On June 26, the Donetsk Regional Art Museum opened an exhibition at the Chernivtsi Regional Art Museum as part of the art initiative “Donetsk Region: Saved Art.”
During Ukraine’s War of Independence, the issue of preserving cultural heritage takes on special significance. The evacuation of museum collections and private art collections from the combat zone in the Donetsk region was not only a necessary step but also an act of preserving national memory. This exhibition project is dedicated to this important theme, presenting the rescued works as a symbol of cultural resistance in the context of war.
The opening was attended by Svitlana Nepochatova, Deputy Director for Research at the Donetsk Regional Art Museum, and Inna Kitsul, Director of the Chernivtsi Regional Art Museum. In their remarks, they emphasized that holding the exhibition on the occasion of Ukraine’s Constitution Day underscores the deep connection between statehood, cultural identity, and society’s responsibility for preserving the national heritage. Each rescued artwork represents a preserved part of the region’s history and identity, bearing witness not only to the artistic traditions of the Donetsk region but also to the power of art as a vehicle for memory and a reflection of historical events.
The exhibition features reproductions of paintings on canvas from the collection of the Donetsk Regional Art Museum—which was assembled after the museum resumed operations in territory controlled by Ukraine following 2015—as well as paintings from private collections. Through their paintings, the artists highlight the uniqueness of the Donetsk region as an area with a rich natural, historical, and cultural landscape, while also reflecting on the existential experience of war through the lens of personal and collective existence. A separate section of the exhibition is dedicated to the work of O. I. Shevchenko—a distinctive artist and founder of the Museum of Folk Architecture, Daily Life, and Children’s Creativity in the village of Prelesne. In today’s world, his paintings inspired by Ukrainian folklore serve as a means of preserving identity and providing spiritual support.
We invite you to visit the exhibition, which will run through July 17 and where everyone will find something that resonates with them: Residents of Donetsk Oblast—a connection to their homeland; military personnel and veterans—a place of remembrance and inner strength; residents of Chernivtsi Oblast—an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Donetsk Oblast’s cultural identity; cultural and educational professionals—a space for dialogue; and young people—an emotional discovery.