The Belarusian ritual has been included in UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

The spring ritual “Yuryevsky chorovod” was included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage at the XIV session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Bogota. The materials for the dossier were prepared by representatives of the Ministry of Culture, experts and participants of the ritual with the participation of the National Commission for UNESCO, the Permanent Delegation of Belarus to UNESCO in Paris, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ritual was also included in the State List of Historical and Cultural Properties of Belarus. The theatrical phenomenon of the play “Poulinka” of the Yanka Kupala National Academic Theatre, the tradition of spring roundelays on Easter and Easter week, the tradition of seeing off the winter in the village of Pinkovichi, Pinsk district, the caroling ceremony “Koniki” in David-Gorodka, Stolin district, Brest region, the tradition of making a unique banquet cake in the urban settlement of Porozovo, Grodno region, and creating carpets from straw on black canvas (the village of Rukhovo, the agrarian town of Pologozhevichi and Starye Dorogi of Minsk region) will also receive the status of historical and cultural value.

Inclusion of local rituals in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the State List of Historical and Cultural Properties is important for sustainable development at the local level. It contributes to raising the status of a given area, maintaining its attractiveness for local residents and popularizing it among tourists, and, accordingly, employment and decent work for local residents, creating infrastructure, building resilient settlements and peaceful and open communities for sustainable development (SDGs 8, 9, 11, 12, 16).

“Yuryevsky chorovos” is the third belarusian element on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The first was the Belarusian rite “Kaladnya Tsary” in the village of Semezhevo, Kopyl district, Minsk region (2009), the second was the “Celebration in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God of Budslavskaya (Budslav Fest)” in the village of Budslav, Myadel district, Minsk region (2018).
 
“Yuryevsky chorovod” is held in the village of Pogost, Zhitkovichi district, Gomel region. It is a spring ritual, including ritual songs, magical acts and entertainment, held for the fertility of the land and well-being. For the ritual the whole village houses and yards are cleaned, people prepare festive traditional clothes, bake and decorate ritual bread, and then the festive procession goes through the streets of the village to the sown field.