Who initiated the idea and how the work was organized
The role of the museum during the war changed radically: from a utilitarian repository of art exhibits, the museum turned into a dynamic space that simultaneously functions as a gallery, educational and performative space. Such an active role was taken, in particular, by the Bohdan and Varvara Khanenki National Museum of Art, which, although officially evacuated, still organizes exhibitions, chamber concerts and various art events - even after being damaged by rocket fire. Recently a museum obtained the prestigious Outstanding Museum Practice Award "for rethinking its role in times of war, transforming its space into a center of public solidarity, security and sustainability."
Singer Jamala gives a chamber concert at the Khanenko Museum in November 2022, a month after the building was hit by a Russian missile. Photo: Ilya Kolotii for The Village Ukraine
The Khanenko Museum is also one of the few museums in Kyiv that has an inclusive program. For its full implementation, the museum lacked a professional approach and advice from architects. Actually, the foundation named after Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko became the main initiator of the development the guide on the accessibility of museum spaces, involving the UNESCO Emergency Heritage Fund (HEF) and the team of the National Union of Architects of Ukraine to the project.
The content of the manual was developed during a series of seminars and online meetings, where optimal solutions for reformatting Ukrainian museum spaces were sought in the process of discussions
"We don't wait for someone to come up with new rules and regulations for us, but we always try to be proactive. I think it is a very good indicator when a museum independently raises a problem from below and initiates its discussion at a higher level. But we perfectly understood that we cannot do without architects. Especially if we take into account today's challenges that appear during a full-scale invasion, in particular the restoration and renovation of the spaces that were destroyed by Russia," she said during presentation of the guide Julia Vaganova, general director of the Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Art Museum.
Yulia Vaganova, director general of the Bohdan and Varvara Khanenki National Museum of Art in May 2024 during the presentation of the exhibition "The Hague - Kyiv". Photo: Herman Krieger
As you know, at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the museum evacuated all its valuable collections and has been practically empty since the first days of the war. This was done for the safety of the art fund — in 2023, a Russian missile hit the museum 50 meters from the building. So, in addition to advice on accessibility and accessibility, the guide provides recommendations for the safety of staff and the storage of artworks and collections (they should be in specially equipped rooms where the appropriate humidity and temperature are maintained).
"For us, this project has become an amazing laboratory, our goal was to bring together different specialists in this matter and to establish a dialogue between them" - Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi
"Respect for a person begins with respect for everyone who enters the museum building. The issue of fund security is also very important, because it is access to history, to our heritage. Therefore, we chose two movement vectors: inclusiveness and fund security, and tried to combine them in a practical guide. I think we managed to do it very interestingly. Of course, these recommendations cannot be applied to all museums in the country, it is not a universal instruction. These are just the basic principles that allow us to move forward. But we must understand that we will have to consider each building, each situation individually, we will have to be flexible and ready for this flexibility," added Yuliya Vaganova.
The guide was presented at the Architect's House by: Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi, head of the UNESCO Bureau in Ukraine, Yuliya Vaganova, general director of the Khanenko Museum, and Oleksandr Chyzhevskyi, president of the National Union of Architects of Ukraine
Work on the project has been ongoing since 2023: the content of the manual was developed during a series of seminars and online meetings, where optimal solutions for reformatting Ukrainian museum spaces were sought in the process of discussions. The project brought together a global team of specialists: in addition to museum workers and architects, historians, sociologists, philosophers and foreign specialists also participated. In particular, among the tutors were the head of the Foundation for the Rescue of Egyptian Heritage Abdelhamid Salah and the director of programs of the same Egyptian foundation Hebatalla Abdelhamid, as well as the adviser to the Secretary General of the International Center for the Study of Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Values (ICCROM) Gael de Guichen (France).
The project manager of the project was an architect, PHD Olga Neshta, which initiated and coordinated the work on the guide by the National Union of Architects of Ukraine (NSAU). Financial and consulting support for the entire project was provided by the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF) and in particular Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi, who heads the UNESCO Bureau in Ukraine from October 2022.
Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi, who heads the UNESCO Office in Ukraine from October 2022. UNESCO provided the main financial support to the project
"UNESCO's 2015 recommendations state that museums should become important socio-cultural spaces. In this context, Ukraine is a vivid example of the implementation of our recommendations. I was very impressed when, at the beginning of the war, I saw how practically empty museums became an active place for the exchange of ideas, creativity, how they motivated people to create something. However, war presents challenges to museums in terms of the security of collections and the accessibility and inclusiveness of spaces. That is why we combined these two directions in the manual, which are actually very closely related. For us, this project became an amazing laboratory, our goal was to unite different specialists in this matter and establish a dialogue between them. After all, we know how difficult it is sometimes for different specialists to find a common language, how difficult it is to get an architect to speak with museum specialists or sociologists. So this became the key to success, in my opinion," she said during the presentation Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi.
President of the National Union of Architects of Ukraine Oleksandr Chyzhevskyi
I also joined the introductory speech Alexander Chizhevsky, president of the National Union of Architects of Ukraine, whose specialists helped in the development of inclusive architectural and construction solutions: "For us, architects, the issue of inclusiveness of the historical fund is like a conflict of interests. On the one hand, we have museum buildings, which are monuments of architecture, monuments of history. And the older these buildings are, the more valuable they are for us, for our national identity. They should definitely be kept. On the other hand, we must ensure inclusion in these spaces, because when they were designed, there was no inclusion at all. While working on the manual, we tried to give simple recommendations, but they still involve intervention in the historical building, in its construction. That is, it is a very difficult discussion. I'm sure it's not the last such guide, but it's very important in the sense that it will be a tool for the next, younger generations to work with inclusion."
Inclusivity is step #1 to transform the culture industry
In order to discuss more deeply the issues of inclusivity and security of museums, as well as the controversial issue of architectural heritage renovation, two panel discussions took place within the framework of the guide's presentation, in which, in particular, representatives of the state and Kyiv authorities took part.
To the first discussion panel "Current challenges and new opportunities in times of change. The advantages of inter-institutional cooperation" was joined by the authorized adviser to the President of Ukraine on barrier-free issues Tatiana Lomakina, Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications Anastasia Bondar, Deputy Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine for European Integration Iryna Postolovska and Deputy Head of the Kyiv City State Administration Anna Starostenko. All these institutions, whose representatives were present at the discussion, in one way or another participated in the development of the guide for museums. Moderated the conversation Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi, head of the Ukrainian Bureau of UNESCO. She asked the participants to tell about the participation of each of the institutions and what obstacles arise in the way of a barrier-free strategy.
From left to right: Head of the Ukrainian Bureau of UNESCO Chiara Dezzi Bardeski, the Ukrainian President's Commissioner for Barrier-Free Issues Tetyana Lomakina, Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications Anastasia Bondar, Deputy Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine Iryna Postolovska and Deputy Head of the KMDA Hanna Starostenko
Tatiana Lomakina noted the important role of Western experience for understanding inclusiveness in general. She recalled this year's visit of the mayors of 10 Ukrainian cities to Paris to learn how the city is preparing for the Paralympics. "In Paris, Ukrainian mayors saw very, very old architectural monuments, which at the same time are adapted for people with reduced mobility, so any people with any disabilities can get there. It was a kind of destruction of the myth that cultural heritage cannot be accessible to people with limited mobility, and it raised an important question before us: what are we protecting in general - mosaics, beautiful stained glass windows or stairs? That is, today we need to understand that an architectural monument has many components that determine its cultural value. And the methods and approaches to work with these components must be sought within the national dialogue," said Lomakina and added that such a dialogue, in particular, should begin today between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Reconstruction.
From left to right: Tatiana Lomakina, Anastasia Bondar and Iryna Postolovska
Anastasia Bondar, the deputy minister of culture and strategic communications, and noted the role of such point projects as the museum barrier-free guide, because they actually reveal a large number of niche problems, and this provides an opportunity to rethink outdated practices and approaches that we inherited from " noctuid". Bondar made an analogy between the guide "Renovation of museums" and Register of the museum fund, which the Ministry of Culture launched in 2024: "Many museum workers said: "Oh, now this register will raise so many problems, funds will be redistributed, and a large number of accounting inaccuracies will be revealed." And I look at it with great positivity. Finally it will start! Finally, we will raise this issue so high that attention will begin to be paid to it. That's why projects like this guide are so important. Imagine: the building of the Khanenko Museum is a precious monument in the center of the capital, it would seem that inclusive adaptation is simply impossible. But she somehow takes and adapts! And these are very correct steps that give impetus to other museums as well."
Odesa National Art Museum, which was damaged after a Russian missile strike in November 2023. Photo: ONFAM / Odesa National Art Museum
Inclusiveness of museum spaces is not only about physical accessibility. The guide also contains tips and techniques for organizing work for people with mental disabilities, as well as with visual and hearing impairments. She noted it Iryna Postolovska, Deputy Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine for European Integration: "It is important for us to talk not only about physical accessibility, but also about complete accessibility of cultural heritage - museums, theaters and other institutions. It is necessary to take into account not only physical aspects, but also to establish access for people with intellectual and mental disabilities, for the blind, for the deaf and, in particular, for children with disabilities. Our ministry has also recently developed a guide on barrier-free accommodation Centers of sustainability, and we saw that there is actually a demand for barrier-free access in communities, and it is very big."
Hanna Starostenko: "In all city programs, it is written that barrier-free and creating accessible opportunities for inclusiveness is our primary goal. We are ready to allocate funds for this"
Accessible museum and cultural spaces are also important in the context of implementation of reintegration programs for veterans and people from de-occupied territories. This was emphasized by the deputy head of the KMDA Anna Starostenko — she also stated that the barrier-free issue is a priority for Kyiv and "the city is ready to allocate money for it."
From left to right: Deputy Head of the KMDA Hanna Starostenko, Head of the Ukrainian Bureau of UNESCO Chiara Dezzi Bardesky, Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications Anastasia Bondar and General Director of the Khanenko Museum Yuliya Vaganova
"Here, it will no longer be possible to simply stay somewhere in an apartment and watch this or that exhibition or play online. It is very important, and this is a psychological moment, for a person to leave his home and come to a cultural institution. In a number of adopted city target programs, we emphasize today that our cultural institutions should play a major role in the integration and rehabilitation of all those affected by the war. I hope that we will now have a serious movement in this direction, because for Kyiv this is a priority, we are ready to allocate funds for this, in all the programs of the city it is written that barrier-freeness and the creation of accessible opportunities for inclusion are our primary goals."
Balance of practicality and aesthetics: how to implement inclusion
How to implement all the advice on accessibility in museums so that it is both aesthetic and practical, how not to reduce these techniques to banal formalization - these issues were discussed during the second discussion panel moderated by Maryana Varchuk, deputy director for digital transformation of the Khanenko Museum. The panel was joined by an expert on architectural accessibility and inclusive social practices Volodymyr Vysotskyi, associate professor of the National Aviation University, candidate of technical sciences Tatiana Zhidkova, specialist in inclusion, employee of the Ivan Honchar Museum Julia Patlan, as well as an architect, co-founder of the expert center for universal design "Pro.UD" Evgeny Borysenko.
From left to right: Deputy Director of Digital Transformation of the Khanenki Museum Maryana Varchuk, expert on architectural accessibility and inclusive social practices Volodymyr Vysotskyi, associate professor of NAU, candidate of technical sciences Tetyana Zhidkova, specialist in inclusion, employee of the Ivan Honchar Museum Yulia Patlan and co-founder of the expert center on universal design "Pro.UD" Evgeny Borysenko
He spoke about the balance of aesthetics and practicality Evgeny Borysenko, who believes that Ukrainian institutions should stop implementing inclusion by all available means (yellow stickers, inconvenient ramps, etc.), just to formally implement it. Actually, this is exactly what stigmatizes inclusion and gives rise to its negative perception in society.
On conviction Yulia Patlan, museum or cultural space can be called truly inclusive if a person with a disability can visit it individually. After all, today people with disabilities arrange planned excursions, gather them in groups, prepare an employee for this and only then appoint a visit. Due to the lack of resources at museums, this is mostly done by public organizations:
Inclusion specialist, employee of the Ivan Honchar Museum Yuliya Patlan
"But the museum will be considered fully accessible only when adults with impairments or disabilities come to it, and they come to this museum individually, not with their relatives, not with friends, but when they want, unplanned and without warning. That is, it works when my position is this: I want to go to this museum because I am interested in it, no one is driving me there, I came by myself. For the museum, it can be stressful, it can be a challenge, but this is the ideal to which we should strive."
From left to right: Maryana Varchuk, Tetiana Zhidkova, Volodymyr Vysotskyi and Yevhen Borysenko
Tatiana Zhidkova, associate professor of NAU, adds that inclusive museums should be not only for people with disabilities and mental disorders, but also for all people with reduced mobility. According to statistics, about 60-70% of people in the city belong to the population groups with low mobility. "These are elderly people, and mothers with children in strollers, bicycle owners and anyone who was simply injured. And when it comes to historical buildings, on the one hand, and comfort and accessibility for people, on the other hand, I believe that comfort and accessibility should be the priority. Because a building is for a person, not a person for a building. If this building is not available, why is it needed at all?” - emphasizes Zhidkova, who is also a co-developer of DBN "Inclusiveness of Buildings".
"People want to see diversity. It is important that museums hear this and try to integrate into their exposition artists with disabilities, works that depict disability or diversity in one or another manifestation", — Volodymyr Vysotskyi
Architect Yevhen Borysenko, on the other hand, calls for special caution in softening the monument protection legislation for the sake of inclusion, in order not to allow even more risks for the architectural heritage, which is already vulnerable today. "We already have an unfortunate tendency when monuments are simply destroyed, and residential complexes appear in their place. It must be understood that when we remove all restrictions on historical buildings for the sake of inclusion, other monuments will disappear even faster. But what to do in this situation? In my opinion, a global discourse is needed precisely in the context of changing building regulations and changing standards. On the other hand, the community of architects and preservationists should be included in this process. After all, if you look, who today shouts the loudest about the problems of destruction of historical heritage? These are only a few activists and a few deputies. The architectural community has disappeared from this process."
Expert on architectural accessibility and inclusive social practices Volodymyr Vysotskyi with his pet
"There is no need to create illusions that somewhere there is a country of barrier-free avenues. There is no such country. There are specific leaders, specific managers, specific specialists who have ambitions and implement their ideas or plans, just as the Khanenko Museum did. So I believe that each museum should independently conduct such internal work, find out what they can come to people with and why people can come to them," shares his opinion Volodymyr Vysotskyi, an architectural accessibility expert who designed barrier-free directory for institutions in Lviv.
The central entrance to the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, USA. Photo: The Andy Warhol Museum
One of the examples of inclusiveness in the modern world, Vysotsky calls the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, USA — it is one of the few museums on the planet that holds events for young people with autism and, in parallel, has arranged a unique tactile exhibition of Warhol's works for the blind. In order for inclusiveness to become a new norm in society, cultural and state institutions should demonstrate this norm in messages and content, emphasizes Vysotsky: "Open Netflix. Look, in every series, in every movie you will see representatives of different communities. We will not list them, but this includes, in particular, people with disabilities and various disorders. They appear in the mass media, in mass culture products that are watched by millions of people on all continents. Why is Netflix doing this? They do it not with so-called good intentions, as we think. They do it because they understand that there is a demand for it. And this demand really exists: people want to see diversity. It is important that museums hear this and try to integrate into their exposition artists with disabilities, works that depict disability or diversity in one or another manifestation. This is how we naturally educate society in another paradigm — the paradigm of normalizing diversity. We lack this from various points of view, but it is a prerequisite for inclusion to come."
*The photo of Yuriy Stefanyak was used for the cover
