FROM EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO A SUSTAINABLE SYSTEM FOR CULTURAL PROTECTION

Four and a half years of full-scale war have given Ukraine unique — and extraordinarily hard-earned — experience in protecting cultural heritage.

Now is the time to transform this experience into a sustainable system of cultural protection — at the national, regional, and local levels.

📌 On 2 October in Kyiv, we will hold the international CULTURAL RESILIENCE FORUM “From Emergency Response to a System of Protection.”

We invite Ukrainian and international experts, representatives of cultural institutions, public authorities, local communities, civil society organizations, the military, volunteers, and international partners to join us.

During the years of full-scale war, Ukraine has developed new teams, methodologies, partnerships, and extensive practical experience in rescuing cultural heritage. But how do we move from individual successful initiatives and projects to a sustainable, coordinated, and effective system?

This will be at the heart of our Forum.

Key topics will include:

▪️ risk management and emergency preparedness;
▪️ development of mobile rapid-response teams;
▪️ evacuation, digitization, and safe storage of collections;
▪️ documentation and emergency stabilization of damaged heritage;
▪️ countering the illicit removal of cultural property and developing mechanisms for its return;
▪️ the role of cultural protection in national resilience, social cohesion, and Ukraine’s defence efforts.

This is not a forum of presentations for the sake of presentations. We are creating a working space for sharing experience, examining real cases, identifying solutions, and defining practical next steps.

If you work with cultural heritage, make policy or operational decisions, represent a community, public institution or civil society organization, work in the security sector, or support Ukraine internationally — we invite you to join us.

🔴 Registration is open until 20 September. Places for in-person participation are limited.

👉 Apply here: https://lnk.ua/5GYHqviTH

Participation is subject to prior registration and confirmation by the organizers.

📍 Kyiv + online
🕙 10:00–17:00
🌐 Working languages: Ukrainian and English, with simultaneous interpretation

Registered participants will receive the exact venue and Forum programme with their official invitation. Online participation will be available for international partners and participants from other regions of Ukraine. Travel expenses may be covered for selected participants.

We will conclude the Forum with the opening of the exhibition “What We Chose to Protect: Stories from Cultural Heritage Rescue Missions in Ukraine” — about the people, institutions, and partnerships working to save Ukraine’s cultural heritage during the war.

Do you want to contribute to building a system capable of protecting Ukrainian culture and identity — during this war and in the future? Register and join us in shaping it together.

Organizers:
Agency for Cultural Resilience (ACURE), National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity (Maidan Museum), Cultural Emergency Response, National Preserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra”.

Partners:
Cultural Emergency Response Regional Hub for the Black Sea Region, Europa Nostra, European Cultural Hub, Fulbright Circle of Ukraine / Fulbright Ukraine, Institute of International Education (IIE), Museum of Books and Printing of Ukraine.