INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The UN's cultural agency on Friday inscribed the culture surrounding beetroot soup known as borshch in Ukraine on its list of endangered
cultural heritage, a recognition sought urgently by Kviv after its invasion by neighboring Russia.Ukraine prizes borshch, a nourishing soup
with beetroot as its base, as a national dish even though it is also widely enjoyed in Russia, other ex-Soviet countries and Poland.The
safeguarding," by a UNESCO committee, it said.The decision was approved after a fast-track process prompted by Russia's invasion of
Ukraine and the "negative impact on this tradition" caused by the war, the agency said."People are unable not only to cook or grow local
vegetables for borsht, but also to come together" to eat it, "which undermines the social and cultural well-being of communities," it said,
using one of several alternative spellings for the soup.Kyiv hailed the move as a much-needed victory on the cultural front after four
months of Russian bombardments.For the first time in history, the nomination jumped the queue and was considered in an expedited fashion
given "the military aggression against Ukraine in real time and the real threat to the cultural object," Deputy Foreign Minister Emine
Ukraine's Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko said on Telegram, adding that Ukraine "will win both in the war of borshch and in this
war."Adding a landmark site or traditional activity to the UNESCO list aims to mobilize attention to ensure it is preserved against risks
that would jeopardise its existence.The committee said the war had "threatened the viability" of Ukraine's borshch culture in
Ukraine."Whether as part of a wedding meal, the focus of food-related competitions or as a driver of tourism, borscht is considered part of
the fabric of Ukrainian society, cultural heritage, identity and tradition," it noted.But Moscow slammed the decision, with Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accusing Kyiv of trying to appropriate the soup for "one people..
fact: hummus and pilaf are recognized as national dishes of several nations.""Borshch has no nationality! Just like bread, potatoes, cabbage
explicit symbol of Ukraine which I directly associate with Ukraine, especially the one with pampushka (savory buns) and garlic," he
