Ethnic Klironomy

Ethnic Klironomy is an independent science within the Intangible Klironomy direction in the system of the klironomical sciences. It belongs to the group of sciences that study, preserve, recover, reconstruct, and transmit intangible forms of cultural heritage connected with collective identity, ethnic memory, traditional worldview, symbolic self-representation, and historically formed models of cultural belonging. Within the system of the klironomical sciences, Ethnic Klironomy occupies a specific place because it studies not only individual elements of intangible heritage, but also their role in forming and preserving the cultural individuality of ethnic communities. It connects traditions, language, folklore, customs, beliefs, social norms, historical narratives, and symbolic images into a unified ethnic heritage system.

1. Ethnology is the science that studies ethnic groups, ethnic processes, traditional forms of life, cultural characteristics of peoples, interethnic relations, and the historical development of ethnic communities.
2. Cultural anthropology is the science of culture as a system of tangible and intangible objects, ideas, values, behaviours, symbolic forms, and social practices in all forms of their manifestation at different historical stages of social development.
3. Philology is a complex of sciences that studies language, oral and written texts, literary works, and cultural meanings expressed through linguistic and narrative forms.
4. History is the humanitarian science that studies human activity, social relations, events, institutions, cultural processes, and collective experience in the past on the basis of various historical sources.
5. Sociology is the science that studies society, social groups, social relations, collective behaviour, identity formation, social institutions, and processes of social integration and differentiation.

Ethnic heritage is one of the most important forms of intangible cultural heritage because it preserves the historically formed individuality of peoples and ethnic communities. It includes language, oral memory, traditional norms, customs, rituals, folklore, symbolic images, behavioural models, names, narratives of origin, ideas of kinship and territory, collective values, and specific forms of cultural self-expression.

In the modern world, ethnic heritage is exposed to complex risks. Globalisation, migration, urbanisation, cultural homogenisation, language loss, demographic change, armed conflicts, forced displacement, assimilation, and the weakening of traditional forms of intergenerational transmission may lead to the partial or complete disappearance of ethnic cultural codes. In such conditions, the preservation of ethnic heritage becomes not only a cultural task, but also a scientific, social, educational, and humanitarian necessity.

Ethnic Klironomy is relevant because it provides a methodological basis for identifying, documenting, classifying, preserving, recovering, and transmitting ethnic heritage as part of intangible cultural heritage. It makes it possible to study ethnic communities through the cultural mechanisms that preserve their continuity across time. This is especially important for small peoples, diasporic communities, endangered linguistic groups, and communities whose traditional cultural forms have been damaged, fragmented, or displaced.

The preservation of ethnic heritage contributes to the reconstruction of a unified picture of the existence of society and peoples at different historical stages. It allows researchers to understand how ethnic communities created their worldview, transmitted values, maintained internal solidarity, interacted with other groups, and preserved their cultural image in changing historical conditions.

Ethnic heritage as a complex of intangible cultural elements that carry valuable historical, cultural, linguistic, symbolic, social, and spiritual codes of ethnic communities.

The preservation, recovery, reconstruction, documentation, interpretation, and transmission of ethnic cultural codes, ethnic identity elements, collective memory, and intangible cultural expressions of ethnic communities.

The preservation of ethnic heritage as an element of intangible cultural heritage and as a carrier of collective identity, historical continuity, linguistic memory, social experience, and spiritual-cultural individuality of ethnic communities.

1. To analyse the state of individual elements of ethnic heritage in order to determine their relevance for inclusion in inventories of intangible cultural heritage and to classify them.
2. To identify ethnic cultural codes expressed in language, oral tradition, customs, rituals, folklore, symbolic images, behavioural models, collective memory, and traditional forms of self-identification.
3. To describe the status of ethnic heritage elements defined as part of intangible cultural heritage, including their relevance, level of preservation, degree of transformation, and required scope of recovery or reconstruction work.
4. To develop methods for the preservation, recovery, reconstruction, renovation, and revitalisation of ethnic heritage as a system of intangible cultural heritage.
5. To document endangered, weakened, transformed, or fragmented elements of ethnic heritage, especially in communities affected by assimilation, migration, displacement, conflict, or language loss.
6. To support the continuity of ethnic identity as an important component of society’s cultural diversity, historical memory, and spiritual development.

1. Preservation of existing elements of ethnic heritage defined as part of intangible cultural heritage.
2. Preservation of ethnic cultural codes, collective memory, traditional forms of self-identification, linguistic heritage, customs, rituals, folklore, and symbolic systems.
3. Identification of ethnic heritage elements that may be recognised as part of intangible cultural heritage in the future.
4. Documentation of ethnic traditions, oral narratives, linguistic forms, social norms, ritual practices, behavioural models, symbolic images, and forms of intergenerational transmission.
5. Recovery of damaged, weakened, fragmented, transformed, or partially lost elements of ethnic heritage.
6. Reconstruction of lost or interrupted elements of ethnic heritage on the basis of historical, ethnological, anthropological, philological, sociological, and cultural evidence.
7. Systematisation and classification of ethnic heritage according to its historical, cultural, linguistic, symbolic, social, spiritual, and identity-forming significance.
8. Revitalisation of ethnic heritage in cases where living transmission has weakened, been interrupted, or become endangered.
9. Interpretation of ethnic heritage as a carrier of collective identity, cultural memory, historical continuity, and social experience.
10. Creation of scientific, methodological, educational, and expert foundations for the long-term preservation and transmission of ethnic heritage within the system of intangible cultural heritage.