Center for Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Serbia

The Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage of Serbia was inaugurated at the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade on June 20th, 2012. The starting point of the Center's activities is the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003), which was ratified by the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia in May 2010. Since 2021, the Center has been performing the tasks entrusted to the central institution for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage, including maintaining the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The Center is responsible for collecting, documenting, researching and presenting elements of intangible cultural heritage from the territory of the Republic of Serbia. A particularly significant activity of the Center relates to cooperation with heritage bearers and local communities, with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of safeguarding ICH, its recognition, practice and transmission to the next generations. In order to work more effectively on the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage, the Center proposes and coordinates programs and projects at the national, regional and international level.

With the adoption of the Law on Cultural Heritage and Law on Museum Activity (2021), the Center for the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Serbia was entrusted with the tasks of the central institution for the safeguarding of ICH, which, in addition to maintaining the National Register, also includes other work related to the safeguarding of living heritage at the national and international level. In this regard, the Center is responsible for preparation of nomination files for the inscription of ICH of Serbia on the UNESCO Lists, as well as participating in the preparation of a strategy for the development of heritage institutions, ensuring the harmonization of the standards of conduct of domestic heritage institutions with internationally recognized professional standards, as well as issuing professional instructions for museums in the Republic of Serbia in the field of the safeguarding of ICH, and more.

By applying international standards, the Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage of Serbia has prepared nominations for the inscription on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The nominations were prepared in cooperation with proposers, and with active participation of experts, heritage bearers, cultural institutions, educational and scientific-research institutions, local government bodies, citizens’ associations, nongovernmental organizations and other stakeholders relevant to the safeguarding of this living heritage.
By implementing the established priorities at the national level, the Republic of Serbia has included the following elements оn the Unesco Representative List: Slava, celebration of family saint patron’s day (https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/slava-celebration-of-family-saint-patrons-day-01010) (2014), Кolo, traditional folk dance (https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/kolo-traditional-folk-dance-01270) (2017), Singing to the accompaniment of the gusle (https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/singing-to-the-accompaniment-of-the-gusle-01377) (2018), Zlakusa pottery making – hand-wheel pottery making in the village of Zlakusa (https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/zlakusa-pottery-making-hand-wheel-pottery-making-in-the-village-of-zlakusa-01466) (2020), Social practices and knowledge related to preparation and use of the traditional plum spirit – šljivovica (https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/social-practices-and-knowledge-related-to-the-preparation-and-use-of-the-traditional-plum-spirit-ljivovica-01882) (2022) and Naïve painting practices of Kovačica (https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/naive-painting-practices-of-kovaica-02104) (2024). This brought forth the international visibility of inscribed elements, as well as the intangible cultural heritage of Republic of Serbia as a whole.