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Paper short abstract:

The presentation, based on UNESCO (Living Heritage Entity)-initiated empirical research in five countries neighbouring Ukraine, discusses the need for living heritage safeguarding among displaced Ukrainians and the role that the living heritage plays in supportive actions since spring 2022.

Paper long abstract:

In the spring of 2022, the war in Ukraine led to an unprecedented influx of people fleeing the Russian aggression, who have become (temporarily) hosted by neighbouring countries. The UNESCO Living Heritage Entity initiated an assessment of their needs related to the living heritage to, but not exclusively, enhance their early incorporation into society. In Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Moldova and Romania. Empirically grounded in combination of qualitative and quantitative methods in the first four months after the outbreak of the conflict, the presentation focuses on the need for living heritage safeguarding. Further, it discusses the role the living heritage played in their early incorporation and identifies the diversity of processes related to living heritage among displaced Ukrainian communities and institutions involved in their support.

The presentation will demonstrate that the displaced communities live with intangible cultural heritage and its transmission on an everyday basis and consider it to be an inseparable component of their lives and the lives of their children and ancestors. Moreover, the displaced communities reflect the importance of living heritage as a part of the resistance to aggression against their country. Thus, the presence of Ukrainian refugees has fostered grass-root actions, as well as the increasing number of activities carried out by diverse organizations and civil society to help Ukrainian refugees and bring Ukrainian culture closer to the receiving society. Numerous responses in all participating countries have pointed out that cultural patterns are activated in times of crisis and become a reservoir of resilience strategies.