The project is aimed at compiling a unified national inventory of sacred sites (hereinafter SS) and rare ritual practices along with developing their efficient safeguarding measures. The inventory will be based on extensive field research findings on sacred sites and traditional knowledge conducted and documented by Aigine Cultural Research Center (hereinafter Aigine CRC) from 2004 to 2014. The project also aims at putting together a National Manual on Safeguarding and Developing Sacred Sites.
The objectives:
(a) the identification of elements of living heritage related to sacred sites in Kyrgyzstan to ensure their continued viability;
(b) improved public awareness of the importance of intangible cultural heritage;
(c) the increased capacity of the stakeholders concerned to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage in question, in order to ensure its transmission to the future generation.
The results:
(a) an inventory published on intangible cultural heritage related to sacred sites in Kyrgyzstan for their safeguarding;
(b) safeguarding measures developed, in the form of a national manual, for the elements of intangible cultural heritage in question;
(c) capacity building training provided to the stakeholders concerned.
There are 3 stages of activities developed in order to reach the objectives and ensure the results, mentioned above. A Steering Committee will be established to monitor and evaluate the project implementation. On-site working groups will be formed in all 7 provinces of the country to conduct field research and data collection. Two national experts on sacred site and rare rituals and an international expert on the issues related to the inventorying will be involved into the project. The project team will be responsible for project implementation and supervision.
Location of the project:
There are seven provinces of Kyrgyzstan, namely – Chui, Yssyk-Kul, Talas, Osh, Batken and Jalal-Abad. These seven provinces correspond to all the administrative divisions of Kyrgyzstan. A field research component of the proposed project will be carried out in all seven provinces of the country. The project team will be based in Bishkek.