The call for the Živa Award 2025, a prestigious recognition honoring outstanding achievements in the preservation of Slavic cultural heritage, officially closed on March 31. This year, 26 museum institutions from 10 Slavic countries submitted their applications in the categories of Best Slavic Museum and Best Heritage Site.

A significant novelty marks this year’s edition – for the first time in its eleven-year history, the Živa Award has introduced a new category: Best in Preserving Slavic Heritage Outside the Slavic World. In this new category, 7 candidates from 4 countries are competing, highlighting efforts to safeguard Slavic heritage on a global scale.

In the coming months, members of the expert jury will visit all participating institutions. From June 13 to 15, they will gather at Villa Zlatica in Ljubljana, the seat of the Forum of Slavic Cultures, to review reports, evaluate nominees, and make their final decision. The jury consists of 16 international experts in museology and cultural heritage.

The winners of the Živa Award 2025 will be formally announced in October in Trebinje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, at the official award ceremony.