Kharkiv Historical Museum named after M. Sumtsov, Kharkiv Region
According to the Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko, Kharkiv region is in first place in Ukraine in terms of the number of cultural monuments destroyed or damaged due to the hostilities.
Museum Crisis Center couldn’t stay aside towards the problems of museum workers who found themselves in a difficult situation in the Kharkiv region - under constant shelling, local museum workers did their best to save the collections.
Lots of them, not receiving any financial help, sometimes starving, risking their lives, had been disassembling the exhibitions and hiding the most valuable exhibits. Unfortunately, not everything happened to be saved as missile strikes destroyed the buildings of the National Literary and Memorial Museum of H.S. Skovoroda, the Historical and Archaeological Museum-Reserve "Verkhniy Saltiv", the Dvorichansky Museum of Local Lore, and damaged the buildings of 7 other museums. However, thanks to the dedicated work of Kharkiv museum workers, the losses of the museum collection are minimal.
Now the museums of Kharkiv region are provided with various types of assistance, and the Museum Crisis Center provided help when it was needed most, providing humanitarian and financial assistance to museum staff.
“Today I have received personal humanitarian aid. I would like to note that the set I have received surprises with its variety - it feels that it was collected by people who cared. In addition to food, it included hygiene products, medicines, a set of socks, a soft warm blanket, and a very necessary thing in our time - power banks.
It is very nice that in such difficult times you do not remain indifferent to those who need help. You provide your fellow museum workers with not only help, but you give them hope that together we can overcome any adversity!"
Nataliia Ivanova, Head of the Department of Scientific and Collection Work of the Kharkiv Historical Museum named after M. F. Sumtsov.