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Intangible cultural heritage of Belarus

Belarusian excursion Internet portal Ekskursii.by offers to take part in excursions with visit to objects of intangible cultural heritage that will be of interest to all lovers of culture and history.

Intangible cultural heritage - customs, knowledge and skills, traditions and related tools, objects, artifacts recognized by communities and groups as their cultural heritage. Intangible heritage is passed on from generation to generation and forms a sense of identity and continuity in society.

In 2003 Belarus became one of the first countries to sign the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, and became a member of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for its Protection. Today in Belarus there is a single State list of protection of historical and cultural values for both tangible and intangible objects. The list already includes more than 60 elements of intangible cultural heritage, some of which are on the UNESCO list.

Unique folk traditions of Belarus

  • Intangible Cultural Heritage of Belarus

    Marriage of Tereshka

    Place: Lepel district, Vitebsk region

    Time: July 2

    Kolyady game «Marriage of Tereshka» is a comic wedding, arranged by the village youth, so that couples can get to know each other better. The ceremony consists of a series of games, during which girls and boys get to know each other, and the marriage itself, which is traditionally held by elders. In 2009, the ritual game is recognized as the historical and cultural value of Belarus.

  • Intangible cultural heritage of Belarus

    «Yurevsky round dance» in Pogost

    Place: Pogost village, Zhitkovichi District, Gomel Region
    Time: May 6

    Yuryevsky round dance is one of the authentic rites of the spring cycle with beautiful examples of ancient round dances and songs, distinctive material manifestations of regional culture - colorful folk costume and ritual bread (karavai-"karagodam"). The holiday of Yurya (in the Orthodox Christian tradition - the Day of St. George the Victorious) is celebrated on May 6. Associated with the inspection of winter rye and includes ritual actions aimed at the fertility of the land and the well-being of people. In 2019, the Yuryevsky Round Dance ritual was included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

  • Intangible Cultural Heritage of Belarus

    Rite of the Kalyady Tsars

    Place: Semezhevo, Kopyl district, Minsk Region

    Time: January 13

    «Rite of the Kalyady Tsars» -a unique folk rite of the Kopyl region, which arose in the XVIII century, when the troops of the tsarist army stood near Semezhovo. On the New Year's Day, officers and soldiers went home, showed performances, sang, danced, for which they received refreshments and gifts from their hosts. After the squad left the village, the locals retained and developed this tradition. In 2009, «Rite of the Kalyady Tsars» entered the list of intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO.

  • Intangible Cultural Heritage of Belarus

    Budslav Fest

    Place: Budslav, Myadel district, Minsk Region

    Time: July 2

    The celebration in honor of the veneration of the Icon of the Mother of God of Budslav is held in the town of Budslav annually. It attracts believers from all over Belarus and neighboring countries. The celebration is one of the largest religious festivals in Belarus and has been transformed into a beautiful spiritual festival, which gathers thousands of pilgrims who want to worship the Mother of God of Budslav. In 2019, the Budslav Fest rite entered the list of intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO.

  • Intangible Cultural Heritage of Belarus

    Pull Kalyada on Oak

    Place: Noviny, Berezino district, Minsk Region
    Time: end of January

    «Pull Kalyada on Oak» - unique ceremony, the finale carnation festivals. By tradition, the villagers gather and decorate the ritual doll, then they bring the doll to the oak tree at the end of the settlement, dump and burn the old doll and pull it onto the new tree. According to legends, this ceremony attracts a rich harvest, good luck and happiness for the whole next year. In 2011, the ritual game was included in the list of intangible historical and cultural heritage of Belarus.

  • Intangible cultural heritage of Belarus

    The culture of beekeeping

    Belarus has been engaged in beekeeping since the 16th century. Nowadays, the trade is mainly preserved by the residents of Ubort Polesie and the environs of Lelchitsy. Families pass on the secrets of the ancient tradition by inheritance and make hives themselves similar to a real bee nest. A person who collects honey from a beehive practically does not interfere with the life of bees, leaving it as close to life in natural conditions as possible. In 2020, the ritual of beekeeping culture was included in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

  • Intangible cultural heritage of Belarus

    Belarusian vytinanka

    The art of vytinanka emerged in the 16th century and continues to be an important part of Belarusian culture and is actively used in the interior decoration of houses, public places, as well as in theatrical scenery and at holidays. Vytinanka is a paper cut-out patterns and ornaments that often reflect the nature, history, myths and customs of Belarus. In 2024, the Belarusian vytinanka was included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

  • Intangible Cultural Heritage of Belarus

    Oil sheep

    Place: Glubokoe district, Vitebsk region

    Oil sheep - an ancient Easter dish of Belarusian cuisine with more than 200 years of history. A ram is made from homemade butter cooked in a wooden churn with salt. Oil is squeezed bit by bit through 2 layers of gauze and makes curly lamb hair. The tradition of cooking oil sheep is included in the list of intangible cultural heritage of Belarus.

  • Intangible Cultural Heritage of Belarus

    Rye bread

    Place: Glubokoe district, Vitebsk region

    Rye bread - unique recipe, preserved in the Deepbotchina. Recipe unleavened rye bread for several centuries. His main secret is in a special sourdough made from rye flour and water. Housewives make such bread on a maple leaf, sometimes fat is added to spice, sausage, and an egg. The tradition of cooking oil sheep is included in the list of intangible cultural heritage of Belarus.

  • Intangible Cultural Heritage of Belarus

    Shapovalstvo

    Place: Dribin district, Mogilev region

    Shapovalstvo - craft on hand felting. Dribin felt boots were known not only in Belarus and Russia, but also abroad. Dribin shaping masters speak the conditional language Katrushnitsky Lemezen, which was formed to preserve the secrets of mastery. Since 2009, the tradition of chatter in Dribin district has the status of the intangible historical and cultural value of the Republic of Belarus.

  • Intangible Cultural Heritage of Belarus

    Straw weaving of Belarus

    Straw weaving is an original phenomenon of the Belarusian national culture, which has no analogues in the world. The artistic practices of straw weaving remain a living tradition that is continuously enriched. The country has established a system of teaching the craft, transferring knowledge about the technology of processing material, the continuity of its artistic traditions. Straws of cereal crops are used as ornamental material. In December 2022, the straw weaving of Belarus was included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO.

You can get advice on organizing excursions with a visit to the intangible cultural heritage of Belarus using following ways:

  1. from your order page;
  2. by phone (+37529) 756-66-65, send a message to Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram, Skype;
  3. by phone (+37517) 394-49-13 (multichannel);
  4. by E-mail - send a message >>

If you did not find a suitable option among the proposed options, send us a request for organizing the excursion, indicate your wishes for the trip, within 24 hours our specialists will send you offers.

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