Lithuania

Intangible cultural heritage in Lithuania

In Lithuania, the notion of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) includes both the content defined by the concepts of ethnic, traditional, inherent (native) culture, living traditions, and the newer traditions of more present days, usually developed because of the strong need of the community that see them as part of their identity. This notion encompasses the traditions that have never died and those that have been revived as well as the living phenomena, which have always had an important part in the identity of Lithuanians and all the nations living here.

The data on various aspects of people’s, families’, social groups’ ways of living (worldview, religion, beliefs, customs, agricultural activities, moral stances, environment, arts, etc.), which constitutes the essence of the ethnic culture and ICH, is recorded, archived, published and researched regularly in Lithuania. It goes back to several founding practices: the foreign chroniclers’ descriptions of the 9^th century, the first collection of Lithuanian songs published by Liudvikas Rėza in 1825 as well as the rise of the national culture during the second half of the 19^th and the beginning of 20^th centuries, which highlighted the phenomena of the folk culture and increased its documentation, inspiring the works of Dr. Jonas Basanavičius, Antanas and Jonas Juškos, and other prominent scholars of the time. Since 1918, the restoration of independent state of Lithuania, the works were continued and coordinated with the foundation of Lithuanian Folklore Archive and publications of academic papers. The documentation and research of folklore did not stop during the Soviet era either, which immensely contributed to the major traditional culture revitalization movement in 1960s–1970s initiated by the efforts of individuals and communities, and was one of the most important factors that led to the restoration of the country’s independence.

Today, the traditional culture of Lithuanians and other people residing here manifests in its natural environment and inherited form as well as in new and contemporary forms, such as festivals, concerts, trainings, conferences, various projects, specialized cultural routes, etc. In cities, towns and villages, there are more than 500 folklore groups, around 4000 folk artists and craftsmen, and a great promotion of traditional festivities, work and farming, cuisine, and other cultural areas. Every year, on the initiative of municipal administrations and cultural specialists the number of local ICH inventories has been expanding, to which local communities are especially encouraged to contribute. Heritage specialists and specialized cultural centers greatly contribute to the efficient heritage promotion, traditional dance clubs, crafts and other communities, social network groups are becoming more and more active and empowered, as well as individual initiatives. In some educational institutions (kindergartens, schools) the ICH and the ethnic culture content is integrated into the curriculum and the non-formal education.

The safeguarding of the traditional culture at the national level is ensured with legal, administrative and financial instruments. The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania is in charge of the implementation of the Convention for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (Convention) in Lithuania.

After completing the basic methodology development and other preparatory work regarding the awareness of the notion of ICH and the established means of safeguarding, transmitting and continuing the elements, the development of the Lithuanian ICH Inventory has begun in 2017. The inventory is updated every year with newly inscribed elements. Lithuanian National Culture Centre manages and maintains of the national Inventory.

 

Legal framework for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage

• UNESCO Convention of the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003)
• Law on the Principles of the State Protection of Ethnic Culture (1996, updated in 2016)
• Law of the Song Celebrations (2007)
• Law of National Heritage Products (2007) 

 

Institutions in charge of safeguarding and raising awareness of intangible cultural heritage

Various institutions and non-governmental organizations managing ICH in Lithuania:

• In the cultural area: the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, its subordinates specialists from Cultural Heritage Policy Group and Specialists Board for Ethnic Culture (since 2019 – Council for Ethnic Culture and Intangible Cultural Heritage), Lithuanian National Culture Centre, national museums, he Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO, specialized ethnic culture centres, specialists for ethnic culture and intangible cultural heritage, cultural centres, museums and libraries operating in municipalities;
• Regarding science and education system: the Ministry of Education, science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania, science institutes (The Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore, the Institute of the Lithuanian Language, the Lithuanian Institute of History, the Lithuanian Culture Research Institute), institutions of higher education, schools, kindergartens;
• The archives of special significance specializing in this area are the Folklore Archive of the Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore, the Archive of Musical Folklore of the Ethnomusicology Department of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater;
• In the environment field: the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania, the directorates of protected areas, the professionals working in them;
• In the agriculture system: the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania, its advisory bodies Council for National Heritage Products and the Commission of Experts for National Heritage Products, Traditional Fairs, Traditional Craft Training Programs, Certification of Traditional Craftsmen, traditional crafts centre founded by the ministry;
• In the economy field: the Ministry of Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania, tourist information centres, business entities;
• NGOs: Lithuanian Folk Artists Union, Lithuanian Ethnography Society, Lithuanian Ethnic Culture Society, Association of Cultural Centres, organizations related to the tradition of Song Celebrations (Lithuanian Choral Union, Lithuanian Choreographers’ Association, etc.), the Union of Educators of Lithuanian Traditional Culture, local communities, etc.

The Council for the Protection of Ethnic Culture under Seimas is the expert group and advisor of the Seimas and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania in solving strategic issues of state care and policy formation of ethnic culture and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage; there are five subdivisions of the council working on the protection and the instruments of raising awareness of the ethnic culture of the ethnographic regions.

 

Financial instruments

The Government and the municipal administrations maintain the institutions they set up, fund their work, the Ministry of Culture funds instruments for the Continuity of the Song Celebration Tradition. The Lithuanian Council for Culture (Lithuanian Foundation for Culture) grants partial funding to the winning projects of ethnic culture and ICH projects, since 2019 regional projects, including the field of ethnic culture, are funded by the Sustainable Cultural Development Program through regional councils for culture. 

 

Reward instruments

The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania issues the national Jonas Basanavičius Grant, 3 annual ethnic culture grants and 4–6 scholarships.

The Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania awards national heritage craftsmen and craft centers.

Lithuanian National Culture Centre gives the award “Aukso paukštė” for the best amateur art groups and their leaders as well as “Aukso vainikas” for the folk craftsmen and “Sidabro vainikėlis” for the young craftsmen.

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