Saving images of time

May 18 is International Museum Day. Museums in Ukraine, like almost all culture-related fields not connected with show business, need government support and attention. These institutions are as frail as their exhibits, especially when it comes to such thorny issues as lack of funds, relevant laws, and highly-skilled personnel. Some people are also concerned about social inequality among museum employees.

Despite these circumstances, Ukrainian museums still manage to be up to the mark, which is amply proved by the emotional reactions of visitors. Perhaps our society should just drop its stereotypical attitude to museums as something archaic and static and instead show some active interest. After all, it is precisely in museums where the spirit of our history dwells. The Day spoke to the curators of various regional museums about International Museum Day and the problems in this sector. How do they manage to adhere to high standards?

“It is enthusiasts who keep the whole museum business going in Ukraine,” says Halyna HLUSHKO, head of tours and public relations at the Pereiaslav National Historical and Ethnographic Preserve. “All of us, museum employees at the Pereiaslav National Preserve, the Taras Shevchenko National Museum, or any small state-run museum, are patriots of our country and our profession. Take the Pereiaslav National Preserve. With an area of 31 hectares, it has 140 historical and cultural heritage items.

“Unfortunately, the state doesn’t allocate enough funds to maintain these facilities. For example, a museum can only be kept in normal conditions if it employs genuine specialists (whose salaries are low). And you can only hire an experienced restorer if you pay him very well. So we have to work with those who simply love their trade. But sometimes this does not produce the expected result. The Museum of Folk Architecture and Everyday Life was built about 50 years ago. Today, each of its items needs to be restored. We, museum employees, are weak and cash-strapped.

“The state gives 70,000 hryvnias for 140 items, while it costs at least 300,000 to restore a single item. We would like to establish the Museum of Taras Shevchenko’s Testament, the only one in Ukraine. It is common knowledge that the poet wrote this poem nowhere else but in Pereiaslav. This museum should become one of Ukraine’s most sacred places. But we want to create not just a run-of-the-mill provincial museum but a decent one, which will attract not only Shevchenko buffs but also willing young people.

“But the impression is that, instead of helping us, the state is doing its best to waste this money. This is not just our problem. All the museums in Pereiaslav — on the Trypillian culture, space exploration, electric welding, decorative towels, and land transport — are very interesting, but they are also beset with endless problems. The main headache is their collections. For example, the wives of ambassadors from several countries visited our museum a few days ago. They were astonished by the wonderful exhibits of the Trypillian Culture Museum, but at the same time the VIPs noted the surrounding squalor.

“Museum staffers are facing a thousand and one problems — from legislation to funding, staff training, restoration, and exhibit preservation. But so much for problems on a holiday,” says Inna KITSUL, curator of the Chernivtsi Oblast Art Museum. “Fortunately, museums exist and, as Yavornytsky said, they will exist forever because they show people what was and what will be. Museums are run by professionals, who manage to preserve their collections for which they are responsible in present- day conditions even though the state does not support them. This is what keeps museums afloat. On this festive day, I would like the government to try and remember that there are still museums in Ukraine. It often takes just a signature to give an impetus to museum development. There are quite a few successful businessmen in this country, who would do well if they took up charity, and patronized and sponsored the arts, thereby supporting their national culture, including museums.”

“Today, our bureaucrats and museums are worlds apart, but the less the former intervene with their ‘help,’ the better for the latter,” opines Serhii LAIEVSKY, curator of the Chernihiv Historical Museum. “The situation in the museum field has not changed in the last while. What about the average age of the museum employee? Those who came here 20 to 30 years ago are still here. They are so inseparable from the museums that they may be called part of the collections. In my opinion, they are the ones who let most museums survive. Any changes will only be possible if we convene a congress of museum employees, where we will highlight the problems of our sector. We must look for ways of solving these problems. Some museums need premises, others need money. There are now a lot of interesting projects conceived by museum employees, but the trouble is that the leadership does not support them. Nor are foreign exhibits coming to Ukraine. We are stewing in our own juices. Still, I am sure this won’t last forever.”