The paper deals with the matter of preserving the traditional cultures of ethnic and national groups within the institutional frameworks of Serbia’s autonomous provinces of Vojvodina, Kosovo and Metohija. It analyses the experience of cultural autonomy institutions in the sphere of cultural policy, practical impact of institutional solutions on modern forms of preserving ethnic traditions. A particular attention is given to the preservation of cultures of vulnerable groups that lack resources for transition from the stage of traditional ethnic groups to a complete system of preservation and development of national culture. Drawing the example of institutions of cultural autonomy of national minorities in Vojvodina, the article shows the importance of internal resources of small ethnic groups, principle of professionalism in human resources policy and in allocation of funds, as well as of depoliticisation of culture as a prerequisite for expanding possibilities for public initiative, holistic expression of group identity, building social capital and preventing the rise of ethnic elites that conduct political mobilisation, interethnic and intraethnic segregation. The experience of Serbian enclaves of Kosovo and Metohija and their cultural heritage shows that absence of political will is an insurmountable obstacle for observing basic rights and freedoms of a national group that makes up a demographic minority, even in a developed consociational system of representation, backed by an imposing presence of international military troops.