Olivier and the 'Irony of Fate': why Russian New Year traditions were not included in the UNESCO list

UNESCO cannot include in the list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity such Russian New Year's customs as preparing and eating Olivier salad and watching the film "The Irony of Fate" because the Russian Federation refused to approve and ratify the corresponding international convention on such heritage. Writes about this with the BBC.

Фото: Depositphotos

This was reported by representatives of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), RIA Novosti reports.

The list of cultural traditions protected by UNESCO contains many non-trivial objects: from the philosophy of yoga, Uzbek pilaf and Armenian lavash to poetic duels between improvisers in Cyprus (art "tsiattista").

State Duma deputy from United Russia Viktor Zubarev suggested to UNESCO that the favorite attributes of the New Year's table from Soviet times be included in this list. In his application, he listed not only the elements of the feast - Olivier salad, herring under a fur coat, jellied meat - but also sledding, watching "The Irony of Fate", playing snowballs and cutting out paper snowflakes.

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Some commentators, however, believe that Russia has more worthy objects of intangible heritage: for example, the novels of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, poetry of Pushkin and Brodsky, or, for example, a table of chemical elements of Dmitry Mendeleev.

В UNESCO conventionswhich entered into force 13 years ago, involved 178 countries. But among them there is no USA, Russia and Great Britain.

For this reason, Russia does not have the right to offer its facilities for listing. Nevertheless, Russia is represented in the list by two points: this Yakut national epic "Olonkho" и folklore of family old believersliving in Transbaikalia. By including them on a list proposed by other countries in 2008, UNESCO encouraged Russia to once again consider ratifying the convention.

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“Olivier and “The Irony of Fate” are fragments of Soviet identity that will disappear and will not become some kind of long-term intangible heritage,” believes Russian publicist Semyon Novoprudsky. “The main intangible cultural heritage of Russia is great literature, in my opinion (primarily Chekhov, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky in prose, Pushkin, Baratynsky, Mandelstam and Brodsky in poetry), as well as the periodic table.”

Why is Russia not participating in the UNESCO convention?

Any state can approve and ratify the UNESCO document on the protection of distinctive cultural practices and customs at any time.

The Convention was created in 2003, and entered into force three years later, when enough countries were gathered where parliaments ratified it. By 2019, 178 countries have joined the convention, including France, Germany, China and the vast majority of developing countries.

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When State Duma deputies were asked in 2018 why Russia was not included in this number, Communist Party deputy Elena Drapeko, head of the parliamentary committee on culture, said that this convention, in her opinion, is harmful: it has slowed down the development of the peoples of those countries that have ratified it , and also preserves such controversial traditions as bridewealth or flagellation.

The list includes heritage sites from 127 countries, most of them from China.

The United Kingdom refrains from participating, as UNESCO’s wording indicates that the property is in need of protection and is in danger of extinction.

In response to a parliamentary request why Britain is not a party to the convention, Lord Ashton on behalf of the government said, that from the various UNESCO projects it is necessary to choose those from which the country will benefit most - and the oral traditions and folk games of parts of the United Kingdom are already well preserved.

The United States completely withdrew from UNESCO and does not participate in any organization's projects.

What did UNESCO mean by “intangible heritage”?

According to UNESCO Convention, “intangible cultural heritage” means the practices, representations and expressions, knowledge and skills - and associated instruments, objects, artifacts and cultural spaces - recognized by communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals as part of their cultural heritage.

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This intangible cultural heritage is recreated from generation to generation and forms a sense of identity and continuity.

Every year the list is replenished: convention participants propose what to add, and at a special session - each year in a new part of the world - the committee approves new objects. The committee rotates and countries from all continents are represented.

Judging by the fact that this year UNESCO included mountain climbing and traditional Thai massage on the list, the phenomenon does not have to be on the verge of extinction to be on the list. Reggae music and yoga philosophy are also unlikely to disappear in the foreseeable future.

The criterion of uniqueness and originality is more important. The UNESCO Convention also emphasizes that custom or oral art must be repeated from generation to generation, forming the cultural identity of the community.

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