After Russia-backed troops occupied the territories in eastern Ukraine in 2014, the Donetsk Local History Museum was forced to move to Kramatorsk and resumed its work only in 2016. “For us it was hard two years. We didn’t have any financing, there was no money for salary “, – said the general director of the museum Svitlana Hlushko. The work of the museum has been completely resumed, some workers moved from Donetsk.
The new concept of the museum is a museum without walls. “Now this is compulsory, because we don’t have our own area”, – said the academic secretary of the museum Dmytro Bilko. The museum should become a space that without walls in figurative sense: it will be open for people. It will shape the cultural environment and give everyone the opportunity to express themselves.
The main plan is the development of three priority areas of work. Firstly, the Donetsk Local Museum should become an open museum center of the Donetsk region, which will explore the region, the phenomenon of the city, plus there will be an archaeological studio. Secondly, the museum plans to develop into a powerful scientific and natural center. Last but not least, the priority area is the creation of an interactive museum with the involvement of new technologies. “I wish the Donetsk Region as an industrial region would receive another status – the cultural center of the country. Culture should help raise patriotism and eliminate misunderstandings among people, “said Olena Buldakova, chief curator of the museum.
Before the events of 2014, the museum fund included more than 160 thousand exhibits, the number of visitors reached 200 thousand annually. The main museum and office stayed in Donetsk, 3 branches are situated on the territory controlled by the Ukrainian government. Among them – the Velykoanadolskyi Forest Museum, the Museum-Manor of Nemyrovych-Danchenko and the museum of composer Sergei Prokofiev. During the shellings of Donetsk, the museum was severely damaged – the left wing containing expositions of plants and animals was completely destroyed. Nowadays, the Donetsk branch of the museum has restored its work in an uncontrolled area, but it works for the purpose of propaganda.
“Military actions give not only losses, but opportunities. We are looking into the future”, – noted the director of the museum Svitlana. The museum’s employees are planning to open the exhibition dedicated to ATO in the territory of the Northern Donbas soon. The director also drew attention to the fact that the main issues on the agenda are the trainings for museum workers in order to introduce the experience of foreign cultural centers and complete updating of the museum’s stylistic appearance. It is also important to build new premises for the museum. Employees also protect the cultural heritage of the region, so there is a need for a car.
At the end of the briefing, one of the most well-known patrons of the arts Dmytro Pirkl presented the Donetsk Local History Museum with the documents testifying for the European history of the Donbas. “It will be much easier to study history and understand processes,” said Dmytro.