Romania: Mr. Cristian - George Iscru, Counsellor, Directorate for Cultural Heritage/Intangible Heritage Department, Ministry of Culture of Romania

1. ROMANIA
Ministry of Culture
Implementation of the Convention
for the Safeguarding of
Intangible Cultural Heritage in
Romania
Sofia, Bulgaria, 27-28th May 2013

2. 1. Legal framework
• Law no. 410/2005 on the acceptance of the
Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible
Cultural Heritage
• Law no. 26/2008 regarding the Protection of
Intangible Cultural Heritage
• Order of the Minister of Culture and National
Heritage no. 2491/2009 regarding the LIVING
HUMAN TREASURES Programme
• Governmental decision no. 90/2010 on the
establishment of the Ministry of Culture

3. 2. Inventories
A. The Repertory of Intangible Cultural
Heritage in Romania
- Drafted by The National Commission for
the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural
Heritage
- Vol. I was published in 2009, vol. II A will be
published in 2013
- Vol. II B is being drawn up
- Vol. III is still a project

4. 2. Inventories
B. The National Inventory of the Living
Elements of Intangible Cultural Heritage
- It represents an open list based on the data
and recordings kept in unconventional
archives
- It is organized and administered by The
National Centre for the Conservation and
Promotion of Traditional Culture, an institution
that is subordinated to the Ministry of Culture

5. 3. Digitization
A. The Repertory of Intangible Cultural
Heritage in Romania, vol. I, is available
online, in a bilingual form, Romanian-
French, on the website of the Ministry of
Culture: www.cultura.ro
B. The National Inventory of the Living
Elements of Intangible Cultural
Heritage is available online, in
Romanian, on the website of the National
Centre for the Conservation and Promotion
of Traditional Culture:
www.centrul-cultura-traditionala.ro

6. 4. Consultative bodies
• The National Commission for the
Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural
Heritage
- A scientific body subordinated to the Ministry of
Culture and established in 2007
- It comprises specialists representing museums,
universities and the research institutions of the
Romanian Academy
- Its main responsibility is to “coordinate the
activities meant to protect and promote
intangible cultural heritage and conducted in
compliance with the cultural policies of the
Ministry of Culture”

7. 5. Cooperation
A. Bilateral cooperation
Romania and R. of Moldova compiled the
candidacy file “Men’s Group Colindat.
Christmas Time Ritual in Romania and
Republic of Moldova” for the Representative
List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of
Humanity;
The decision of UNESCO will be
communicated during the Intergovernmental
Committee in Baku (2013)

8. 5. Cooperation
• B.1 Regional cooperation
Candidacy file “Spring Celebration:
Hidrellez – Saint George’s Day’’, along with
Turkey, Serbia, Republic of
Moldova, Croatia, FYROM for the
Representative List
The file was submitted to UNESCO in March
2013

9. 5. Cooperation
• B.2 Regional cooperation
Transnational candidacy file of
Romania, Bulgaria, R. Moldova
“Mărţişorul/Martenitsa” for the Representative
List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of
Humanity
The first expert meeting will take place in
Bucharest, on the 13th of June 2013

10. 5. Cooperation
• C. South - East European Experts
Network on intangible cultural heritage
Organized in 2010 in Romania (in the town of
Râmnicu Vâlcea)

11. 6. Major Institutions
• “Constantin Brăiloiu” Institute of Ethnography
and Folklore - The Romanian Academy
• The National Centre for the Conservation and
Promotion of Traditional Culture
• “Dimitrie Gusti” National Village Museum
• The National Museum of the Romanian Peasant
• The ASTRA National Museum Complex in Sibiu

12. 7. UNESCO
Representative List
Romania - Elements included in the
Representative List of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity
• The Căluş Ritual (in 2005 included on the
List of the Masterpieces of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity, since 2008 on
the Representative List)
• Doina (2009, the Representative List)
• Craftsmanship of Horezu ceramics
(2012, the Representative List)

13. 8. The Living Human
Treasures Programme
• Romania adopted the LIVING HUMAN
TREASURES programme through:
- Law no. 26 of February 29th, 2008 (art. 7 and
art. 15) regarding the protection of intangible
cultural heritage and
- Order of the Ministry of Culture and National
Heritage no. 2491 of November 24th, 2009
• so far, 3 sessions took place (2010, 2011 and
2012), following which, 14 LIVING HUMAN
TREASURE honorary titles were awarded
(2010 – 5, 2011 – 5, 2012 – 4)

14. 9. Candidacy files
Candidacy files submitted to UNESCO for
the Representative List:
• A. Trans-national files
• “Men’s Group Colindat. Christmas Time
Ritual in Romania and Republic of Moldova”
(Romania – Republic of Moldova)
• Spring Celebration: Hidrellez - St. George’s
Day (Romania – Republic of Moldova – Croatia –
Turkey – Serbia - FYROM)
• B. National files
• The pilgrimage of Moisei
• The pilgrimage of Şumuleu

15. 10. Media campaigns
Project: Protocol of cooperation between
the Ministry of Culture and the Public
Television
The purpose of the protocol is the promotion in
the public space of subjects related to national
cultural heritage, in all its forms – intangible,
mobile heritage, historical monuments and
archaeological sites.

16. 11. Networks
1. County Centres for the Conservation and
Promotion of Traditional Culture
2. Ethnographic museums (Association for
museums)
3. Romanian Association of Ethnological Sciences
(ASER )
4. Research institutions of the Romanian
Academy
5. Universities with ethnology study programmes
(University of Bucharest, Babeş Bolyai
University in Cluj-Napoca, North University in
Baia Mare)

17. 12. Multimedia Databases
The Institute of Ethnography and Folklore of the
Romanian Academy, the National Centre for the
Conservation and the Promotion of Traditional
Culture and the ethnographical museums
administer digitized archives on intangible
cultural heritage.
These institutions, along with the County
Centers for the Conservation and Promotion of
Traditional Culture also created documentary
film archives.

18. 13. Educational programmes
• Contest for young craftsmen - ASTRA
National Museum Complex.
• “Summer in the lane”, Contest for young
craftsmen - “Dimitrie Gusti” National Village
Museum.
• Educational workshops for intangible cultural
heritage as a permanent programme - The
National Museum of the Romanian Peasant.
• Icons on glass - The National Centre for the
Promotion and Conservation of Traditional
Culture
• Local traditional weaving workshop -
“Augustin Bena” Cultural Centre, Alba county

19. 14. Cooperation at central
level
• Protocol establishing a framework of
cooperation between the Ministry of Culture
and the Ministry of National Education with
the aim of introducing cultural heritage
related content in the formal compulsory
education (pre-university), in order to foster
attitudes of respect and protection of the
national and universal cultural heritage.

20. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
Cristian-George ISCRU
Counsellor
Compartment for Intangible Heritage
Directorate for Cultural Heritage
Ministry of Culture – Romania
cristian.iscru@cultura.ro