The UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee has included Ukrainian Easter eggs in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This was reported by the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, writes WomanEL.
Our artists, bearers of living heritage, are dying in the fight for their homeland. Their loss undermines the very heart of our identity. After all, living heritage does not exist without people. We prove that even in the darkest times we remain invincible. The inclusion of Ukrainian pysanka in the UNESCO Representative List is proof of this. We proclaim to the whole world: living heritage unites us, gives us a sense of belonging and personifies our identity,
said the Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine Mykola Tochytskyi.
Today, the UNESCO list includes 611 elements from 140 countries around the world. From Ukraine, the Petrykivka painting, Kosiv painted ceramics and the Crimean Tatar ornament ornek have already been included in the list.
This year's achievement was the recognition of the first international element from Ukraine and Estonia – “Pysanka: Ukrainian tradition and the art of egg decoration.” According to representatives of the ICSC, the nomination began in 2017 thanks to cooperation with the Ukrainian community in Estonia.
The basis of the nomination included three elements:
- “Ukrainian Pysanka: tradition and art”, covering all regions of Ukraine;
- “Hutsul Pysanka Tradition”;
- “Ukrainian Easter Egg, Tradition and Art of Decorating Easter Eggs” (presented in the national list of Estonia).
The exchange and gifting of Easter eggs is a very important tradition for Ukrainians, regardless of whether they are connected with the church or not. Personal wishes and messages are recorded in various symbols on the eggs. The national patterns of Ukrainian Easter eggs are not accidental – each motif has its own meaning. This is what makes each pysanky unique,
the Ministry noted.
This recognition was made possible thanks to the efforts of the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to UNESCO, the National Commission of Ukraine for UNESCO, media practitioners and representatives of civil society.
Recently, the world also joyfully welcomed our actors. The Ukrainian opera about the explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station was shown at the Venice Biennale and in other European cities.