Cultural Preservation during Wartime: Safeguarding Ukraine’s Heritage Sites
Join us for a pressing conversation about the ongoing efforts to safeguard Ukraine’s cultural heritage
Since the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, cultural heritage sites have been purposefully targeted across the country. According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, 2,003 cultural heritage places and institutions have been damaged or destroyed, as of June 2024. These sites include landmarks, memorials, monuments, and places of worship and burial.
In this event, WMF Ukraine Heritage Crisis Specialist Kateryna Goncharova will explore the current state of heritage preservation and conservation in Ukraine, spotlighting several active projects, including the Teacher’s House in Kyiv and the Chernihiv Regional Library for Youth, and detail tactics for addressing both immediate and long-term needs of heritage sites across the country. Attendees will then be invited to participate in a Q&A moderated by WMF President and CEO Bénédicte de Montlaur.
This event is hosted in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute of America.
Date: Thursday, July 11, 2024
Time: 6:30pm ET
Location: Ukrainian Institute of America, 2 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10075
While this event is free and open to the public, WMF and UIA encourage you to support WMF’s Ukraine Heritage Response Fund.
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This event is hosted in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute of America.
Pictured above: Catherine’s Church, Chernihiv, Ukraine. Courtesy of Zoryana and Matviy Pohranychny (Heritage Monitoring Lab - HeMo).
About the Speakers
Kateryna Goncharova
Ukraine Heritage Crisis Specialist, WMF
Kateryna Goncharova previously served as a Head of the Research Department at the Ukrainian State Research and Project Institute for Historic Preservation; she has been involved with the preservation of architectural heritage and historical sites of Ukraine, including research, management, and scientific support of projects. As a Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Goncharova also conducted research concerning the U.S. experience in historic preservation based on public-private partnership, community engagement, and neighborhood revitalization. She also managed and co-organized numerous projects on integrated urban development, civic participation, and evaluation of cultural heritage as a resource for strategic development. Kateryna Goncharova holds a Ph.D. in Museum and Monuments Studies from The Center of Monuments Research at the National Academy of Science (NAS) Ukraine and USPHCM.
Bénédicte de Montlaur
President and CEO, WMF
Bénédicte de Montlaur is President and CEO of World Monuments Fund (WMF), the world’s foremost private organization dedicated to saving extraordinary places while empowering the communities around them. She is responsible for defining WMF’s strategic vision, currently implementing that vision in more than 30 countries around the world and leading a team that spans the globe. Her background mixes culture and the arts, politics, international diplomacy, and human rights. Prior to joining WMF, Montlaur spent two decades working across three continents as a senior diplomat at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
About the Ukrainian Institute of America
The Ukrainian Institute of America has been at the forefront of promoting Ukrainian culture and democratic values to the world for 75 years. Through its vibrant programs, the Institute serves as a bridge between Ukraine and the American people, fostering cultural interaction, mutual understanding, and appreciation of shared values and goals. Located on Museum Mile in the heart of New York City in a National Historic Landmark building, the Institute is Where the World Meets Ukraine.
About the Ukrainian Heritage Response Fund
With seed funding from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, World Monuments Fund's (WMF) Ukraine Heritage Response Fund is supporting Ukrainian heritage professionals and providing supplies necessary to protect Ukrainian heritage places. Where safe to do so, WMF is also supporting the stabilization and rehabilitation of damaged structures. Looking to the future, we are preparing for post-conflict needs by building a strong foundation of financial support that can be deployed for conservation work at cultural heritage sites.
SUPPORT THE UKRAINE HERITAGE RESPONSE FUND
The Ukraine Heritage Response Fund was created with leadership support from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation. World Monuments Fund would also like to thank the other generous donors who have supported the Fund, including the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) and U.S. Embassy Kyiv; Cultural Emergency Response (CER) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands; Richard Lounsbery Foundation; Tianaderrah Foundation / Nellie and Robert Gipson; Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine Kaye Foundation; Flora Family Foundation; Christie's; and other supporters.
