Intangible Cultural Heritage of the City of Avdiivka in Donetsk Region (According to the Archival Documents of the 1925–1927)

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The study is aimed at the promulgating the handwritten folklore and ethnographic material of 1925–1927 of the city of Avdiivka (the residents then have called it Ovdiivka), collected by the correspondents according to the program of the Ethnographic Commission (1920–1934) of the All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences (hereinafter – AUAS). Since today, during the absurdly cruel war of Russia against Ukraine, Avdiivka is almost completely destroyed, and its population has decreased by more than three times. That’s why this material from folk art, recorded by local residents, is a historical monument. Their descendants may find their relatives and loved ones among the recorders of songs, rites, customs and traditions. The methodology of the article is built on the general principles of historicism and objectivity. The approach to handwritten documents as an important scientific source is applied. It enables the understanding of the basis of the mentality formation of the population of the steppe zone of Ukraine. Scientific novelty. This terrible war in the 21st century between the freedom-loving Ukrainian people and the so-called brother, has broken our world in two parts. Ukrainian society is experiencing the course of the tragic struggle for Avdiivka in Donetsk region, where many defenders and civilians have died. Ukrainians, as well as a certain percentage of Russians, have lived in those completely destroyed houses in the city and surrounding villages. Inhumans have not examined where their own are, and where the representatives of the “united people” are, and they fire at them with all kinds of weapons. It is not possible to take the city by force, so they have seized its ruins. But the historical memory of Ukrainians who lived there in past centuries cannot be violated. The original records of the folk art of the population of Avdiivka, which once consisted of two parts, are submitted for the first time. Conclusions. In the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war, it is important to preserve the historical monuments of the intangible cultural heritage of Donetsk region, to show the desire of Ukrainians for freedom and their high aspiration for cultural values, a rich singing soul.