The 10th anniversary of the Živa Awards marks a significant milestone for the Forum of Slavic Cultures (FSK), with a major expansion in its mission to promote Slavic cultural heritage. For the first time in 2025, the Živa Awards will introduce a groundbreaking new category: Best in Preserving Slavic Heritage Worldwide. This new initiative aims to recognize and honor the efforts to preserve and transmit Slavic cultural identities within diaspora communities and cross-border regions globally.

The addition of this category strengthens the Živa Awards’ longstanding recognition of Best Slavic Museum and Best Slavic Heritage Site, and underscores the global efforts to safeguard and promote Slavic heritage. This year’s focus will shine a spotlight on the creativity and resilience of cultural institutions, organizations, and communities working tirelessly to maintain Slavic traditions far beyond national borders.

The new Best in Preserving Slavic Heritage Worldwide category will highlight how Slavic national cultural identities are nurtured and transmitted abroad—whether by emigrants, diaspora communities, or populations living in cross-border regions. It will recognize how these communities foster a sense of belonging to their homeland, even without a formal state, by preserving and showcasing their heritage through museums, cultural organizations, and activities. The award will also explore how these communities adapt to foreign environments while maintaining their cultural identities, languages, and memories of their homelands, both past and present.

Applications are now open to Slavic museums, memorial houses, and cultural spaces abroad, particularly those within diaspora communities or cross-border regions within the FSK circle. Submissions are also encouraged from Slavic societies, national houses, and other institutions that embody and promote the collective memory and cultural heritage of Slavic peoples worldwide. Eligible applicants should demonstrate the preservation of national and ethnic cultural identities through events, activities, artifacts, traditions, publications, or other forms of expression that highlight their connections to their countries of origin.

Inspired by the Slavic goddess Živa, a symbol of life, beauty, and vitality, the Živa Awards celebrate the dynamic and enduring nature of Slavic culture. The introduction of the Best in Preserving Slavic Heritage Worldwide category further emphasizes the global importance of these efforts, helping to ensure the continued recognition and celebration of Slavic cultural expressions around the world.

Applications for the Živa Awards 2025 are now open, and the FSK encourages institutions, organizations, and individuals dedicated to preserving Slavic heritage to apply and contribute to the celebration of this vital cultural legacy.

Application Deadline: 15 March 2025

For application forms and requirements, click here. For assistance, contact info@fsk.si.

Join us in celebrating the richness of Slavic culture and heritage!