Another cargo of humanitarian aid for Ukrainian museums arrived in St Sofia of Kyiv

This is reported by Suspilne.

Representatives of Russian museums arrived at the Reserve to receive and distribute humanitarian aid from the German Ministry of Culture and the Ukrainian Center for artistic assistance in Germany.

The cargo includes 72 powerful generators (more than 90 museums have already received those before), dehumidifiers and humidifiers, hygrometers, power banks, tool kits, packaging materials and other equipment.

General Director of the National Reserve "St Sofia of Kyiv" Nelya Kukovalska told the details of receiving humanitarian aid from partners from Germany.

"It all started from the first days of the war when our long-time friend Stefan Dömpke took care of the problems of museum workers, evacuation, and packaging of objects during the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation in Ukraine. He gathered museum workers and his friends, and they sent the first shipments of humanitarian aid. It was back in March," says Nelya Kukovalska.

Then, according to her, public organizations joined the initiative, then the German Ministry of Culture, which began to finance large-scale expensive projects to provide humanitarian support to Ukrainian museums.

In total, since March 2022, thanks to the support of the German Ministry of culture, which allocated more than 3 million euros, and the Ukrainian Center for artistic assistance in Germany, more than 20 trucks have arrived in more than 250 museums from Central, Eastern and southern Ukraine, which delivered two hundred tons of humanitarian cargo.

The National Reserve "St Sofia of Kyiv" also received a powerful 100 kW generator. According to the general director, the device will fully meet the electricity needs of the entire architectural ensemble during emergencies.

"This is very important because we cannot leave Sofia without heating in winter and must not allow a decrease or increase in temperature and humidity indicators so as not to damage the sights," explained Nelya Kukovalska.

In addition, the reserve received an A3 format scanner in order to scan a unique collection of architectural graphics. It will help speed up the transfer of museum funds to digital media. 3-D models reproduce not only three-dimensional images of monuments but also drawings in real dimensions.

The head of the National Reserve "St Sofia of Kyiv" notes that the most valuable objects of the institution are architectural monuments and monumental paintings, which cannot be evacuated in order to protect them from the consequences of military operations. However, the staff of the Reserve took preventive measures at the beginning of the full-scale war to protect the monuments from further destruction in the event of shelling. To do this, we had consultations with leading designers in Kyiv and carried out engineering calculations. Colleagues from Europe also sought advice to learn from their experience in preserving monuments during the Second World War.

"We have secured the electronic versions of all our funds before the attack (of the Russian Federation — Ed.)... Collections are now stored in boxes. Everything is protected," the general director of St Sofia of Kyiv assured.

Neonila Vadymska, head of the Plyuty Department of Literature and Art in the Obukhiv district, Kyiv region, also came to Kyiv to receive humanitarian aid from benefactors.

She emphasizes that the importance of museums is vital for posterity because future generations should be brought up on their traditions and historical heritage. Museum employees are engaged in "spiritual products", and it is essential that museum exhibits are preserved and have an aesthetic appearance.

Neonila Vadymska told Suspilne that she came to St Sofia of Kyiv to get a generator, dehumidifier, and workwear for employees of her institution. She learned about assistance from fellow museum workers. To receive support, we applied in advance and compiled a list of things necessary for the preservation of museum and archival funds in Plyuty. The head of the museum is grateful to all people who contribute to preserving Ukrainian spiritual heritage.