Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
*Overview*
It has been over a year since the escalation of the war in Ukraine. Ever since, at least 1,271 museums, monuments, and other cultural and religious institutions have been—often deliberately—damaged or looted during the Russian invasion. In response to this war on culture, the world has come together to support local cultural experts to save Ukraine’s cultural heritage in crisis.
In this conversation, Sanne Letschert, director of Cultural Emergency Response (CER), and Oleksandra Kovalchuk, director of the Odessa Museum of Fine Arts and founder of the Museum for Change initiative, share the exceptional stories of cultural first aiders on the frontline to protect their collections and sites, and discuss the absolute urgency to save the country’s history, collective memory, and identity.
Cultural Emergency Response coordinates and supports “first aid” to cultural heritage under threat. In the past year, CER has supported the protection of over 100 Ukrainian cultural heritage institutions. TEFAF has been a loyal partner of CER to protect culture in crisis since 2008.
*Panelists*
*Sanne Letschert* — Director, Cultural Emergency Response
*Oleksandra Kovalchuk* — Director, NGO Museum for change, Deputy director, The Odesa Fine Arts Museum
This TEFAF Talk was presented by Cultural Emergency Response as part of TEFAF New York’s programming and took place on May 12, 2023
View full TEFAF Programming overview at tefaf.com/talks
*Overview*
It has been over a year since the escalation of the war in Ukraine. Ever since, at least 1,271 museums, monuments, and other cultural and religious institutions have been—often deliberately—damaged or looted during the Russian invasion. In response to this war on culture, the world has come together to support local cultural experts to save Ukraine’s cultural heritage in crisis.
In this conversation, Sanne Letschert, director of Cultural Emergency Response (CER), and Oleksandra Kovalchuk, director of the Odessa Museum of Fine Arts and founder of the Museum for Change initiative, share the exceptional stories of cultural first aiders on the frontline to protect their collections and sites, and discuss the absolute urgency to save the country’s history, collective memory, and identity.
Cultural Emergency Response coordinates and supports “first aid” to cultural heritage under threat. In the past year, CER has supported the protection of over 100 Ukrainian cultural heritage institutions. TEFAF has been a loyal partner of CER to protect culture in crisis since 2008.
*Panelists*
*Sanne Letschert* — Director, Cultural Emergency Response
*Oleksandra Kovalchuk* — Director, NGO Museum for change, Deputy director, The Odesa Fine Arts Museum
This TEFAF Talk was presented by Cultural Emergency Response as part of TEFAF New York’s programming and took place on May 12, 2023
View full TEFAF Programming overview at tefaf.com/talks
