The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has submitted an official proposal to UNESCO for the inclusion of the Ukrainian vyshyvanka in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This initiative aims for international recognition of the vyshyvanka as a unique element of the cultural identity of the Ukrainian people.
This is reported by Finway
Vyshyvanka as a symbol of unity and traditions
The Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture of Ukraine, Tetiana Berezhna, emphasized that the tradition of the vyshyvanka is one of the most powerful forms of intangible heritage in the country. According to her, the vyshyvanka unites Ukrainians regardless of age, gender, or social status, and ensures the continuity of culture, being passed down from generation to generation in families, educational institutions, through workshops, festivals, and community initiatives.
“It unites people regardless of age, gender, or social status, preserves cultural continuity, and is passed down from generation to generation – in families, educational institutions, through workshops, festivals, and community initiatives. Today, the vyshyvanka is an important part of our lives. That is why it is so important for the world to know that it is ours and why it is so significant to us.”
Joint efforts for international recognition
The Ministry of Culture notes that the submission for consideration by UNESCO is the result of consolidated work by government institutions, artisans, representatives of civil society, researchers, and cultural organizations. All of them united around the idea of preserving and promoting the vyshyvanka as an important component of national heritage that deserves global recognition.
To date, elements of Ukrainian culture such as the tradition of borscht preparation, Petrykivka painting, Cossack songs of Dnipropetrovsk region, Kosiv painted ceramics, and Crimean Tatar ornament ornек have already been included in the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.