Serbia's six inscriptions on UNESCO's Representative List of intangible heritage
Background
UNESCO's country record for Serbia lists six elements on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. They are Slava, celebration of family saint patron’s day (2014); Kolo, traditional folk dance (2017); Singing to the accompaniment of the Gusle (2018); Zlakusa pottery making, hand-wheel pottery making in the village of Zlakusa (2020); Social practices and knowledge related to the preparation and use of the traditional plum spirit – šljivovica (2022); and Naïve painting practices of Kovačica (2024). Every one of the six is on the Representative List. Separately, Novi Sad belongs to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a Creative City of Media Arts, a member since 2023. UNESCO's page for the city also records that it was designated European Youth Capital in 2019 and European Capital of Culture in 2022, and that it allocates 6% of its budget to supporting the creative sector.
In plain words
Intangible cultural heritage Living heritage under the 2003 UNESCO Convention — Practices, performances, knowledge and skills that communities keep alive, as opposed to monuments and sites.
Gusle Single-stringed bowed instrument — A bowed instrument used to accompany epic singing in the Western Balkans.
Creative Cities Network UNESCO Creative Cities Network — A UNESCO network of cities that place creative industries at the centre of urban development.