Gulyaypillia Museum of Local Lore, Zaporizhzhia
When you read the stories of our colleagues and realize that sometimes people rely only on the MCC, you grit your teeth and redouble your efforts: displaced, evacuated museum workers or those who stayed in frontline cities or in the occupied territory often have no money to live on, do not receive salaries or any other assistance.
"The employees of the Gulyaypillia Museum of Local Lore express their sincere gratitude to our rescuers, the Museum Crisis Center, and personally to each and every person involved in this noble cause.
Since March, when the disaster came to the home of every museum worker from the legendary city of Gulyaypillia, thanks to the Museum Crisis Center, we have been receiving assistance that allowed us to meet the most basic needs for food and accommodation in foreign cities. This help gives us hope and faith that we are not alone, and confidence that with such sincere people our country will definitely win the long-awaited VICTORY.
In Gulyaypillia, a full-scale war began in early March: the city was shelled with all kinds of weapons, communications disappeared, and communication was barely possible. It is the duty of museum workers to save not only their lives, but also the exhibits that bear witness to our long-suffering history. That is why, since the beginning of the war, we have made efforts to keep our treasures in safe places. Despite the hostilities, we packed and moved our historical valuables and hoped that this horror would end soon.
Some employees' homes were damaged in the first days of the war, and they and their families had to live in the museum. But the shelling did not stop, the war was only gaining momentum. At that time, the mayor of the city and his team made incredible efforts to evacuate people urgently. In the morning and evening, evacuation buses were continuously transporting people from their homeland. As painful as it was, we had to leave our hometown as well. Now almost every museum employee has had their homes and apartments destroyed or damaged. Our museum, the city's jewel, is wounded: its windows and roof are damaged. But it is not left in the lurch, the museum's wounds are being treated by the utility workers and the caretaker, who not only visits the museum but also tries to keep the flower beds clean.
Human heroism has no limits, which is why we all believe that our shattered city, like the Phoenix bird, will rise from the ashes, flourish, and our museum will decorate it as always. This faith and hope is supported by the Museum Crisis Center, whose help is now crucial for each of us."
PS. We publish the stories of our fellow museum workers with their permission, and only when they believe that there is no threat to their lives and the lives of their loved ones.