 036 |
| 32 | Dry stone method of construction | July 6, 2022 | 037 |
| 33 | Buzynnyk [uk] – an elderberry dessert, traditions of cooking and eating | July 6, 2022 | 038 |
| 34 | Tradition of cooking the ritual dish "krupky" in Mostove village in Andrushivka hromada in Zhytomyr Oblast | July 6, 2022 | 039 |
| 35 | Art of making the Yavoriv wooden toy [uk] | July 6, 2022 | 040 |
| 36 | Tradition of vine weaving in Iza village in Khust Raion | July 6, 2022 | 042 |
| 37 | Hutsul [uk] bryndzia | July 6, 2022 | 044 |
| 38 | Culture of platsynda cooking and eating [uk] in the villages of Frumushika river valley | July 6, 2022 | 045 |
| 39 | Ukrainian pysanka: tradition and art ↑ | July 6, 2022 | 046 |
| 40 | Tree beekeeping of Kyiv Oblast | July 6, 2022 | 047 |
| 41 | Tradition of straw plaiting in Turiisk hromada of Volyn Oblast | July 25, 2022 | 048 |
| 42 | Plum lekvar – tradition of cooking and culture of eating in Zakarpattia | July 25, 2022 | 050 |
| 43 | Ceremony of sowing with a horse in Vistria village in Chortkiv Raion in Ternopil Oblast | October 24, 2022 | 051 |
| 44 | Traditional ritual bread of Vinnytsia Oblast | December 23, 2022 | 052 |
| 45 | Kobzarstvo ↑ | December 23, 2022 | 053 |
| 46 | Upper San dialect around Mostyska region | December 23, 2022 | 056 |
| 47 | Bukovinian and Bessarabian taystra: traditions of making and using in daily life | January 27, 2023 | 059 |
| 48 | Tradition of cooking and eating St. George's Day ritual breads in Krynychne village | February 17, 2023 | 062 |
| 49 | Tradition of reed weaving in Shchitky and Pysarivka villages in Vinnytsia Raion in Vinnytsia Oblast | May 4, 2023 | 064 |
| 50 | Tradition of grave cross decoration in Rivne Polissia | May 4, 2023 | 065 |
| 51 | Cooking of holubtsi, a Ukrainian traditional dish | May 4, 2023 | 066 |
| 52 | Traditional sheep farming in Bessarabia and the knowledge related to it | May 4, 2023 | 067 |
| 53 | Tradition of "Povinshuvannia Vasyliv" ritual in Lypivka village in Rohatyn territorial hromada in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast | May 4, 2023 | 068 |
| 54 | Bukovinian memorial tree with gifts | May 25, 2023 | 069 |
| 55 | Tradition of Hutsul artistic wood carving | July 12, 2023 | 071 |
| 56 | Traditional Malanka ritual in Beleluia village in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast | July 12, 2023 | 072 |
| 57 | Traditional women's bead jewelry [uk] in Prykarpattia | July 12, 2023 | 073 |
| 58 | Tradition and technology of embroidery of women's shirts in Hadiach region | July 12, 2023 | 074 |
| 59 | Ceremony of cooking zlyvana kasha | July 26, 2023 | 076 |
| 60 | Technology of cooking the ritual drink "Varena" in Boromlia village | July 26, 2023 | 077 |
| 61 | Tradition and technology of manufacturing Obukhiv "stitched" rushnyk | December 12, 2023 | 081 |
| 62 | Traditional holiday "Mira" | December 26, 2023 | 083 |
| 63 | Traditional weaving in Kamin-Kashyrskyi hromada | December 26, 2023 | 084 |
| 64 | Tradition of Shchedryi vechir in Ukraine | December 26, 2023 | 085 |
| 65 | Tradition of drying fruits in the villages of Okhtyrka region [uk] | December 26, 2023 | 086 |
| 66 | Tradition of cooking and eating "Zozulia" kasha [uk] | February 23, 2024 | 089 |
| 67 | Traditional folk game "Ashyk" | May 27, 2024 | 094 |
| 68 | Tradition of performing the ritual men's dance "Serben" [uk] in Chortovets village | May 27, 2024 | 095 |
| 69 | Culture of traditional Hutsul cheese shaping [uk] | May 27, 2024 | 096 |
| 70 | Wedding ritual of "Chytannia korony" | May 27, 2024 | 097 |
| 71 | Tradition of bell ringing in Lviv | July 24, 2024 | 098 |
| 72 | Culture of preparation and consumption of "Zasypana kapusta" | July 24, 2024 | 099 |
| 73 | Tradition of making the Boiko pysanka using a bulavka | July 24, 2024 | 100 |
| 74 | Ritual of installing the "Vikha" in Pereiaslav region | July 24, 2024 | 101 |

### National 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 temporary occupation, natural impacts, or temporary displacement of population.
| # | Item | Date inscribed | No. |
| 1 | Oleshnia pottery in Chernihiv Oblast | July 4, 2019 | 016 |
| 2 | The custom and technology of cooking the festive and memorial kasha in Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast | July 6, 2022 | 041 |
| 3 | Wedding utiata baking in Richky village [uk] | December 23, 2022 | 054 |
| 4 | Ritual of Zelekivska zlyvanka cooking | December 23, 2022 | 055 |
| 5 | Hutsul cooperage | December 23, 2022 | 057 |
| 6 | Art of making Hlyniany patterned textile | January 27, 2023 | 058 |
| 7 | Polissian dudka-vykrutka: traditions of making and playing | January 27, 2023 | 061 |
| 8 | Obukhovychi weaving [uk] | March 13, 2023 | 063 |
| 9 | Traditional craft of beekeeping in Svatove Raion in Luhansk Oblast | July 12, 2023 | 070 |
| 10 | Bukovina ceremonial vinok with needle grass | July 26, 2023 | 075 |
| 11 | Ritual "Honinnia hadiuk" | November 20, 2023 | 078 |
| 12 | Wedding braiding ceremony in the settlement of Bilokurakyne | November 20, 2023 | 080 |
| 13 | Lent holubtsi with potatoes [uk], the tradition of preparation and consumption | December 12, 2023 | 082 |
| 14 | Tradition of herbalism in Starobilsk region | December 26, 2023 | 087 |
| 15 | Kobolchyn ceramics | December 26, 2023 | 088 |
| 16 | Tradition of cooking zatirka in Kryva Luka village | February 23, 2024 | 090 |

### National Inventory of Proper Practices of Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage

The inventory accredits communities and organizations that help to preserve intangible cultural heritage.
| # | Item | Date inscribed | No. |
| 1 | Traditional Kharkiv kots [uk] weaving | July 6, 2022 | 030 |
| 2 | Museum of traditional folk art [uk] as an interactive space of the intangible cultural heritage of Odesa Oblast | July 6, 2022 | 035 |
| 3 | International Christmas festival "Koliada na Maizliakh [uk]" | July 6, 2022 | 043 |
| 4 | Practice of safekeeping the Goryun culture by "Museum of Goryun culture [uk]" in Nova Sloboda village in Konotop Raion in Sumy Oblast | January 27, 2023 | 060 |
| 5 | Practice of the protection [uk] of traditional crafts and folk art | November 20, 2023 | 079 |
| 6 | Practice of safekeeping of "Hutsul pattern (ornament) and related cultural space" | April 26, 2024 | 093 |
| 7 | Programme of safekeeping the tradition of covering houses with straw and reeds in the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Folkways of Ukraine | July 24, 2024 | 102 |

### National 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, which include Crimean Tatars, Crimean Karaites, and Krymchaks.
| # | Item | Date inscribed | No. |
| 1 | Örnek, a Crimean Tatar ornament and knowledge about it ↑ | February 12, 2018 | 009 |
| 2 | Tradition of et ayaklak (Karaim meat pie) cooking. Experience of Karaims of Melitopol | November 16, 2018 | 013 |
| 3 | Practice and cultural context of cooking çiberek and yantıq – traditional Crimean Tatar dishes | July 25, 2022 | 049 |
| 4 | Coffee tradition [uk] of Crimean Tatars | February 23, 2024 | 091 |
| 5 | Ağır ava ve Qaytarma – traditional dance of Crimean Tatars | February 23, 2024 | 092 |

### National Inventory of Elements that Have Been Revived due to the Disappearance of Tradition

The inventory includes elements of intangible cultural heritage that had disappeared but were successfully revived.
| # | Item | Date inscribed | Media | No. |
| 1 | Technique of embroidery "Horodok stitch" ("Horodok stib") | July 24, 2024 | | 103 |