Appeal and fundraising for the protection of Lviv's cultural heritage

2022-05-16

In the wake of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine as well as the destructive brutality of the war, the Lviv City Council and the Board for the Protection of the Historic Environment of Lviv, have appealed for support.

Zbiórka na zabezpieczenie zabytków Lwowa - plakat zbiórki z widokiem zabytkowego centrum miasta Lwowa — Photo materiały prasowe

The appeal is addressing all public and private institutions, conservation services and institutions engaged in the protection and restoration of cultural heritage, the partner cities, museums, universities, libraries, archives, construction companies, warehouses, supermarkets, fire departments, Voluntary Fire Brigades, security companies, as well as companies involved in restoration and conservation - for material and technical support in protecting priceless cultural assets (objects, museum collections, equipment of shrines and temples) from fire and warfare.

All cultural institutions and people who are concerned with the cultural heritage of Lviv and the Lviv region, as well as companies from the construction, renovation, and tourism sectors, are asked to provide immediate aid.

A few days ago, Jacek Majchrowski, Mayor of Kraków, appealed to the international community, to the members of the World Heritage Cities Organization, for immediate, effective help.

He called for the protection of Ukrainian cultural heritage, which is a testimony to the rich history of the country and includes seven World Heritage sites - primarily in Lviv and Kiev. Odessa and Lviv, as well as Kharkiv, are members of UNESCO's Creative Cities Network. Ukraine is home to national archives, libraries, several of which have been placed on UNESCO's Memory of the World list, and sites commemorating the tragedy of the Holocaust. Many historic sites, including the sacred buildings, have already been destroyed in the Eastern Ukrainian territories. UNESCO is currently working to assess the damage in all areas of its remit (especially education, culture, heritage and information) and to implement immediate support measures.

Do not wait - help is needed now!

- In view of the real threat of the continuation of military operations, the multicultural and multinational heritage of Ukraine is exposed to irreversible loss and irreparable destruction. The brutality of the invaders is currently affecting areas of special historical and symbolic importance for Ukraine, objects included in the national registers of monuments, but also monuments with a special status of world heritage goods. In the area affected by the war, museums, art galleries, religious buildings, palace complexes, art collections, archives, and historic necropolises are endangered. That is why we are appealing for support to protect cultural property against war destruction. We ask you to collect materials for securing priceless historical buildings against fire. Any help counts! - appealed Robert Piaskowski, Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of Kraków for Culture.

The most urgent needs include:

foam and powder extinguishers
fire blankets and other non-flammable fire-fighting fabrics
mineral wool to protect stained glass and windows in museums
fire helmets
non-flammable clothing.

We collect only certified equipment!!!

Donations are collected at the municipal storage halls at ul. Bartników 10, on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on weekends from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For accessibility reasons, donations should be transported in vehicles weighing less than 3.5 tons.

Smaller items can be delivered to the Integrated Heritage Centre at 1 Krzyża St. on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Due to restrictions on entry to zone A, please contact the coordinators in advance.

The collection is coordinated by the Department of Culture and National Heritage:

Anna Florkowska (Cultural Heritage Unit), Email: anna.florkowska@um.krakow.pl, phone +48 797 018 756;
Paulina Mol (Cultural Parks Unit), Email: paulina.mol@um.krakow.pl, +48 887 310 165
Secretariat: +48 12 616 55 93, Email: kd.umk@um.krakow.pl.

Due to the considerable tonnage of the materials to be transported, we are also asking for help with the collection, i.e. for renting forklifts with operators to work in the halls at ul. Bartników 10. The appeal is addressed to construction, storage and warehouse companies.

For those who cannot purchase the above mentioned materials and would like to make a donation a nationwide fundraising page has been launched (link: https://zrzutka.pl/sg67k8?fbclid=IwAR3cqA0_CvEGtEwM6hdROU1YZwN3PxM68hvV1LK-p44yE-s0ZSyewZUbC3A) to purchase the most urgent materials for the protection of cultural property in Ukraine.

Due to the necessity of verification the destination of the gifts, we cannot accept offers of individual transport to Ukraine.

The action is being organized by municipal conservators of Polish cities together with the Cultural Heritage Foundation. The letter of the Lviv City Council and the conservator’s appeal can be found below.

Appeal of the Lviv City Council

Board for the Protection of the Historic Environment

Lviv, 3 March, 2022

To all Polish and international institutions that may provide assistance to preserve heritage of Lviv

Due to the warfare on the territory of Ukraine, I urgently request assistance and provision of supplies to protect Lviv's immovable monuments, religious buildings, museums and archives from fire.

We are in urgent need of as many foam and powder extinguishers as possible, as well as blankets and non-flammable fabrics to protect wooden furnishings of churches and monasteries and museum collections. We require mineral wool to protect stained glass windows, including those on public buildings.

The importance of Lviv's historical buildings for the heritage of Ukraine and Poland is well known. We must not allow it to be destroyed.

This action is conducted in cooperation with Polish partners: Ms Katarzyna Zalasinska - director of the National Institute for of Culture Heritage in Poland, Ms Dorota Janiszewska-Jakubiak - director of the POLONIKA - National Institute of Polish Cultural Heritage Abroad and Mr Michał Leszczkowski - president of the Cultural Heritage Foundation.

Please support us with their assistance. The Board for the Protection of the Historic Environment of the Lviv City Council will take care of the distribution of materials on site and their proper use.

With expressions of gratitude

Director

Liliya Onyshchenko

APPEAL OF MUNICIPAL CONSERVATORS OF MONUMENTS IN POLAND

No words can express the dramatic situation that Ukrainian cities must be facing nowadays. They are bombed and under siege twenty-four hours a day, closed in by military cordons, they are on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe. The planned, systematic destruction also includes the monuments of Ukrainian cities. The ongoing shelling of the historic districts of Kharkiv, the center of Kiev, or the perils threat that Odessa and Lviv are now facing, causes concern and real fear. Putin and his army are waging war on the people, but also on the multinational heritage of Ukraine. Such action is a direct violation of international law and is considered a war crime according to the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict of 1954 and its Second Protocol of 1999.

As city conservators, we strongly condemn the actions of the Russian military and demand respect for Ukrainian heritage. We warn that the invaders will face an international trial for their devastation. Neither will the ordinary soldiers escape responsibility.

We want to assure our friends in the Ukrainian cities, who take care of these monuments on a daily basis, of the willingness to provide any assistance that is available.

Слава Україні!

The appeal is signed by:

Michał Krasucki - Capital City Conservator of Monuments

Sylwia Brzezińska - Deputy Capital City Conservator of Monuments

Jerzy Zbiegień - Municipal Conservator of Monuments in Kraków

Emanuel Okoń - Municipal Conservator of Monuments in Toruń

Natalia Zachwieja - Municipal Conservator of Monuments in Rzeszów

Łukasz Urbańczyk - Municipal Conservator of Historical Monuments in Ruda Śląska

Aleksandra Narczewska - Municipal Historic Preservation Officer of Sopot

Joanna Bielawska-Pałczyńska - Municipal Conservator of Monuments in Poznań

Anna Syska - Municipal Historic Preservation Officer in Tychy

Beata Konieczniak - City Architect's Office in Lodz