Felt-making, traditional Kazakh embroidery, as well as salburyn – hunting with Tazy hounds and birds of prey – may be included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Over the past 10 years, 14 cultural elements with Kazakhstan’s participation have already been inscribed on the list. A large-scale inventory of intangible cultural heritage is set to take place across the country this year. Researchers intend to collect information about cultural elements and tradition bearers. This was announced at a seminar on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage currently being held in Astana. It is attended by UNESCO international facilitators from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Thailand. The specialists are presenting their initiatives in the field of cultural cooperation and sharing their experience in further developing this area.
«We are working on nominations for inclusion in the Representative List under the 2003 UNESCO Convention. We are discussing the purpose of these nominations and the significance of the Representative List, as well as the benefits that the inclusion of a particular element can bring to the country. We are also discussing the work of heritage bearers and how their knowledge and experience can be further developed and passed on to future generations. After all, it is the people who possess these traditional skills who define intangible cultural heritage,» noted Saniya Bazheneyeva, UNESCO international facilitator, Kazakhstan.
«So, this workshop is very important in the sense that is a continuation of Kazakhstan’s safeguarding efforts. So, this workshop focuses on developing nomination files. And nomination files are part of the step towards inscription of intangible cultural heritage elements on the UNESCO list. It’s rather about how does Kazakhstan bring together all the information of its actual safeguarding activities and efforts into writing, into a nomination,» said Linina Phuttitarn, UNESCO international facilitator, the Kingdom of Thailand.
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