International Museum Day: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

International Museum Day has been celebrated in the world since 1978. The total number of museums in Ukraine is approximately 5,000, of which more than 650 are state-owned, storing the state part of the Museum Fund – about 12 million items.

During the full-scale war, more than 1,400 cultural heritage sites were damaged, but some museums evacuated their collections, risking their lives. Today, museums have become a center for documenting the aggressor’s crimes. Workers create exhibitions about the heroism of civilians and soldiers.

This year’s slogan for International Museum Day is «Museums Unite a Divided World.»

In times of challenge and change, museums can play a role as a space for dialogue, memory and mutual understanding. Culture is one of the most important tools of diplomacy, a soft power and a language that, in times of trial, allows us to find common values ​​and meanings, uniting a divided world.

A large number of distinguished guests gathered at the Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University to celebrate the International Museum Day. Pro-Rector Andriy Ivanchenko greeted everyone. The event was attended by: deputy of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Council Iryna Piven, dean of the Faculty of Humanities Tetyana Khytrova, director of the Zaporizhzhia National University Museum Volodymyr Linikov, director of the Museum of the History of Technical Progress of the Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University Nataliia Derkach, as well as students of the Zaporizhzhia Humanitarian Vocational College, students, teachers and employees of Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic.

The speakers talked about the work of museums in the city and region, about the history and current state of museums. The participants visited the Museum of the History of Technical Progress of the Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic University, where they saw how engineering solutions that changed the world were born.

Thank you to the museum staff for their dedication, invaluable contribution to preserving our history, and the inspiration they share with every visitor!