Emergency assistance to cultural institutions in Odesa. Phase 1

With the support of the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund, NGO Museum for change team has managed to  implement a project aimed at providing emergency assistance to cultural institutions in Odesa, Ukraine, as part of efforts to preserve cultural heritage during the war.

In particular, the Odesa Fine Arts Museum, the Museum of Odesa Modern Art and the State Archives of the Odesa Region have received additional support to speed up the digitization of collections, as well as resources to reduce the risks of damage to collections. You can see the online collection of the Odesa Fine arts Museum via this link http://collection.ofam.ua/

In close cooperation with the Department of Culture, Nationalities, Religions and Protection of Cultural Heritage Objects of the Odesa Regional State Administration, the project has provided the necessary minimum stock of various materials that may be needed by local cultural institutions to safeguard and protect cultural heritage.

On the photo: Director of the Department of Culture, Religion and Protection of the Architectural Heritage of the Odesa Regional Administration, Olena Oliynyk, manager of the Department Olga Tarasova, coordinator of Museum for change Daria Dyakova. Photo by Ivan Strakhov

Working with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, UNESCO has installed the Blue Shield emblems on 54 cultural sites in Odesa. The emblem of the Hague Convention of 1954 is used as a means of identifying cultural heritage sites in order to reduce the risk of damage.

In addition, within the framework of the project, protective structures wew installed around several important sculptures in Odesa that are located in public spaces. The implementation of this part of the project became possible thanks to the effective help of the Department of Culture of the Regional State Administration and the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Odesa City Council.

On the photo: “Lion & Lioness” by Auguste Cain covered by protection shields in the City Garden of Odesa
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Oleksander Grekhov  created illustrations for each of the sculptures.

Крім того, було відновлено дах та вікна Одеського художнього музею, які були пошкоджені вибуховою хвилею під час атаки на Одеський порт 22 липня.