Destructive Exploitation and Care of Cultural Objects and Professional/Public Education for Sustainable Heritage Management (DECOPE)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Stirling
Department Name: History and Politics
Abstract
The war between Russia and Ukraine firmly locates major challenges relating to heritage, society and ethics in areas of armed conflict in the heart of Europe. Against this backdrop, DECOPE aims to investigate how care is mobilised for cultural heritage during armed conflict, identifying the challenges, impacts and effects of local, national and international responses in order to create more effective, competent and targeted support for the work of professionals and communities.
When national institutions are severely strained in war zones, alternative, ad-hoc structures emerge. These can help accelerate the impact and effectiveness of care and rapid collaboration with international institutions providing aid. Yet, the power void created by severe damage to bureaucracy and opaque processes of rapid response makes cultural property vulnerable to expropriation in the name of cultural patrimony and trafficking of cultural property under guise of "rescue".
Exploring these contradictions DECOPE will reveal the consequences of nationally-driven cultural heritage policies for heritage management, community involvement and global responsibility. While tracking Ukrainian heritage "rescue" projects across Europe, the project will pinpoint the challenges of providing aid/assistance and reveal how, and by whom, narratives about cultural heritage are produced and used in different local, regional, national and international contexts.
Through online and face-to-face fieldwork, we will work with Ukrainian heritage professionals to understand how they have mobilised to mitigate damage to both the heritage they manage and their professional lives. We will identify barriers, bottlenecks and constraints and produce guidance and resources to create more effective and sustainable collaboration between international and national organisations and those heritage professionals, NGOs and lay communities working 'on the ground'.
Keywords: Care, war, trafficking, emergency response, Ukraine
When national institutions are severely strained in war zones, alternative, ad-hoc structures emerge. These can help accelerate the impact and effectiveness of care and rapid collaboration with international institutions providing aid. Yet, the power void created by severe damage to bureaucracy and opaque processes of rapid response makes cultural property vulnerable to expropriation in the name of cultural patrimony and trafficking of cultural property under guise of "rescue".
Exploring these contradictions DECOPE will reveal the consequences of nationally-driven cultural heritage policies for heritage management, community involvement and global responsibility. While tracking Ukrainian heritage "rescue" projects across Europe, the project will pinpoint the challenges of providing aid/assistance and reveal how, and by whom, narratives about cultural heritage are produced and used in different local, regional, national and international contexts.
Through online and face-to-face fieldwork, we will work with Ukrainian heritage professionals to understand how they have mobilised to mitigate damage to both the heritage they manage and their professional lives. We will identify barriers, bottlenecks and constraints and produce guidance and resources to create more effective and sustainable collaboration between international and national organisations and those heritage professionals, NGOs and lay communities working 'on the ground'.
Keywords: Care, war, trafficking, emergency response, Ukraine
Organisations
- University of Stirling (Lead Research Organisation)
- Centre for Urban History of East Central Europe (Collaboration)
- Historic Environment Scotland (Collaboration)
- Museum Crisis Centre (Project Partner)
- Center for Urban History (Project Partner)
- Norwegian Directorate Cultural Heritage (Project Partner)
- Historic Environment Scotland (Project Partner)
Publications
Diána Vonnák
(2024)
Invisible University for Ukraine. Essays on Democracy and War
Vonnák, D.
(Re)Defining cultural heritage in Ukraine
Vonnák, D.
(2025)
The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Cultural Heritage and Conflict
Vonnák, D.
(2025)
Mobilising Care for Cultural Heritage in Russia's War Against Ukraine
| Title | Essays and Audio Essays produced for the Berlin Art Academy |
| Description | In 2023-2024, Diána Vonnák was elected as a Literature Fellow at the Young Academy of the Berlin Art Academy. In her work during this fellowship, she used interview material conducted in the framework of the DECOPE project to inform a series of creative nonfiction texts in Hungarian and English, entitled 'Hello, Ghost!' which will be produced as audio essays for the Berlin Art Academy's 2026 exhibition of Young Academy Artists. The title of the exhibition is not yet agreed on, and the texts are being finalised as of Spring 2025. |
| Type Of Art | Creative Writing |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | These essays form the basis of Vonnák's ongoing book writing project, a creative nonfiction reckoning with the personal impact of war, which will be published in Hungarian in 2026 or 2027. |
| Description | Our research sheds new light on key transnational networks, trends, challenges and developments in the provision of care for cultural heritage in Ukraine after the Russian invasion of the country. his is a dynamic, crowded arena made up of diverse actors and resources with varying degrees of coordination between them. Based on extensive qualitative social research across Europe, our research identifies the actors, resources and reasoning involved, as well as the financial, political and practical contexts of their operation. We also unpick the networks, supply chains and organisational alliances entailed, both inside Ukraine and among Ukraine's allies. The results address gaps in our understanding of cooperation and collaboration, as well as how cultural heritage emergency response, humanitarian aid, and support for social cohesion and resilience, intersect in practice. Analysing care for cultural heritage in this broader, cross-cutting framework transforms knowledge and understanding of both the social role of cultural heritage in wartime, and the full extent of the networks and resources involved. Key findings 1. At the time of the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukrainian state level planning and preparation for protection of heritage was still minimal and emergency protocols lacked legal and bureaucratic adaptations for disaster contexts. Those involved in care for cultural heritage sought alternative routes of support to deal with the ensuing breakdown in communication, logistical and resource chains, leading to both informal networks and a plethora of new civic initiatives. 2. Civic initiatives, municipal actors and staff in heritage institutions on-site acted faster in terms of emergency response than either the central state or international actors. Well-networked organisations that were able to quickly receive and manage diverse portfolios of funding, including donations, were critical. Hybrid initiatives that combine flexible organisational structures with public sector know-how were best placed to fill gaps of state capacity, understand needs across scales and geographies, and mediate between diverse stakeholders. 3. There was a rapid internationalisation of resourcing in the context of the war economy in Ukraine, and it was largely the influx of foreign funding which sustained a functioning heritage sector. The most effective were those donors, often International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs), who were able to connect geographically and sector-specific micro-networks into larger-scale chains to channel funding and other resources. 4. The initial emergency in the first 2-6 months was followed by more robust and predictable funding, and a return to the project economy. Support became more diverse as large INGOs and foreign state bodies entered or returned to the country, and recently established initiatives grew. Bridge actors who connect different geographic and sectorial tiers of the support landscape, facilitating communication and logistical flows, have been key for the coordination and efficiency of the sector. 5. With time, there is increasing use of international instruments and 'in danger' lists to designate and protect Ukrainian cultural heritage in the international sphere of UNESCO and related organisations, with the aim of enhancing the visibility of threats, leveraging resources and politically marginalising Russia. 6. Diplomatic, military and central state initiatives constitute a relatively closed sphere, defined by restricted communication channels, administrative bureaucracies, diplomatic considerations and political priorities. Furthermore, support derived from leading actors in this international political-diplomatic and state sphere is concentrated on major centres and around World Heritage and other prestigious heritage sites. 7. Heritage institutions become key venues for volunteering, distributing humanitarian aid, and commemorating fallen soldiers. These activities lead to new or stronger connections between heritage professionals and local communities, while heritage infrastructures became key for social cohesion. Complex care work crosscuts distinct policy fields, notably relating to humanitarian funding and social cohesion-oriented culture work. Hence, it falls between distinct funding streams, leading to gaps in capacity. The relative safety, including financial safety of heritage workers in Ukraine, was crucial in their ability to continue providing care for heritage. 8. Projects focusing on everyday, unofficial and/or local forms of heritage flourish, including the emerging everyday heritage of war. This boom is part of the new relevance many feel about the value of heritage under threat. However, everyday heritage work also places a considerable burden on heritage and museum professionals in terms of the emotional labour of care and upskilling in forms of practice they may be unfamiliar with 9. Already in the pre-recovery phase, complex care work, associated with both grassroots humanitarianism and everyday heritage practice, contributes to community resilience and belonging in societies heavily affected by armed violence and occupation. In this context, the processes of care and repair, identity work and trauma support matter as much as the material outcome. The Spanish and Norwegian research teams (funded by their respective national research councils) have also produced due diligence guidance for those involved in the complex regulatory and legal frameworks relating to protection of cultural heritage and prevention of illicit trafficking during conflict. They are in the process of making their database available online and we will be able to report on this output in 2026. |
| Exploitation Route | The objective is to produce more effective and better coordinated support for projects and activities involved in caring for Ukraine's heritage, as well as the heritage professionals, activists and lay communities involved in them. To this end, we have produced a research report presenting the results along with key findings and recommendations. While this research focused on the war in Ukraine, the results have wider implications for approaches to care for cultural heritage, and the people who work with it, in the context of war. The research has a wide range of implications for policy, funding and practice in the spheres of cultural heritage, museums and collections. Secondarily they may also be relevant to the spheres of government, democracy and cultural diplomacy. We are in the process of taking forward the academic outcomes of the research through academic publications. We have also produced a 30,000 word research report with key findings and recommendations for heritage bodies and other organisations involved in mobilising care for cultural heritage in war. We will work with our DECOPE Associate Partners to promote and circulate this report. Talks, workshops and blogs will be used as pathways to impact where opportunity arises. We will seek out opportunities to work with key actors in the sector to support the implementation of the recommendations. |
| Sectors | Government Democracy and Justice Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
| Description | Note: This research project has not yet finished (it has a two month extension), so this is an interim statement on impact. DECOPE aims to contribute to the effective, competent, and targeted support for the work of cultural heritage practitioners and lay communities involved in the care of cultural heritage in the context of conflict and its aftermath. We intend to identify the factors that facilitate or constrain how care is delivered in practice, including what priorities are set and what actions taken, by whom and with what consequences; particularly constraints local professionals might face in their effort to shape the agenda of international support in the shorter and longer term. As a result, we hope to improve the ways in which institutional, financial, legal, regulatory and logistical resources are mobilised to support care for cultural heritage at times of conflict. We have taken a collaborative approach to impact, based on long-term relationships with partners, regular communication and reciprocity, and active investment in time and resources. DECOPE's research design is transdisciplinary (as well as interdisciplinary) in that it has embedded key stakeholders in the research process throughout the project. Members of the project team have strong, pre-existing relationships based on previous dialogue and collaboration with our Associate Partner (AP) representatives and organisations (two state heritage bodies and two Ukrainian NGOs). Based on this foundation, AP partners have played an active role in co-designing the research from the start of the project. Our three workshops have facilitated intense discussion and engagement with the emerging findings and recommendations. The projetc Reference Group has also provided a forum for feedback and discussion of the implications of our findings and the shape of our outputs. So far the impact has been multi-directional with APs having significant impact on the project. Now that the project is approaching the end date we expect the direct of impact to shift. One specific area to note already is that our research findings are feeding into a review of risk assessment and contingency / emergency plans by the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2025 |
| Sector | Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | Center for Urban History of East Central Europe (DECOPE Associate Partner) |
| Organisation | Centre for Urban History of East Central Europe |
| Country | Ukraine |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The DECOPE research team contributed new knowledge and understanding of relevance to the Center, relating to the role of local, national and international actors involved in care for cultural heritage during the war. The research outcomes provide a strong evidence base to support the case that local voices should be better represented in the international aid decisions and discussions, part of the mission of the Center. We will continue to promote the work of the Center particularly in the area of everyday heritage and work with them to secure impact and benefits for them and their partners. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Center has contributed important expertise and experience in the field of cultural heritage to the events and publications of the project. Their research has substantively informed our evolving research design. They have generously shared their extensive database of contacts (including heritage management professionals, civic activists, researchers, interested public) for interviewing and consulting with the project. They supported us in organising a workshop for Ukrainian heritage and museum workers in Lublin in Poland, which played an important role in co-creating knowledge about the role of everyday heritage in war. They also sent a member of staff to run a workshop session on archiving everyday heritage materials. Finally Dr Iryna Sklokina has attended our project workshops and presented important papers as part of the project. |
| Impact | As an Associate Partner to the DECOPE Project, the Lviv Center for Urban History has played an integral role in project design and review, in particular facilitating links to their partners, engaging in interviews and workshop discussions and providing sector feedback on the findings and their implications. As such they have played a role in the development of the overall project findings and outcomes. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Historic Environment Scotland (DECOPE Associate Partner) |
| Organisation | Historic Environment Scotland |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Since the 1990s, wars, insurgencies and other conflicts worldwide have had a significant cultural dimension, resulting in a conscious programme of destruction of artefacts or monuments. While the heritage sector at a global level is responding vigorously to this issue, it is a challenging area to achieve consensus, understanding and mount an effective policy response. Through our research, the UK DECOPE team have contrubuted new knowledge and understanding of how care for cultural heritage is mobilised during war and the complex networks of actors involved. We have also identified key challenges and barriers. These findings will enable HES to consider the policy and management implications and work with others to build effective global responses. We will continue to engage with Historic Environment Scotland following the end date of the project to offerpolicy advice and CPD in this subject area. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Historic Environment Scotland staff have: (1) provided advice on legislation, policy, heritage diplomacy and other sector insights drawing on our national oversight and international networks; (2) participated in 3 project workshops in Madrid, Oslo and Stirling; (3) participated in the Project Reference Group offering insights into sector challenges/needs, which will support co-design and evaluation of guidance and resources. The HES DECOPE representative, George Findlater,co-designed the Stirling/UK workshop with the DECOPE team and also organised and chaired a session. Contribution in-kind was in terms of staff time, workshop venue and a contribution to the travel costs of staff attendance at workshops. |
| Impact | As an Associate Partner to the DECOPE Project, Historic Environment Scotland have played an integral role in project design and review, in particular facilitating links to their partners, engaging in interviews and workshop discussions and providing sector feedback on the findings and theor implications. As such they have played a role in the development of the overall project findings and outcomes. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | "Competition, alliance, accountability? Civic initiatives and the state in wartime Ukraine" Diána Vonnák's invited talk at the Institute of Ethnology, Academy of Sciences in Hungary |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Diána Vonnák gave a talk about civic initiatives and the state, using DECOPE research material as case studies at the Institute of Ethnology's seminar series at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in May 2024, in Budapest. The talk was delivered to members of the Academy, social scientists from other organisations in Hungary, and it was streamed for the wider public. Attendees included Hungary-based research subjects. The in-person audience included around 30 people, and a further 35 participated online |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://nti.abtk.hu/hu/hireink/853-vonnak-diana-eloadasa-intezetunkben |
| Description | "Stepping in, helping out, competing with? State and civic actors in Ukraine's wartime heritage work" - Diána Vonnák's Talk at the Departmental Seminar of the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Diána Vonnák was invited to speak at the departmental seminar series at the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography at Oxford University. The talk was attended by 30 people, and online a further 35 people took part. It was recorded and then released as a podcast in the Anthropology Podcast Series of Oxford University |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://staged.podcasts.ox.ac.uk/stepping-helping-out-competing-state-and-civic-actors-ukraines-wart... |
| Description | "Wartime Fieldwork: Ethnographic research with cultural professionals in Ukraine" Diána Vonnák's guest lecture at Vilnius University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Diána Vonnák was invited to give a guest talk about conducting qualitative social science research in the context of ongoing war by the Department of Anthropology at Vilnius University in Lithuania. The audience consisted of undergraduate and postgraduate students of the university, the lecture was delivered online. It used online interviews made in the DECOPE project and the Lublin-based participatory workshop as examples to discuss research ethics, safety and other considerations Talk abstract: This lecture will discuss how anthropologists have worked in contexts of war and conflict, how their roles and approach have changed in the past decades. Using examples of my ongoing work in Ukraine, I will show how considerations of safety (of participants and one's own), access, ethics change when we work during an ongoing war, and ask what ethnography, and qualitative research more broadly might contribute to our grasp of these fast-changing contexts. I will show how the full-scale invasion has disrupted the lives of cultural workers, mostly focusing on museums and cultural centres in smaller towns, how people seek to document the ongoing events and what civilian mobilisation might look like in these contexts. I will touch on how insider/outsider positions might colour our work and how the long-term commitments anthropologists often maintain to their research sites modulates this. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | "Wartime Heritage Rescue in Ukraine: Cooperation Beyond the State" Diána Vonnák's talk at the Prisma Ukraïna Conversations series |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The talk was part of the seminar series organised by the Berlin-based research group Prisma Ukraïna: War, Migration and Memory. It was delivered online and the audience included research group members, other researchers in the field and members of the general public interested in Ukraine. The event took place on 2 May 2023 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.prisma-ukraina.de/veranstaltungen/detail/wartime-heritage-rescue-in-ukraine-cooperation-... |
| Description | A talk by Diána Vonnák: ""Introduction to the current situation of Ukrainian cultural heritage |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Talk presented by Dr Diána Vonnák focusing on care for cultural heritage and cultural heirtage/museum workers in the immediate aftermath of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Cultural Heritage in Conflict Areas (DECOPE) Website |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A project website which provides a non-specialist overview of the project, as well as information about the project team and Associate Partners. There is also a list of outputs and engagement activities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023,2024,2025 |
| URL | https://www.niku.no/en/forskningsprosjekt/decope/ |
| Description | DECOPE Project Workshop I. Madrid, Spain |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | DECOPE Project Workshop I. Madrid, Spain Hosted by: Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC) Co-organised with: University of Stirling, Norwegian institute for Cultural Heritage Research, Museum Crisis Center, Lviv Center for Urban History, Norwegian Directorate for cultural Heritage, Historic Environment Scotland This workshop involved the project team, Associate Partner representatives, URJC students, policymakers and heritage practitioners. As the lead for WP1, the Stirling/UK team played a key role in organising and presenting on day one of the workshop. We organised two sessions: "Care for Cultural Heritage in Conflict. Workshop discussion" This session focused on care for cultural heritage in the context of the war in Ukraine. We discussed what rescue and care involve in terms of political economies and networks of support, ranging from the international to the local in scale. We also considered the hurdles and barriers that those involved in rescue and care encounter. We identitified some of the different forms that care takes during war and the ethical dilemmas this raises, providing a basis for ongoing discussion throughout the DECOPE project. "What do we want to change and how? Workshop discussion" This session focused on the intended impact of the DECOPE project. We started with a discussion of what we hope to change and how this will support the needs of those involved in care for cultural heritage in the context of war. We then focused on the ways of achieving this through specific outputs and activities, as well as the role of APs and other stakeholders in this process. Finally, discussed the remit and membership of the Project Reference Group. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Diána Vonnák's presentation 'Rescue in practice: museum work in armed crisis' at the Netnoworking Winter School in Serbia |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Diána Vonnák was an invited speaker at the Netnoworking Winter School for postgraduate anthropologists in the Carpathian Basin, held in Novi Kneževac in Serbia on 3 February 2024. Together with Marianna Berényi she presented the talk Megozés élesben: muzeológia a háborús krízisben [Rescue in practice: museum work in armed crisis], and held a workshop for museum studies students about practical disaster preparedness. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://netnoworking.wordpress.com/programok/netnoworking-teli-iskola-2024/program/ |
| Description | Everyday Heritage Workshop, Lublin, Poland |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This workshop broughht together 13 heritage and museum professionals from Ukraine, with researchers from across Europe and beyond at the The "Grodzka Gate - NN Theatre" Centre in Lublin, Poland in February 2024. The purpose was to share experiences, exchange ideas, and work together to strengthen our practical skills for working with everyday heritage, particularly at times of conflict. In Russia's current war against Ukraine, everyday heritage can involve working with new objects, documents and stories that capture local experiences of destruction, resistance and everyday experience. Recording, collecting and/or caring for these (e.g. through oral history interviews or digital documentation) helps to commemorate the complexities of war, so that communities can have a say in how they want to remember what happened to them. Local museums and other heritage initiatives have an important role to play in this. However, everyday heritage often does not attract resources afforded to nationally and internationally listed and recognised objects and monuments. So, caring for it comes with practical and financial challenges. The workshop drew on the work of the research team, the Lviv Center for Urban History, and The "Grodzka Gate - NN Theatre" Centre to develop a series of sessions focusing on the ethical, philosophical and practical issues surrounding working with everyday heritage in war, especially sensitive testimonial materials. We introduced a range of methods and practical examples. The Lviv Center (www.lvivcenter.org.ua) offered state of the art guidance on archiving everyday history materials. A highlight was the virtual participation of teh PI of the Everyday Heritage Project (https://everydayheritage.au/) in Australia, Professor Tracy Ireland. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Heritage experts to study responses to protecting Ukraine's cultural heritage and monuments |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | A press release announcing the start of the project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.stir.ac.uk/news/2023/february-2023-news/heritage-experts-to-study-responses-to-protectin... |
| Description | Heritage, Conflict and Postgraduate Research - A Scottish Graduate School Workshop for Postgraduate Students |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | This panel and workshop was organised by Siân Jones, Professor of Heritage at the University of Stirling, as part of the the Scottish Graduate School in the Arts and HUmanities Summer School, in collaboration with Dr Diána Vonnák (Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Stirling). Speakers included two Ukrainian PhD students, Oleksandra Ivanova and Polina Baitsym. Event details: War changes heritage research and the lives and careers of young professionals in the field. Russia's invasion of Ukraine displaced postgraduate students and young researchers, while others continue their work under huge pressures. Transnational educational initiatives sprang up to support Ukrainian students and researchers in this period, hoping to lessen ruptures caused by war, and to build networks of solidarity. The Invisible University of Ukraine is a certificate programme delivered by the Central European University and echoes various twentieth century underground and exile educational initiatives. The programme supports undergraduate and postgraduate students from Ukraine whose studies have been disrupted by war, by providing "an intensive learning experience on the role of Ukraine in changing European and global contexts, placing questions relevant for Ukrainian students into a transnational comparative perspective". The educational programme comprises online thematic modules, mentoring, skill-building and career development. In this workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to hear about the first-hand experiences of those involved. Dr Diána Vonnák will introduce the IUFU prgramme and talk about her role in teaching and mentoring, whilst Polina Baitsym and Oleksandra Ivanova will talk about their experiences of postgraduate studies against the backdrop of the war and the role of an IUFU in providing the basis for research projects on heritage and conflict. They will discuss their ongoing research projects on Soviet monumental art and on emergency monitoring archaeological sites in Northern Ukraine, respectively. The event will finish with a panel discussion focusing on the impact of war on postgraduate research and the role of transnational solidarity in education using the example of The Invisible University of Ukraine. Learning Outcomes By the end of this session, participants will have gained: A knowledge of how heritage is caught up in the conflict in Ukraine from two student projects An understanding of how war changes heritage research and the lives and careers of young professionals in the field Reflection on the role of transnational educational initiatives in lessening the ruptures caused by war and building networks of solidarity |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.sgsah.ac.uk/summer-school-2023/monday-sessions/headline_968648_en.html |
| Description | Madrid DECOPE Project Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This was the first of three DECOPE Project two-day workshops. This one focused on refining the research design, including methods, ethics and pathways to impact. The second day was outward facing and included heritage professionals and policy makers as speakers and participants, amongst them representatives from the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sports. DECOPE Associate Partners were also present. For the discussion of illicit trafficking and legal frameworks colleagues from South America joined online. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Mobilising care for cultural heritage in response to the war in Ukraine |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Centre for Environment, Heritage and Policy Onlie Seminar for postgraduate students, academic colleagues and professional practitioners. The audience had international reach. Siân Jones and Diána Vonnák discussed the DECOPE Project which examines how care is being mobilised for cultural heritage in response to the Ukraine war. Siân introduced the project, including the approaches, methods and activities that the Stirling team are working with. Diána then discussed emerging insights from fieldwork, focusing on the cultural and social functions of heritage institutions like museums. She argued that being part of the public infrastructure radically shapes museums' flexibility in terms of expanding social care mandates and curtails their response in terms of financial mobilization and professional care. Examples were given of how this has played out in Ukraine and in Central Europe. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.stir.ac.uk/events/23-24/cehp-seminar-series/mobilising-care-for-cultural-heritage-in-res... |
| Description | Networks of Care: mobilizing support for cultural heritage on Russia's war on Ukraine, Odesa National University and Unniversity of Stirling Twinning Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation for a networking workshop between Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University and the University of Stirling! The aim of the workshop was to develop links between our twinned institutions, supporting capacity building for Ukrainian academia and developing new collaborations that can support resilience in Ukraine more broadly. Title: Networks of Care: mobilizing support for cultural heritage on Russia's war on Ukraine Diána Vonnák (presenter) and Siân Jones Workshop presentation summarising the key findings laid out in our DECOPE research report, which provides an overview of key transnational networks, trends, challenges and developments in the provision of care for the heritage sector in Ukraine after the Russian invasion of the country. We ask, how is care mobilised for cultural heritage, and those associated with it, and what are the challenges, impacts and effects of local, national, and international responses? Using a network-based approach we identify the diverse actors, supply chains, organisational alliances involved in mobilising care for cultural heritage both inside Ukraine and among Ukraine's allies. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Oslo DECOPE Project Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This was the third and final DECOPE project two-day workshop. It focused on discussion of results, outputs and pathways to impact. The first day was outward facing and included heritage professionals and policymakers amongst the presenters and participants. SEssions included: (i) Cultural property crime and propaganda during Russia's war on Ukraine. Presentation by Samuel Hardy. Commentary by Siv R. Runhovde (ii) Infographics and legal tools to prevent trafficking and accommodate legal export of cultural property. Presentation by Ana Vico Belmonte. Commentary by Håkon Roland (iii) Networks of care: mobilizing support for cultural heritage during Russia's war on Ukraine. Combined presentation by Diána Vonnák, Siân Jones, and Josephine M. Rasmussen. Commentary by Iryna Sklokina (iv) Maintaining, sustaining and repairing our worlds. Heritage shaped by conflict and practices of care Panelists: Iryna Sklokina, Lviv Center for Urban History Anne Aune, Arkivverket - The National Archives of Norway Olha Honchar, Museum Crisis Center Solveig Hessaa-Szwinto, ARKIVET Peace and Human Rights Center Discussant: Diána Vonnák, University of Stirling (v) Caring for heritage in the face of war, Beate Strøm, Riksantikvaren (Norwegian Directorate of Cultural Heritage) Day two focused on project team discussions in the morning followed by a visit to the Armed Forces Museum (Resistance museum/Ukraine Exhibition) and a discussion session with the Head of the Armed Forces Museums, Lars Rowe, focusing on "Ambitions and challenges in hosting an exhibition from the War Museum, Kyiv". |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Scottish Graduate School in Arts and HUmanities event focusing on "Heritage, Conflict and Postgraduate Research" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Heritage, Conflict and Postgraduate Research: The Role of the Invisible University of Ukraine. Scottish Graduate School in Arts and Humanities Summer School. Scotland/online Siân Jones: co-organiser/chair. Diána Vonnák: co-organiser/chair/presenter War changes heritage research and the lives and careers of young professionals in the field. Russia's invasion of Ukraine displaced postgraduate students and young researchers, while others continue their work under huge pressures. Transnational educational initiatives sprang up to support Ukrainian students and researchers in this period, hoping to lessen ruptures caused by war, and to build networks of solidarity. The Invisible University of Ukraine is a certificate programme delivered by the Central European University and echoes various twentieth century underground and exile educational initiatives. The programme supports undergraduate and postgraduate students from Ukraine whose studies have been disrupted by war, by providing "an intensive learning experience on the role of Ukraine in changing European and global contexts, placing questions relevant for Ukrainian students into a transnational comparative perspective". The educational programme comprises online thematic modules, mentoring, skill-building and career development. In this workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to hear about the first-hand experiences of those involved. Dr Diána Vonnák will introduce the IUFU prgramme and talk about her role in teaching and mentoring, whilst Polina Baitsym and Oleksandra Ivanova will talk about their experiences of postgraduate studies against the backdrop of the war and the role of an IUFU in providing the basis for research projects on heritage and conflict. They will discuss their ongoing research projects on Soviet monumental art and on emergency monitoring archaeological sites in Northern Ukraine, respectively. The event will finish with a panel discussion focusing on the impact of war on postgraduate research and the role of transnational solidarity in education using the example of The Invisible University of Ukraine. Intended Learning Outcomes By the end of this session, participants should have gained: A knowledge of how heritage is caught up in the conflict in Ukraine from two student projects An understanding of how war changes heritage research and the lives and careers of young professionals in the field Reflection on the role of transnational educational initiatives in lessening the ruptures caused by war and building networks of solidarity |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.sgsah.ac.uk/summer-school-2023/monday-sessions/headline_968648_en.html |
| Description | Stirling DECOPE Project Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This was the second DECOPE project workshop. It focused on presentation and discussion of emerging results, as well as pathways to impact. The second day was outward facing and included heritage professionals and policy makers amongst the presenters and participants. Sessions on this second day included: (i) International frameworks, state responses and civil society: a UK perspective on the response of the heritage sector to the war in Ukraine. George Findlater (Historic Environment Scotland), James Bruhn (HES), Roger Curtis (HES/British Army Cultural Protection Unit), Stephen Stenning (British Council), Beate Strøm (Norwegian Cultural Heritage Directorate). (ii) Everyday heritage and everyday lives/livelihoods in the context of the war in Ukraine. Olhar Honchar (Territory of Terror Memorial Museum/Museum Crisis Centre), Diána Vonnak and Siân Jones (University of Stirling) (iii) Materialising the Cold War: the impact of the Ukraine War Sam Alberti (National Museums Scotland) and Holger Nehring (University of Stirling) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Un/archiving Post/industry: Ethical Collaboration in Theory and in Practice |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Annual Lecture of the Centre for Environment, Heritage and Policy, in association with the DECOPE Project Chair: Siân Jones (University of Stirling). Speakers: Victoria Donovan (University of St Andrews) and Iryna Sklokina (Lviv Center for Urban History) Panellist: Diána Vonnák (University of Stirling) In this lecture, the speakers discussed their experiences collaborating on the project "Un/archiving Post/industry," a heritage preservation and public engagement initiative that resulted in the digitization and popular promotion of vulnerable industrial heritage collections from Ukraine's East between 2019 and 2024. Dr Iryna Sklokina explored the practical challenges of, and strategies for, leading a project working with diverse kinds of heritage (tangible and intangible) in the context of de-industrialization, de-communization and military conflict. Professor Victoria Donovan discussed the ethics of international collaboration and the ways that we can avoid extractivist or appropriative practice when working with vulnerable heritage in precarious times. The lecture was be followed by a panel discussion about ethical collaboration, focusing on war and conflict contexts, led by Dr Diána Vonnák. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.stir.ac.uk/events/23-24/cehp-seminar-series/decope-project-annual-lecture/ |