On 29 September 2026, the Donetsk Regional Art Museum held an online webinar entitled ‘Museum institutions as a platform for the rehabilitation of service personnel and their families: opportunities and practices’.
Against the backdrop of Ukraine’s War of Independence, creating opportunities for the psychological recovery, social adaptation and return of service personnel and veterans to active public life has taken on particular significance. Cultural institutions, particularly museums, can also play an important role in these processes; today, they are increasingly expanding beyond their traditional functions to become spaces for communication, creative self-expression, cultural participation and emotional support.
The webinar, which brought together museum specialists, staff from cultural institutions in the Donetsk, Khmelnytskyi and Cherkasy regions, as well as representatives of local communities in the Donetsk region, was dedicated precisely to the potential of museum institutions in this area, practical experience and the prospects for inter-institutional cooperation.
The webinar featured a series of in-depth presentations on the practical experience of museum institutions in the areas of social integration, the restoration of inner resources, and cultural and artistic support for service personnel, veterans and their families, as well as the involvement of service personnel, veterans and their families in creative and cultural activities.
Oleg Pogorilets, Director of the ‘Mezhibizh’ State Historical and Cultural Reserve and Honoured Worker of Culture of Ukraine, highlighted the potential of museum tourism as a form of cultural interaction, socialisation and psychological recovery for military personnel.
In her presentation, Olga Dolynska, Director of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Art Museum, outlined various ways of engaging military personnel in creative activities — ranging from participation in masterclasses to the exhibition of their creative work within the museum space.
Iryna Danylko, Head of the Exhibition Department at the Cherkasy Regional Art Museum, shared practical insights into the museum’s collaboration with rehabilitation centres and the potential for using artistic practices in working with service personnel and their families.
Oksana Ryazantseva, head of the ‘Museum of Folk Architecture, Everyday Life and Children’s Creativity in the village of Prelesne’, spoke about the experience of the Donetsk Regional Art Museum in using traditional and decorative-applied arts, as well as art practices, as tools for cultural interaction and emotional support.
The experience presented during the webinar demonstrated that a museum space can be not only a place for the preservation and presentation of cultural heritage, but also a living environment for communication, creativity and social interaction.
At the same time, the museum’s cultural and artistic practices do not replace professional medical or psychological rehabilitation, but complement it, creating additional opportunities for the inclusion of service personnel, veterans and their family members in cultural and social life.
The webinar concluded with a panel discussion, during which participants discussed the specific features and current trends in museum work in this field, the effectiveness of initiatives already implemented, and outlined prospects for cooperation between museums, cultural institutions, communities and rehabilitation centres to meet the needs of those who defend Ukraine, are returning from the war and, together with their families, are on the path to recovery.