Ukraine includes “Chasing Vipers” rite native to Donbas villages in its intangible heritage list

The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy (MCIP) has added three new items to Ukraine's National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Rubryka reports.

The three items added by the Ministry of Culture to the intangible heritage are:

• The ritual of "Chasing Vipers" from the village of Iskra in the Velyka Novosilka district of the Donetsk region and the Nizhnia Duvanka community of the Svatove district in the Luhansk region.
• Practices related to the preservation of traditional crafts and folk art.
• The ritual of braiding the wedding braid from the town of Bilokurakine in the Svatove district of the Luhansk region.

The order, expanding the list, has been published on the Cabinet of Ministers' website.

The Ministry of Culture did not specify details about these rituals or whether they are under threat due to Russia's aggression.

The department illustrated the announcement with photos without captions, presumably taken during the mentioned events.

The National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage is maintained to fulfill Article 12 of the UNESCO Convention.

New elements are added to the list based on recommendations from the Expert Council on Intangible Cultural Heritage, which operates under the MCIP.

Over 60 items are already on the list of Ukraine's national intangible heritage, including the preparation of chebureks, straw weaving, making wax brushes, kobzarstvo (singing and playing of the Ukrainian musical instrument "kobza"), pysanka (Easter egg decorating), and more.

As previously reported, Ukraine's intangible cultural heritage was enriched with three new elements: Bukovinian festive wreath with a "kovylo" (a type of ceremonial axe), the ritual of preparing boiled porridge, and the technology of making the ritual drink "Varena" in the village of Boromlia.

Obukhiv weaving was also included in Ukraine's list of cultural heritage.

Also, the tradition of preparing and consuming ritual bread for St. George's Day in the village of Krynychne (Odesa region) has been added to the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ukraine.

Moreover, the Department of Cultural Heritage Protection has included the Ascension Cave Complex in Kyiv's List of Cultural Heritage Objects under the archaeology category.

Background

The "Chasing Vipers" ritual is dedicated to the beginning of Lent as a time of repentance for all wrongdoing. Although the ritual likely originates from pre-Christian beliefs, it acquired new features with the adoption of Christianity.

Participation in the ritual is exclusively for men. They are tasked with cleansing the home of evil spirits, misfortune, various diseases, and calamities, referred to as "snakes" or "vipers." In folk beliefs, snakes were perceived only negatively. This can be seen in folk tales, omens, and proverbs.

In each household, hostesses await "polaznyky" — those who go from yard to yard. Women prepare treats for the visiting "polaznyky."

In the village, the first day of Lent is called "weakening Monday." On this day, women are strictly prohibited from visiting neighbors. There is a superstition that on this day, a woman bringing misfortune and unhappiness enters someone else's home.

Near the house, boys call out to the hosts, greet them with the beginning of Lent, and offer to "chase away the vipers" from the house and yard. Then the hosts thank the "polaznyky" for the performed ritual, for not passing by their house, and give them treats. Children and young men receive nuts, candies, pastries, and apples, while adult men are offered a shot of liquor.

The event concludes outside the village with the burning of auxiliary "tools" and a communal dinner with the treats provided by the hosts.

The ritual promotes unity, community, and engagement and transmits knowledge and values from generation to generation through the preparation and participation of young people in the ritual.