For UNESCO it is important that the actions to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage and initiatives start from the people, said Andrei Prohin, scientific secretary of the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History and secretary of the National Commission for the Safeguarding of the National Intangible Heritage. Although the actions of state institutions are also important, the people themselves must show interest in preserving intangible cultural heritage elements, Andrei Prohin stated in IPN’s public debate “UNESCO file “Cobza”. Moldovan-Romanian cooperation in promotion of intangible cultural heritage”.

The UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity includes four elements of Romanian intangible cultural heritage. In 2024, the fifth joint file “Cobza, traditional knowledge, skills and music” is pending. It was recently submitted to the UNESCO Special Committee. Andrei Prohin, said that in order to keep alive the cobza cultural heritage element, the file proposes continuing the already existing good practices. In particular, it goes to the monitoring of ensembles and individual singers who use the cobza, staging of museum exhibitions, teaching of the art of cobza playing in educational institutions of different levels, organizing of amateur courses within the National Center for the Conservation and Promotion of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

“Two years ago, I attended the session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee where the file “The Art of the Traditional Blouse with Embordery on the Shoulder” was voted. You should know that other countries advertise at these sessions, organize particular meetings through which they present certain traditions that they intend to inscribe in the future in the heritage of humanity. For example, Turkey had a session devoted to the archery tradition. For this purpose, we were shown that there is an association that deals with the study of this military tradition, of archery, there is also an institute that collects facts in this regard. Imagine how good it would be if we could show, for example, that we have an association for the cobza or an association for studying traditional instruments,” said Andrei Prohin.

Among the elements that could be proposed to be included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the secretary of the National Commission for the Safeguarding of the National Intangible Heritage named the traditional gastronomy and traditions of viticulture and winemaking.

The public debate was the third edition of the project “Double integration through cooperation and information. Continuity”, which is funded by the Department for Relations with the Republic of Moldova. The content of this debate does not represent the official position of the Department for Relations with the Republic of Moldova.