Blue Sky - The Ukrainian Conservation Forum
"I appeal to conservators worldwide to join the Blue Sky / Ukrainian Conservation Forum initiative to preserve our nation's cultural heritage by building conservation knowledge and expertise in Ukraine."
Tetiana Tymchenko, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Conservation of Works of Art, National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, Kyiv, Ukraine
We invite cultural heritage conservators to join their Ukrainian colleagues as they address the ongoing destruction of Ukraine’s cultural heritage. Blue Sky – The Ukrainian Conservation Forum is a closed group on the Telegram messaging platform. Its goal is to link Ukrainian conservators, conservation students, and arts specialists with members of the English-speaking conservation community, world to enable conversations about the preservation of Ukraine's historic artifacts in particular and, more generally, about conservation education.
The Situation
Currently, Ukraine does not have a functioning community-based conservation organization such as the American Institute for Conservation. So, although there are education programs that provide education in conservation, there is no ongoing national discussion of conservation goals and practices. In addition, although younger Ukrainian conservators may be fluent in English, most are not. This limits their access to the West's conservation knowledge base and interactions with their Western peers.
Our Solution
To address the immense challenges imposed on conservators by the ongoing destruction of Ukraine's cultural heritage - and to lay a foundation for the future conservation of its various forms - Department Head Tetiana Tymchenko and American conservator Yuri Yanchyshyn announce Blue Sky - The Ukrainian Conservation Forum.
During this time of crisis, this forum will bridge the gap.
—We have chosen Telegram as the platform for Blue Sky because of its strong security, its popularity in Ukraine, and its easy-to-use translation function.
—The language of the forum is both English and Ukrainian.
—Two topics are of immediate concern: one is the plight of Ukrainian conservation students and conservators overseas. Blue Sky has a special section for “Internships, Grants and Fellowships” that will serve as a central listing of available opportunities. The second is the proper safeguarding and storage of works of art. This is found under Blue Sky’s “Collections Issues”, section.
—Other sections include: Members, News, What is Conservation?, Conservation Ethics, Conservation Science, Cleaning of Artworks, Painting Conservation, Objects Conservation, Books and Paper Conservation, Polychromy Conservation, Metals Conservation, Archeological Conservation, Textile Conservation, Photography, Furniture Conservation, Gilded Wood Conservation, Architecture Conservation.
—The forum will be moderated, and all members must abide by the stated rules.
How to Join
If you would like to join Blue Sky - The Ukrainian Conservation Forum, please join Telegram, then send an email to the moderator Mykyta Yavorsky at nikita.yavorskyyy@gmail.com who will reply with further detailed instructions.