The ILI team presented to the public a methodology for assessing damage to intangible cultural heritage

The team of the Institute of Legislative Ideas took part in the XIV Civil Society Forum “(We)STAND,” which on December 5 at Mystetskyi Arsenal brought together more than 4,000 participants and 200 speakers from the civil society sector, state institutions, business, and international partners.

This year, we promoted a topic that requires urgent state attention – the creation of a modern system for documenting losses of intangible cultural heritage and supporting the people who preserve it. Anastasiia Petsenchuk, ILI’s Project Manager, presented tools for measuring the damage to intangible cultural heritage caused by the war, specifically through documenting:

• the loss of knowledge bearers and artisans;
• the interruption of knowledge transmission and the disappearance of apprenticeship;
• the destruction of environments and contexts in which the heritage existed;
• changes in identity and practices among internally displaced persons.

ILI emphasizes that without such tools, the state will be unable to effectively plan its recovery policy. Our recommendations include introducing indicators of the viability of intangible heritage elements, a damage index, and systematic monitoring that makes it possible to document both quantitative and qualitative losses.

We thank ISAR Ednannia for organizing a platform for professional discussion. We continue working to ensure that Ukrainian cultural heritage and its bearers receive the protection and support they deserve.