Save Ukraine Art 22: Italian entrepreneurs help Ukrainian museums protect artworks

The destruction of the Ivankiv Local History Museum near Kyiv on February 28, 2022, days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, prompted the creation of Save Ukraine Art 22, a project initiated by Lucio Gomiero, a lecturer at the Universities of Venice and Trieste, and Marco Gallipoli, an Italian living in Lviv with his partner Ustyna. The initiative provides technical consultancy and materials to Ukrainian museums to safeguard their collections. Gomiero mobilized contacts including the Civic Museums of Venice, and together with Gallipoli and Lviv's main museum director Taras Wozniak, they organized a call for help. They reached out to transport and logistics companies for supplies such as fabrics, packaging, crates, and dehumidifiers. The project started in Lviv but aims to assist museums in other cities. Collaborations have been established with entrepreneurs from Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Emilia Romagna, and Tuscany, as well as universities and museums. A letter signed by Gomiero and the project team appeals to companies for donations of materials and equipment to secure artworks, emphasizing the cultural importance of preserving Ukraine's artistic heritage. Curator Demetrio Paparoni is also involved, and the team is considering bringing rescued artworks to Italy for temporary exhibitions to raise funds for the cause. The project's website is saveukraineart22.org.