As a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine, the country’s libraries, archives, museums and monuments are endangered too. Several assistance programmes have been set up in Poland to support the authorities and staff in their efforts to protect the collections.
The Institute of History at the Jagiellonian University was the first to initiate fundraising events and organize aid for the Central State Historical Archives of Ukraine in Lviv: https://historia.uj.edu.pl/aktualnosci/-/journal_content/56_INSTANCE_3rfgiHChJ2me/11050764/150121156
A Committee on the Aid for the Museums of Ukraine was established simultaneously: https://www.facebook.com/MuzealnicyDlaUkrainy/ and https://twitter.com/MuzeaUkrainie. The aim of the Committee is to help secure, inventory, and digitize the collections, provide materials to protect and hide the collections, and keep records of the looting and the destruction of Ukrainian cultural property.
At the website For Ukraine https://www.gov.pl/web/kultura/pomoc-dla-ukrainy, run by The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, you can find more information concerning different forms of support for the victims of war, such as the location of collection points, contacts to coordinators, and other forms of aid for the victims and the refugees in Poland and Ukraine, including job opportunities in cultural institutions, educational programme, accommodation, etc.
The Polish Young Academy PYA (https://amu.pan.pl/en/) has started a program to provide help for Ukrainian fellow scientists who are currently forced to leave their homeland. Members of the PYA declare that they are ready to welcome Ukrainian scientists in their research groups, providing them with support as well as a place and tools to work: https://amu.pan.pl/en/wsparcie-dla-uczonych-z-ukrainy/
The Senate of the University of Warsaw has also adopted a resolution on expressing our solidarity with Ukraine and Ukrainian citizens. Many Departments and Institutes offer classes open to students from Ukraine, e.g. https://ia.uw.edu.pl/en/notices/details/otwarcie-zajec-dla-studentow-i-studentek-z-ukrainy.
The National Institute of Polish Cultural Heritage Abroad POLONIKA has been trying to protect monuments and offer help to conservators, artists, craftsmen, and other people associated with cultural institutions. Anyone who would like to engage in this initiative may contact the Institute via https://polonika.pl/co-nowego-/dzialania-wojenne-w-ukrainie. The Institute has also launched a fundraising event (see the website above). The Institute Director, Dorota Janiszewska-Jakubiak, talks about their endeavours in an interview for the Polish Press Agency (PAP): https://www.pap.pl/aktualnosci/news,1110010,d-janiszewska-jakubiak-boimy-sie-o-lwow.html.
The Ukrainian Catholic University has appealed to the international academic community, asking for support from scientific and research institutes around the world: https://ucu.edu.ua/en/news/appeal-of-ukrainian-catholic-university-to-the-global-academic-and-research-community.
Only a few of the initiatives started recently have been outlined above. Undoubtedly, the list may be extended. Therefore, we would like to invite you to post comments and share information on other projects that aim to support Ukrainian culture and science, and people associated with cultural institutions.