Niematerialne dziedzictwo kulturowe wsi podlaskiej – współczesny stan zachowania oraz główne problemy jego ochrony

The article discusses the current state of preservation of the intangible cultural heritage in the rural areas of Podlasie and the most important problems related to its protection. It has been assumed that Podlasie covers the area of the present Podlaskie Voivodeship, excluding its western part that belongs to Kurpie. At the beginning the article outlines the settlement processes that led to the current cultural diversity of the inhabitants of this region. The Podlaskie Voivodeship is the most ethnically and religiously diverse area in Poland. It is inhabited by national minorities: Belarusian, Lithuanian and Ukrainian, as well as an ethnic minority – the Tatars. Ethnic and national divisions are accompanied by a religious division, because apart from the Catholics, Podlasie is inhabited by many followers of the Orthodox Church. One of the effects of this ethnic and national diversity is the presence of East Slavic dialects with local varieties. These distinctions are reflected, among others, in the toponymy. Linguistic diversity is visible in the oral folklore, especially in ritual songs, including Konopielki, which are sung in the Podlasie region on Easter and are particularly interesting. Oral folklore includes also legends that nowadays rapidly disappear as a result of the lack of intergenerational transfer. Coexistence of two Christian denominations in Podlasie results in wealth of customs, ceremonies and beliefs related to the annual cycle of feasts. The article presents three selected annual customs and ceremonies worth protecting by being listed in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List: playing the ligawka, a large trumpet-like musical instrument, in Advent in Ciechanowiec, celebrations of the last days of carnival, called zapusty, in Radziłów, and a tradition of prayers with wax votives in Krypno. Undoubtedly, one of the most important issues of protection of intangible heritage in the Podlasie region is the problem of transferring knowledge and skills associated with traditional crafts. Basketwork, pottery and weaving deserve particular attention among them. The article mentions also the problem of folk medicine in the context of the activity of the healers who are called szeptuchy in Podlasie. In the summary there have been listed the most important problems of protection of the intangible heritage in Podlasie.