Donations and Financial Support
- Three Danish organizations – Blue Shield Denmark, ICOM Denmark and the Museum Service – have teamed up to provide the materials that the Ukrainian museums, archives and other cultural institutions need to protect objects, archives and other cultural values. The VELUX FOUNDATION supports the project with a generous grant of five million kroner. Shipments have been arriving in Kyiv. Read more about BS Denmark’s support for Ukraine on their website. You can also see pictures of the shipment leaving on Facebook, and arriving (also via Facebook).
- Blue Shield Germany has partnered with the German Archaeological Institute, the SiLK, and the German Society for the Protection of Cultural Property to support a fundraising campaign for the protection of Ukrainian cultural property. Currently, these are mainly mobile fire and intruder alarm systems. Information on how to donate is available on their website.
- BS Georgia is also fundraising to save Ukrainian cultural heritage – details on how to donate are provided on their Facebook page.
- The Czechia National Committee are also working to send donations of material.
- BS Poland is is also arranging support and donations.
Other Activity
- Blue Shield Poland is supporting POLINKA, an organisation trying to secure cultural property across western Ukraine. Particular attention has been given to Lviv due to its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- In addition to BS Poland’s ongoing support for cultural institutions in Ukraine, the President of the Committee, Krysztof Sałaciński, has joined a special task force established by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage to monitor and analyse the threats to cultural heritage.
- Blue Shield Denmark is a project partner for Backup Ukraine, an app initiative that assists in documenting heritage that is at risk or destroyed. The initiative recently won a Grand Prix at the Cannes Lion Awards in the Digital Craft category.
- Blue Shield France has created an online Information Portal with support and resources and updates.
- Blue Shield Germany has created a monitoring group who have joined with the Open Science Lab of the Leibniz Information Centre for Technology and Natural Sciences (TIB) to develop a digital infrastructure that enables the documentation and assessment of the damage to Ukrainian cultural property. Read more about the initiative on their website.
Statements and Awareness Raising
- Blue Shield Denmark released a statement detailing their efforts to help protect Ukrainian cultural heritage on their website.
- BS Austria reposted BSI’s statement on their website
- BS France reposted BSI’s statement on their website.
- BS Belgium reposted BSI’s statement on their website, along with links to the statements of UNESCO, ICOMOS, ICOM and ICA.
- Blue Shield Norway released a press statement, with links to BSI’s statement on CPP in Ukraine and the President’s letter to the Russian authorities provided. A further statement by the Deputy Chairman of the Norwegian Committee, Axel Mykleby, emphasises how the war in Ukraine is a wake-up call for CPP in Norway. These are available on BS Norway’s website.
- Blue Shield Austria hosted an informational event on the war in Ukraine on 24 May, its consequences for the country, its people and their cultural heritage at the Villa Hartenau in Graz. The event took place at the invitation of SANLAS Holding GmbH and with the support of the Austrian Society for the Protection of Cultural Property. Speakers included Karl von Habsburg, President of BS Austria.
- Blue Shield Denmark is devoting this years 2022 Heritage Friday event to “Cultural Heritage Protection in Ukraine”. The event will take place at Moesgaard Museum in Århus on the 25th of November. More information on speakers and tickets will follow on their website.
LINKS & FURTHER READING
Read the BSI statement on CPP in Ukraine and find out more about BSI’s work to support heritage protection during the conflict
Blue Shield National committees support Ukraine (April 1), (April 25) and (April 26)
Find out more about the work of our national committees
or contact a national committee
or read the Report on Activity for 2021
