Zaporizhzhia Region Museum of Local Lore, Zaporizhzhia
Together with the partners from the Shevchenkivskyi Hai Park Museum and with the support of ALIPH Museum Crisis Center have had an opportunity to support the colleagues of Zaporizhzhia Region Museum of Local Lore and also, from different resources, among which are regular donations, provides financial help to the museum workers. The deputy of the museum, Victoria, shared her thoughts about the reality of museum workers’ life under the shellings:
“My name is Victoria and I’m the deputy of the Zaporizhzhia Region Museum of Local Lore, I am very thankful for help to the Museum Crisis Center. When in the morning of February 24th we were told that the war started, almost all the museum workers showed up at work. We started from dismantling and hising the most valuable exhibits. And then preparations began for the evacuation of the museum. Employees came to work to pack exhibits. The male half of the museum was on duty day and night. But the city was periodically shelled and continues to be shelled. During one of the shellings, a blast wave damaged a couple of the museum's windows, which were immediately repaired, but dealing with the damaged staff houses was more difficult. First of all, there was a shortage of glass, hands, and finances. We covered what we could with our own resources.
At the beginning of the war, at one point, Lesya Klymenko called me and offered me help from the Museum Crisis Center. At first, we started working with museum workers in our region, and they received and continue to receive financial assistance from the center. And when it became difficult with our team, we also applied. Financial assistance is very appropriate for those employees whose husbands or sons are serving in the hottest spots of Ukraine, those whose parents remained in the temporarily occupied territory, those whose homes were damaged by air raids around the city. We are very grateful from the entire museum community, not only our museum, but also the museum workers of the region, to the team of the Museum Crisis Center, especially Olha Honchar, Lesya Klymenko, Olesya Milovanova and Milena Chorna. May God protect you, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, because for us you are angels who came to our aid. I can't write or convey everything that our museum workers say and write. I wish peace to all of us. Everything will be a museum. Glory to Ukraine!"
At the beginning of the war, at one point, Lesya Klymenko called me and offered me help from the Museum Crisis Center. At first, we started working with museum workers in our region, and they received and continue to receive financial assistance from the center. And when it became difficult with our team, we also applied. Financial assistance is very appropriate for those employees whose husbands or sons are serving in the hottest spots of Ukraine, those whose parents remained in the temporarily occupied territory, those whose homes were damaged by air raids around the city. We are very grateful from the entire museum community, not only our museum, but also the museum workers of the region, to the team of the Museum Crisis Center, especially Olha Honchar, Lesya Klymenko, Olesya Milovanova and Milena Chorna. May God protect you, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, because for us you are angels who came to our aid. I can't write or convey everything that our museum workers say and write. I wish peace to all of us. Everything will be a museum. Glory to Ukraine!"
P.S. 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.
