The Donetsk Regional Museum of Local History hosted a meeting as part of the “Over Coffee at the Museum” series on the topic “From Idea to Result: How to Initiate Change, Unite a Team, and Keep Moving Forward After Destruction.” Museum professionals, cultural managers, and educators from various parts of Ukraine took part in the expert discussion on this pressing contemporary issue.
The event took the form of a discussion and included a “Q&A” session. The speaker at the event was Vitalina Martynovska—Director General of the National Museum “Chernobyl,” author of the Concept for the Modernization and Development of the National Museum “Chernobyl” through 2026, and initiator of the large-scale changes and transformations that have taken place at the museum.
The participants focused on the challenges of creating modern exhibitions and working under wartime conditions. The attendees showed particular interest in information regarding the process of modernizing the institution—from the leadership’s initiation of change, to the formulation of a vision, to securing support from governing bodies for strategic planning. After all, this forms the foundation for the museum’s financial independence and the definition of its mission. Separately, they discussed the practical aspects of synchronizing construction work with exhibition content, the importance of building a strong team of like-minded individuals united by a common goal, and the search for internal resources to resume operations even after severe losses and destruction.
The meeting will contribute to the further development of tools for initiating change, implementing ideas, and resuming professional activities amid crisis challenges.