Ukraine’s nomination, “The Safeguarding Program of Kobza and Wheel Lyre Tradition”, was officially added to UNESCO’s Register of Good Safeguarding Practices for Intangible Cultural Heritage at the 19th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Asunción, Paraguay.
“This is a recognition of our values, culture, identity, and heritage. This achievement will undoubtedly become part of our great Victory. The unprovoked war against Ukraine has claimed taken the lives of 133 Ukrainian artists, including six members of the Kobzar Guilds who stood in defense of our nation defended our nation. Today, as just as the imperial and Stalinist regimes once did, russia continues its efforts to destroy Ukrainian culture – our kobza traditions and the bearers of our living heritage. Yet, Ukrainian culture remains resilient and unbreakable, despite these attempts to sever us from our roots,” stated Mykola Tochytskyi, the Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, in his video address.
This global milestone is the result of diligent work by a Ukrainian initiative group, which began its efforts in August 2022. Later that year, Kobzarstvo (the kobza and wheel lyre tradition) was included in Ukraine’s National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
In 2023, the Kobzar Guilds of Kyiv, Lviv, and Kharkiv together with the “Watch Ukrainian!” Association, the NGO “Center for Development ‘Democracy through Culture’”, the charitable foundation “MHP – Gromadi”, and the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine led Ukraine’s submission of the kobza and wheel lyre tradition and its safeguarding program to include it to UNESCO’s Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The recognition of the kobza and wheel lyre tradition as a vital part of humanity’s cultural heritage marks a significant and timely victory. Today, the bearers of this tradition, members of the Kobzar Guilds, much like during the Cossack era, stand alongside Ukrainian soldiers, inspiring resilience and courage throughout the nation.
This remarkable achievement was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Permanent Delegation of Ukraine to UNESCO, the National Commission of Ukraine for UNESCO, the Kobzar Guilds of Kyiv, Lviv, and Kharkiv, and all other organizations committed to advancing this program.
