Press releases

MINSK, 16 August (BelTA) – International experts will issue their recommendations on the inclusion of the Budslav fest into the UNESCO Heritage List by November, Alla Stashkevich, the head of scientific support of the protection of historical and cultural heritage at the Institute of Culture of Belarus, told BelTA.

UNESCO experts are examining the Belarusian file on the celebrations in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God of Budslav which has been submitted for inclusion into the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Till the end of September the UNESCO experts will be reviewing Belarus’ file and will submit their findings to the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee. A session of the intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage will be held in Ethiopia in November-December this year. The decision will be taken on the Belarusian tradition then too.

As was reported, the tradition of celebrating the Icon of the Mother of God of Budslav (Budslav fest) was included into Belarus’ state list of historical and cultural heritage by Resolution No. 607 of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus as of 2 August 2016.

Alla Stashkevich added that Belarusian specialists are currently working on several UNESCO nomination files. For example, work is underway on the multinational file “Bagpipe Culture” which will feature the Belarusian pipe. Several countries are engaged in this project. It will tell about the bagpipes and related musical instruments in other European countries, including the Belarusian pipe. The file is to be submitted to the UNESCO for consideration in 2017. Another file will be submitted for inclusion into the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. The matter is about the ancient rite Yurievsky Khorovod (Yuriev Round Dance) celebrated in the village of Pogost, Zhitkovichi District, Gomel Oblast.