Closing Conference
In the Hungarian Open Air Museum, a project unprecedented in Hungarian museum life has been implemented in recent months, with the professional coordination of the Museum Education and Methodology Centre (MOKK) and the expertise of the Directorate of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The international closing conference, held on November 27, 2025, was honoured with the presence of Ernesto Ottone R., Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO.
International closing conference
The event focuses on the safeguarding of Ukraine’s living heritage in displacement, its role in the lives of Ukrainian displaced persons, and its potential to enhance the resilience, well-being and integration of Ukrainian displaced persons in Hungary. In addition to presenting the results of an almost 15 months long project (Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ukrainian displaced persons in Hungary: inclusive community practices), and a three-lingual online project result publication, the aim of the conference is to share the experiences and good practices on how a community collaboration linked to museums can help to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage of displaced persons.
The conference will feature findings from the research preparatory to the project, as well as recommendations on best practices and adaptation options in supporting and protecting intangible cultural heritage in Hungary and abroad.
PLANNED PROGRAMME
08:30 – 09:00 Registration, Welcome
moderator: Gabi Kajári, project manager, Hungarian Open Air Museum – Museum Education and Methodology Centre
09:00 – 9:05 Musical Performance
Mihajlo Vihula, ukrainian guitarist
09:05 – 09:10 Opening
Zsolt Sári PhD, deputy director-general, Hungarian Open Air Museum
09:10 – 09:25 Keynote Speech
Ernesto Renato Ottone Ramírez, Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO
09:25 – 09:40 Cultural Heritage 4 Peace in/and Emergency
Gábor Soós, Secretary-General of the Hungarian National Commission for UNESCO
09:40 – 09:55 Comprehensive Presentation of the Project
Magdolna Nagy, director, Hungarian Open Air Museum – Museum Education and Methodology Centre
10:00 – 10:50 Presentation of the Pilot Projects
10:00 – 10:25 The pilot project of the Herman Ottó Museum (Miskolc):
At home in the Music
Arnold Tóth PhD, Head of the ethnography department, ethnographer museologist, Herman Ottó Museum
and Anastaziia Ivanova, Participant in the pilot project
10:25 – 10:50 The pilot project of the Diocesan Museum of Székesfehérvár
At Home in the Prayer
András Smohay, Director, Székesfehérvár Diocese Museum
and Márk Gál, Contributor to the implementation of the pilot project
10:50 – 11:10 Coffee Break
11:10 – 12:25 Presentation of the Pilot Projects
11:10 – 11:35 The pilot project of the Jósa András Museum - Sóstó Museum Village (Nyíregyháza):
The kitchen: Heart of the Home
Gabriella Kácsor-Ignácz, Museum educator, Event organizer
and Réka Kész, Ethnographer, Assistant museologist, Jósa András Museum – Sóstó Museum Village
and László Babik, President, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County Ukrainian National Self-Government, partner for the implementation of the pilot project
11:35 - 12:00 The pilot project of the Museum, Library and Archives of Hungarian
Circus Arts (Budapest):
ReDance Ukraine
Emese Joó, Head of institution, Hungarian Circus Art Museum, Library and Archive and Ilona Knobloch, Folk dance teacher, contributor to the implementation of the pilot project
12:00 – 12:25 The pilot project of the Óbudai Museum (Budapest):
Imprint
Eszter Söptei, Deputy professional director, Óbuda Museum
12:25 – 12:50 Reflections on the Presented Pilot Projects
12:25 – 12:40 Oleksandr Butsenko, director, Development Centre "Democracy through Culture", Ukraine
12:40 – 12:45 Ernesto Renato Ottone Ramírez, Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO
12:45 – 12:50 Gábor Soós, Secretary-General of the Hungarian National Commission for UNESCO
12:50 – 13:50 Lunch
13:50 – 14:50 Outlook: foreign projects
moderator: Márton Pacsika, head of development department, Hungarian Open Air Museum – Museum Education and Methodology Centre
13:50 – 14:10 Presentation of the Slovakian Project “To Get Together”
Martina Wilsch, PhD, researcher, Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology, Slovak Academy of Sciences
Ganna Shvachka, PhD, head, SME Spolu Civic Association
14:10 – 14:30 Presentation of the Romanian Project
Ioana Repciuc Baskerville, focal point, Department of Ethnology, Romanian Academy – Iasi Branch
Olena Zinkevych, Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Romania's Ukraine Team Head
14:40 – 14:50 Questions and Answers
14:50 – 15:20 Interactive Moderated Discussion with Ukrainian Participants Involved in the Pilot Projects and Representatives of Implementing Partners
- Eszter Czárné Kovács, Museum educator, Herman Ottó Museum and Vihula Mihajlo, Ukrainian guitarist, contributor to the implementation of the pilot project
- Zsuzsanna Baloghné Szűcs, regional museum director, Jósa András Museum - Sóstó Museum Village
and László Babik, President, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County Ukrainian National Self-Government, partner for the implementation of the pilot project
- Emese Joó, Head of institution, Hungarian Circus Art Museum, Library and Archive and Kámea Farkas dance artist, dance instructor, member of the Dance Faculty of the Budapest Grand Circus, instructor at the Budapest College of Circus Arts and Contemporary Dance
- András Smohay, Director, Székesfehérvár Diocese Museum and Márk Gál, Contributor to the implementation of the pilot project
- Eszter Söptei, Deputy professional director, Óbuda Museum and Péter Horváth, Contributor to the implementation of the pilot project
moderator: Gabi Kajári, project manager, Hungarian Open Air Museum – Museum Education and Methodology Centre
15:20 – 15:40 Closing of the Event
Eszter Csonka - Takács PhD, director, Directorate of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Hungarian Open Air Museum
15:40 – 16:00 Musical and Dance Performance
Mihajlo Vihula, ukrainian guitarist, Anastaziia Ivanova dancer
Dancers participating in the ReDance Ukraine pilot project
16:00 End of the Conference
