On September 10, 2025, Raphael Lemkin Society board member Mariia Zadorozhna joined the Human Rights Club discussion “Intangible Cultural Heritage: (In)visible Values, (Un)accounted Losses,” organized by the Center for Civil Liberties and the Coalition of Culture Actors in Kyiv.
The discussion focused on why Ukraine’s intangible cultural heritage faces heightened risks during Russia’s war. While the physical destruction of monuments and museums makes international headlines, the quieter loss of songs, dialects, rituals, and family traditions often goes unnoticed. These living traditions form the cultural fabric of communities — and once lost, they cannot be rebuilt.
Speakers emphasized the need for an interdisciplinary approach, where lawyers and prosecutors work alongside cultural researchers to document losses. Such collaboration strengthens both the legal case for accountability and the moral foundation for protecting culture in wartime.
Examples discussed included the endangered Avdiivka porridge tradition, added to Ukraine’s national heritage list in 2022, and the disappearance of regional dialects that reflect centuries of local identity. These losses are difficult to document and prove, making them less visible to the global community.
Protecting intangible heritage requires urgent action:
- Recording voices, stories, songs, and rituals
- Digitizing family archives and personal collections
- Engaging youth to collect oral histories and create family records
- Partnering with universities and NGOs to expand preservation efforts
Ultimately, a national strategy — supported by international partners — is essential to safeguard Ukraine’s living traditions and ensure they are not erased by war.
The Raphael Lemkin Society is grateful to the Center for Civil Liberties and the Coalition of Culture Actors for convening this timely and important discussion.