Qualitative city reorganization and creation of new museums are possible only with public support – international experts

WATCH IN ENGLISH

Kyiv, July 7, 2016. The public should be primarily involved in reorganizing museum spaces and creating new cultural sites. According to international and Ukrainian experts, this is the way to develop cities, which suffered a decline in a certain historical period. Ukraine had such an experience even in the past, said Yuliya Zinoviiva, Science Secretary of the National Art Museum of Ukraine, moderator, at a debate at Ukraine Crisis Media Center on “The World and Ukrainian Experience of Museums in the Revitalization of Industrial Areas and Factories”. “In 1894, an idea of ​​creating the first Ukrainian museum originated in Kyiv. It got under way only 3 years later, after the city’s active community- the then intelligentsia – began to implement the idea. They collected funds and exhibits and the museum began its work. It existed until 1917, when its patron and founder Bohdan Khanenko died,” noted the researcher.  Given the experience of building cultural spaces in Ukraine, Kateryna Smagliy, associate professor at Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts, suggested looking for locations independently in order to use them as an open cultural space instead of waiting for the government to finance creation of new museum spaces. “First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to neglected clubs in rural areas. Security problems in the East and lack of financing are burning issues, so it is worth focusing not on the construction of new museum spaces, not on the basis of industrial facilities, but on the revitalization of rural clubs,” shared her views Ms. Smagliy.

The Polish city of Lodz faced the need for reorganizing in the early 20th century. “The city reconstruction program consisted of several parts. The first involved change of residential buildings numbering 170. The next step was to create new public spaces. The goal, which the government set for the city, was to return it to life. During the first phase, the EU helped us financially,” Ewa Figel, director of the Polish Institute in Kyiv, Minister Counselor of the Embassy of Poland in Ukraine, shared the Polish experience. She said that the second part of the program was called “Stone City”. It meant that in addition to architectonic changes, Lodz had to create buildings and quarters for students. “Currently, the city reconstruction program is still under way and complete reorganization of the city will end in 2020,” explained Ewa Figel.

A successful example of restructuring is the city of Bilbao in Spain. For a long time the city had been purely industrial, filled with factories and plants. But in the early 80’s there was a need to change something. “30 years have passed and Spain is 3rd in international tourism. Last year, 7,000,000 tourists from France and other neighboring countries visited Spain, and this means billions of euros annually. Sometimes the profits from tourism are more than the GDP of most countries,” said Dr. Iago Gil Aguado, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Spain in Ukraine. Guggenheim Museum is a pilot project of the 90’s, which proved that the reorganization of the city can start with little things – with a museum.

The Polish city of Lodz faced the need for reorganizing in the early 20th century. “The city reconstruction program consisted of several parts. The first involved change of residential buildings numbering 170. The next step was to create new public spaces. The goal, which the government set for the city, was to return it to life. During the first phase, the EU helped us financially,” Ewa Figel, director of the Polish Institute in Kyiv, Minister Counselor of the Embassy of Poland in Ukraine, shared the Polish experience. She said that the second part of the program was called “Stone City”. It meant that in addition to architectonic changes, Lodz had to create buildings and quarters for students. “Currently, the city reconstruction program is still under way and complete reorganization of the city will end in 2020,” explained Ewa Figel.

A successful example of restructuring is the city of Bilbao in Spain. For a long time the city had been purely industrial, filled with factories and plants. But in the early 80’s there was a need to change something. “30 years have passed and Spain is 3rd in international tourism. Last year, 7,000,000 tourists from France and other neighboring countries visited Spain, and this means billions of euros annually. Sometimes the profits from tourism are more than the GDP of most countries,” said Dr. Iago Gil Aguado, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Spain in Ukraine. Guggenheim Museum is a pilot project of the 90’s, which proved that the reorganization of the city can start with little things – with a museum.