We invite you to participate in the International Forum on Cultural Heritage Security “WAR IN UKRAINE: THE BATTLE FOR CULTURE”, which will be held on February 8-9, 2023.
A year has passed since February 24, 2022, around five in the morning, the sleep of Ukrainians was interrupted by powerful explosions. Russian troops launched a massive missile attack on all of Ukraine and crossed its border with tanks. Thus began a full-scale war. Museums, libraries, and archives reacted to the threat according to their capabilities and the military situation, the cultural sphere of Ukraine quickly organized itself: public and volunteer initiatives appeared, which, with the help of local authorities and concerned citizens, turned public space into cultural barricades, protecting monuments and sculptures, facade decorations, and other artistic and historical objects.
The civilized world launched a “cultural lend-lease” for Ukraine. Through volunteer initiatives and directly, various international funds, organizations, institutions and initiatives provided cultural institutions with packing and restoration materials, protective and emergency equipment, hard and cloud storage, humanitarian and financial assistance. Specialists from different countries held meetings, trainings, conferences, consultations to make our culture more stable and resistant to threats and attacks. Ukrainian museums, libraries, archives, scientific and art centers, having received such solidarity and help, began active rescue operations, as well as documenting losses and risks, crimes against culture.
During the 11 months of the war, the Russians destroyed or damaged 1,189 cultural objects in Ukraine, according to data from the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy. Tens of thousands of items were stolen from museum and private collections in the occupied regions. The looting of Ukrainian historical, cultural and artistic values, the purposeful destruction of museums, archives, libraries, theaters, cultural centers, monuments, and religious buildings is a carefully planned military and ideological operation of the Kremlin regime. Ahead are complex processes of stabilization, early restoration and rebuilding of Ukrainian culture, an international tribunal against criminals, restitution of cultural values, and popularization of Ukrainian culture in the world. And also – awareness of the experience of this war and measures to strengthen the stability of culture during the crisis. This requires even greater coordination and partnership. For this purpose, the Forum on the Safety of Cultural Heritage was launched.
The headquarters of the rescue of heritage jointly with the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity and a number of partners conducts International forum on cultural heritage security “WAR IN UKRAINE: THE BATTLE FOR CULTURE”, which will take place on February 8-9, 2023. Among the partners of the event – All-Ukrainian Democratic Forum.
Purpose of the Forum:
Preservation of cultural heritage in conditions of war, coordination of Ukrainian and international aid initiatives, development of rapid response capacity, support of workers and institutions of the cultural sphere, preparation for recovery and reconstruction, promotion of sustainable development of Ukrainian culture.
Tasks of the forum:
– Summary of activities, starting from February 24, 2022
– A clearer overall picture of needs and situation
– Strengthening the network of response and mutual assistance, coordination of actions
– Based on the results of the working groups – a resolution: summarizing the situation, previous experience and specific proposals for further actions.
The following are invited to participate in the forum:
– heads and employees of museums, archives and libraries
– representatives of international institutions, organizations and foundations that provide assistance to Ukrainian culture in times of crisis
– representatives of Ukrainian aid initiatives to save and promote Ukrainian culture in the war
– representatives of the authorities: central and local authorities, military-civilian administrations
– representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The working language of the Forum is Ukrainian and English. Simultaneous translation is planned for all events.
Z program you can get acquainted here
Organizers:
Heritage Rescue Headquarters, National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity.
Partners:
All-Ukrainian Democratic Forum, Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, Cultural Emergency Response (CER), Smithsonian Cultural Response Initiative, ICCROM, ICOMOS, ICOM, UNESCO, Cultural Heritage International Emergency Force (CHIEF), Cultural Aid Center in Ukraine (Poland), Ukraine Art Aid Center (Germany), ALIPH Foundation, Europa Nostra, World Monuments Fund, Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online (SUCHO), Heritage for Peace (Netherlands-Spain), ICOM-DRMC, Museum crisis center, Ukrainian Fulbright Circle.
