Who Constructs the Izhma Komi’s Heritage Today? The Social Contract as a Nonlegal Tool to Realize the Human Right to Cultural Heritage

Abstract

International law has recognized the human right to cultural heritage, although its grassroots effectiveness may be hard to achieve. This difficulty is because implementation tools often are not tailored to meet local political and sociocultural conditions. Based on repeated fieldwork research among Izhma Komi of northern Russia, this article delves into the reality of the human right to cultural heritage by analyzing who decides on what is to be protected, why, and for whom. Even though the Russian administration has become increasingly centralized, there is still space for informal arrangements between the people and officials, challenging the state’s overpowering presence in cultural matters. In this regard, the research reveals that Izhma Komi’s cultural heritage is largely driven by the people and cultural intelligentsia, owing to the tacit social contract. Ultimately, the article proposes an alternative implementation of the human right to cultural heritage through culturally sensitive local arrangements.