The Center for Contemporary Culture in Dnipro hosted a presentation of cultural projects carried out as part of a collaboration between the Kramatorsk District State Administration, the Soledar Community, and the IZOLYATSIA. Platform for Cultural Initiatives.
The event marked an important milestone in their joint efforts to preserve the cultural heritage of the Donetsk region, document the memory of their homeland, and support people who were forced to leave their homes due to Russian aggression.
The event was attended by Inna Sorokina, head of the Department for Cooperation with Local Self-Government Bodies of the Kramatorsk District State Administration; Olena Milyanovska, head of the Department for Humanitarian Affairs; and representatives of the “MiRazom” Support Center for Internally Displaced Persons in the Kramatorsk District, located in the city of Dnipro.
During an open discussion, artists, community representatives, cultural institutions, and project partners discussed contemporary approaches to preserving cultural heritage, the role of art in reimagining experiences of loss, memory, and local identity, as well as the importance of collaboration with communities in creating cultural initiatives.
Special attention was paid to participatory practices that allow residents to become direct co-creators of projects and maintain a living connection with their homeland.
Participants were presented with art projects created as part of the “Heritage. Practical Work” residency program. In collaboration with the Kramatorsk District State Administration and the “MiRazom” Support Center for IDPs in the Kramatorsk District, the projects “Rosa Donetzica” by Dasha Podoltseva and Oleksiy Shmurak and “Levels of Involvement” by Bohdana Korogod were implemented in Poltava, and, in collaboration with the Soledar City Military Administration, “Salt of My Land” by Oleksandra Klod and “Reflections” by Roksolana Dudka.
Through various artistic practices, all four works explore the memory of the Donetsk region, its people, traditions, cultural landscape, and the experience of living under wartime conditions, transforming personal and collective stories into contemporary artistic expressions.
Following the discussion, the openings of the exhibitions “Reflections” and “Salt of My Land” took place, during which the artists personally led tours of the exhibitions, spoke about their creative processes, their work with communities, and the meanings embedded in their art projects.
The partners’ joint cultural initiatives demonstrate that even in the midst of war, it is possible not only to preserve cultural heritage but also to create new spaces for dialogue, interaction, and reflection on shared experiences.
Such projects preserve the memory of the Donetsk region, help preserve its cultural voice and people’s stories, strengthen people’s connection to their local communities, and lay the foundation for the future recovery of Ukrainian communities.
After all, preserving heritage is not just about the past. It’s about the people, memories, and values that help us persevere today and shape the future of the Donetsk region and Ukraine.
Based on materials from the Kramatorsk District State Administration