The Heritage Bureau, together with the ЗMIN, launched a joint project “Heritage Operators.” It will monitor the operators of immovable cultural heritage objects of Ukraine and publish the findings for public access on the online platform Re_Herit.

The project reaches back to the time between 2018 and 2021. The “ReHERIT: Shared Responsibility for a Common Heritage” project, implemented with the EU financial support, developed a website and filled it with their analytical materials on cultural heritage. One of the website tabs is on “Heritage Operators.” It collected information about institutions, organizations, enterprises, and experts working with cultural heritage in Ukraine. Now, the update and additions are planned for this section.

Partnership with teams focusing on quality work with heritage is part of ЗMIN’s strategy. We see essential benefits for communities coming from such cooperation. It bolsters conversations about the wider scope of heritage, and therefore a more sensitive approach. We also believe heritage offers rich opportunities for social, cultural, and economic change, said Khrystyna Boyko, director of ЗMIN.

The full-scale invasion boosted the need to review policies, to think about new mechanisms, and to reinforce change at all levels – from official policies to grassroots initiatives.

The platform will highlight a wide ecosystem of heritage operators and present comprehensive solutions.

It will be a cross-section where official structures, grassroots initiatives, educational institutions, researchers, and service providers will be presented on one map. It is the archiving that may become a solid ground for further research, and have a practical application. It will facilitate dialogue between those interested in preserving and in sensitive use of heritage, adds Krystyna Boiko.

“The identification, updating, and systematization of heritage operators is not only about a mechanical data processing. It is also an opportunity to consolidate the ideas of anyone caring about Ukrainian culture and our common heritage in times of threat. From individual digitization or restoration specialists to city and government policies, from civic initiatives to art patrons: the potential is immense. We will do our utmost to make sure the project represents all forms of heritage-related activities in all regions of our country. It’s going to be interesting. I am sure there are many discoveries ahead!” summarizes the project manager, Yaryna Korotkevych.