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Abstract

This paper examines how Pamiri-Isma'ili migrant populations in Poland maintain, negotiate, and transmit their intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in the context of migration and settlement. Originating from the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) of Tajikistan, Pamiris constitute a marginalised ethno-linguistic and religious minority whose identities are shaped by minority language status, regional belonging, and adherence to Nizari Isma'ilism. Although migration flows from Central Asia to Poland have intensified over the past decade, Pamiri migrants and refugees remain largely invisible in Polish public debate and academic literature. Drawing on preliminary ethnographic research conducted since 2025, this project explores how a small but cohesive community of approximately 500 Pamiris in Polish urban centres mobilises ICH as a resource for belonging, continuity, and coping with displacement.

The study is grounded in contemporary anthropological and critical heritage scholarship, which conceptualises ICH not as a static inheritance but as a dynamic, performative, and continually negotiated set of practices. Following the UNESCO definition, it focuses on festive celebrations, religious rituals, music and poetry, as well as language practices, oral traditions, foodways, social practices, and community knowledge. The paper addresses the following questions: (1) Which forms of ICH are maintained, adapted, or silenced by Pamiri migrant populations in Poland, and in what social contexts (family, community gatherings, digital spaces) are they performed? (2) How is ICH renegotiated within the Polish social, political, and legal environment, including in interactions with state institutions, NGOs, and other migrant communities? The paper also explores how ICH functions as a resource for coping with displacement. Empirically, the project is based on in-depth interviews and participant observation among Pamiris in Poland, complemented by online ethnography of transnational Pamiri networks.

Preliminary findings suggest that ICH functions both as a resource for continuity and as a means of navigating displacement and uncertainty. Pamiris in Poland show a strong commitment to engaging in heritage practices, especially joint celebrations of religious and family occasions; at the same time, these practices are subject to transformation through interactions with Polish legal frameworks, the lack of adequate infrastructure, and the absence of appropriate social roles—particularly the absence of elder relatives. Furthermore, preliminary findings suggest that Pamiri cultural practices remain invisible within the Polish institutional framework.

The paper offers one of the first in-depth analyses of Central Asian ICH in the Polish migration context and contributes to broader debates on diasporic heritage, lived religion, and the politics of visibility in contemporary Europe.