Paper short abstract:

Nowadays NGOs are being seen as the most powerful identity constructors, who by their projects create the perception of particular spaces and concrete communities. The source of this are topics, which they raise by eg. renewing cemeteries, but also the way in which they work within communities and produce a power.

Paper long abstract:

In 2008 an eastern Ukrainian NGO started its activity in Chernivtzi (town in Western Ukraine) with the superior definition of Jewish cemetery as a cultural heritage. Till their project nobody from the local community seemed to be interested in it - it had been seen in its bad condition (devastated tombstones and bushes). The NGO, by setting there volunteers, who cleaned it up and cooperated with citizens, started the campaign for the preservation of the cemetery and the education of the local community about the multicultural history of Chernivtzi. But after two years of this project nothing has been changed - still nobody seems to be interested in it.

To find the answer, why the local community has not been involved in the NGO's project we need to define the nature of cultural heritage - and differences between the point of view of organization and the natives. The way in which the NGO describes the cemetery shapes the identity of Jews in Chernivtzi, which is based on their XIX century representation and has nothing to do with their present situation.

In my paper I want to illustrate by examples from my 1-year fieldwork in Chernivtzi in which way the NGO defined the cultural heritage of Chernivtzi - what is the source of it and the consequences for how we perceive the city and all the region. By the experience of participant observation among Jews, I will try to get an answer about why they are not interested in the project and what is their perspective on their own identity and place of living.