Since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022, ICOM condemns the loss of life and damage to cultural heritage that has been caused by Russia’s aggressions and expresses its strong support for colleagues in Ukrainian museums and their efforts in extremely challenging circumstances. ICOM has been involved in various international projects to support its Ukrainian colleagues with aid measures to protect their collections and preserve their cultural heritage more effectively. Through the ongoing conflict, the country’s cultural heritage is still under extreme threat: according to a UNESCO report from the 12th of June 2024, 412 cultural sites alone have been destroyed, including 31 museums. These alarming figures highlight the urgent need to step up measures to protect the country’s cultural heritage and continue to mobilise international support.
The ICOM aid project ‘Ukrainian Museums at Risk: A Three-Step Solution Plan through Knowledge, Action, and Visibility,’ running from June 2023 to June 2024 (also known as ‘ICOM4Ukraine’) focuses particularly on the digital preservation of collections. Many small museums that received digitisation software, hardware and special restoration equipment face the challenge of using these technologies effectively. The project, carried out by ICOM Germany in collaboration with ICOM Switzerland and funded by the Strategic Allocation Review Committee of ICOM (SAREC), therefore offers targeted support in three key areas:
EMPOWERMENT THROUGH KNOWLEDGE
Twelve instructional videos, either produced in Ukrainian or translated into Ukrainian, were created to provide essential specialist knowledge on efficiently and professionally digitising collection objects. These tutorials, developed in collaboration with museum-digital and the Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online initiative, are available on the museum-digital YouTube channel.
Best practice guidelines from the German Museums Association were translated: the “Standards for Museums” guide, the “Guidelines Developing Education and Public Engagement in Museums” and the “Practical Guide for Digital Basic Cataloguing – 10 Principles”. In cooperation with the Centre for Digital History in Rivne, 300 copies of the “Standards for Museums” and “Guidelines Developing Education and Public Engagement in Museums” will be printed and distributed to Ukrainian museums. This transnational cooperation also enables the guidelines to be published internationally: the translations are available as free PDF documents on the websites of ICOM Ukraine, ICOM Germany, ICOM Switzerland, NEMO and the German Museums Association.
CONSULTATIONS AND STRENGTHENING VISIBILITY
The project actively supported Ukrainian museums in digitising their collections and registering them on the “museum-digital” platform, leveraging experienced multilingual coordination. This platform plays a key role in increasing the visibility of museums. It promotes dialogue between museums in Ukraine and provides a secure online space that facilitates contact with international stakeholders. Through the project, several Ukrainian museums have successfully presented their artefacts on museum-digital and Europeana, significantly strengthening their international presence and networking. In total, 34 museums published around 8,000 objects as part of the project.
MATERIAL AID WITH URGENTLY NEEDED TECHNOLOGY
The power supply is a major problem in Ukraine due to the damaged infrastructure. As a third measure, Taras Shevchenko’s Homeland therefore received a high performance powerbank as support. The facility is a large national reserve in the Cherkasy region, which is home to the Literary Memorial Museum of the Ukrainian national poet and painter. The transport was kindly provided by the Ukraine Art Aid Centre (UAAC).
SOLIDARITY AND TARGETED SUPPORT
International solidarity and targeted support remain crucial for protecting and preserving Ukraine’s cultural heritage during these challenging times. It is essential to acknowledge the vital role of ICOM Ukraine, the ICOM National Committee in Ukraine, which implements all ICOM projects at the national level. Their dedication to ICOM and the museum community makes operational projects possible. Together, we will continue our efforts. We urge the international museum community to collaborate closely in preserving these invaluable artefacts.
The uniqueness and preciousness of Ukrainian cultural heritage and its importance for the European culture of remembrance is reflected in the collections of these museums: Kremenets Heritage Museum, M. F. Sumtsov Historical Museum, Kharkiv, National Polytechnic Museum Boris Paton, Kyiv.
The Ukrainian translations of the guidelines are available for download under Publikationen on the ICOM Germany website.
The ICOM SAREC project aligns with the ICOM Strategic plan 2022-2028 to embrace digital, namely for museums to connect in new ways with communities, better manage collections, and provide unprecedented access to the public they serve.
Other information
On 24 February 2022, the day of the invasion of Russian forces into Ukraine, ICOM released an official statement condemning the destruction and threats to cultural heritage in Ukraine, calling for relevant stakeholders to support museums and museum professionals. In a second statement issued on 9 March 2022, ICOM further recalled the role of museums, culture and international cooperation in building lasting peace among nations. ICOM reiterates its expectation that all countries in the region abide by their obligations under the international conventions, in particular to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, to which they are States Parties. The obligations expressed in this statement continue to be relevant and ICOM strongly advocates for adherence to ethical and legal obligations under international law and continues to encourage international support for museum professionals and collections in Ukraine. On May 30, 2024, ICOM, ICA, ICOMOS and IFLA released a joint declaration on the protection of archives, libraries and heritage places during armed conflicts and political instability.
For more information and to view ICOM Germany’s press release (10 July 2024) visit ICOM Germany’s website.
