As part of the online project «About the museum over coffee,» organized by the Donetsk Regional Museum of Local History, a discussion was held on issues that need answers. The topic of the meeting was «Helping museums during the war.»
Igor Poshyvailo, Director General of the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity and founder of the Agency for Cultural Resilience (ACURE), joined the conversation. The speaker emphasized that the war has presented Ukrainian museums with unprecedented challenges: the constant threat of destruction or loss of collections, the need for evacuation, the search for resources to preserve collections, and at the same time the need to maintain communication with the audience.
During the meeting, Mr. Ihor spoke about ACURE’s key areas of activity, including the creation of a mobile digital laboratory to record the condition of collections, the organization of educational programs and training courses, in particular on the organization and preservation of digital archives, as well as intensive courses on the stabilization of damaged collections. Another important aspect was the presentation of international practices for documenting war crimes against cultural heritage, which are being implemented as part of the «Museification of War» project.
The conversation showed that support for museums during wartime is multidimensional: from material and technical support to methodological assistance and educational initiatives. It is particularly valuable that Ukrainian experience is combined with international support, creating a systematic mechanism for responding to the challenges currently facing the cultural sector.