International Conference “Archaeology and Museum Studies in Education and Research” (Kyiv, 2019)
Conference Abstracts Conference Proceedings
Which took place on 24-25th of October, 2019 at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv on the occasion of 75-th anniversary of the Department of Archaeology and Museology. The Department was founded by the corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine L.M. Slavin in 1944. Ukrainian archaeological science at that time was just “getting on its feet”, and its main core was grouped around the University. Over the years, the Department has trained many specialists – employees of the Institute of Archaeology, museum and heritage institutions, who have achieved significant success in the study and development of almost all sections of archaeology and museum studies in Ukraine and abroad.
The conference was attended by representatives of domestic and foreign educational and research institutions, museums, reserves and NGOs (https://doi.org/10.37098/LVA-2019-902:069). In addition to teachers, students, graduate students and staff of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, a significant contribution to the achievements of the conference was made by representatives of such domestic institutions as:
– Institute of Archaeology, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine;
– National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy;
– Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts;
– Kyiv National University of Civil Engineering and Architecture;
– Odessa National I.I. Mechnikov University;
– Odessa National Maritime University;
– Communal Institution “Zavallia Lyceum”, Hayvoron District Council of Kirovohrad region;
– National Museum of History of Ukraine;
– Museum of Kyiv History;
– Archaeological Museum of Institute of Archaeology, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine;
– Archaeological Museum, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv;
– National Kyiv-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve;
– Khortytsia National Reserve;
– Mezhybizh State Historical and Cultural Reserve;
– Vyshgorod Historical and Cultural Reserve;
– Non-Governmental Organization “Union for Archaeologists of Ukraine”
– Non-Governmental Organization “Center for Paleoethnological Research”
– Non-Governmental Organization “New Archaeological School”,
The representatives of educational, scientific and museum institutions of Azerbaijan, China, France, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Switzerland were the guests of the conference, including:
– Institute of Archaeological Science, University of Bern (Switzerland);
– Faculty of Architecture, Cracow University of Technology (Poland);
– Department of Humanity Studies, University of Ferrara (Italy);
– National Museum of History of Azerbaijan, the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan;
– Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris (France);
– Latvian National History museum;
– Heritage Center under the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan.
During the conference, two sessions were singled out: “Archaeology in education and research” and “Museum studies in education and research”, respectively. For each session was given a day, which allowed to give the floor to all speakers and invited guests (http://vovkcenter.org.ua/uk/2019/11/18/2019-conf/ ).
The first day began with a plenary session, where the Dean of the Faculty of History, Professor Ivan Patryliak, made a welcoming speech. Then the floor was given to the head of the Department of Archaeology and Museum Studies, Professor Rostyslav Terpylovsky with a report on the development of archaeological science at the University and current problems and challenges facing archaeologists and museologists in higher education. The next speaker was Associate Professor Yevhen Synytsia with a report “Crisis as an Opportunity”, in which he spoke about the formation of archaeology and museum studies in Ukraine, the further prospects of these spheres in modern conditions. Victoria Lovak (“Challenges for a modern museum: to understand and prepare”), stressed that the museum, in its classical sense, is not relevant and needs to be changed. Accordingly, the above-mentioned reports can be reduced to a common one: our society is on the verge of change in all spheres of life, including science. We are moving to the course of innovation and development, expanding information flows and knowledge. The theme of the conference was directly intertwined with current problems in science, which requires changes in approaches to higher education and training of future researchers. Thus, today, as never before, scientific and technological progress and the rapid implementation of science into everyday life require from a young researcher not only good academic training, but also practical skills.
During the work of the archaeological session a number of reports were heard, which were devoted to topical issues of research and teaching of archaeological science. Among the reports, presentations related to the work of archaeological field schools, centers, archaeological mugs were of great interest, among which are:
– The Centre for Underwater Archaeology, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (K. Valentyrova, M. Tymoshenko);
– Mezhyrich International Archaeological Summer School (P. Shydlovskyi, S. Péan, O. Tsvirkun, B. Mamchur, M. Chymyrys, D. Smirnova);
– Experimental and traceological laboratory on the basis of Mezhybizh Reserve (S. Ryzhov, V. Stepanchuk, O. Naumenko, V. Vetrov, O. Pohorilets);
– Children’s and youth archaeological schools and mugs (O. Tuboltsev, S. Radchenko, O. Peresunchak).
A separate block of reports was devoted to the development of methods and modern research of archaeological heritage, museum archaeological collections (O. Yanevych, M. Andriiovych, Ye. Pichkur, I. Chechulina).
The second day was entirely devoted to the museum and monument studies, which raised such issues as:
– What is the museum today?
– Museums of higher educational institutions;
– Issues of teaching of museum studies in higher educational institutions;
– Replenishment of the source base of museums
– Monument studies in Ukraine and abroad.
The speakers were employees of museums and reserves (A. Yanenko, A. Filipova, L. Samoilenko, L. Markina), who in practice face the above-mentioned problems.
Among the speakers are the “young generation” of archaeologists and museologists, whose reports were marked by a high level of scientific relevance (M. Andriiovych, I. Chechulina, M. Chymyrys, D. Diachenko, D. Dudnyk, L. Markina, O. Naumenko, D. Smirnova, O. Tsvirkun, M. Tymoshenko, K. Valentyrova).
Reports of foreign participants were devoted to the formation and current state of archaeology, museum and monument studies in their countries: A. Tomson (Riga), D. Kuśnierz-Krupa (Cracow), Li Shuang, Chan Peng (Beijing), Emin Vagif oglu Mammadov, Zemfira Ali gizi Hajiyeva, Nargiz Aydin gizi Aliyarly (Baku).
In the frame of the conference, the participants were given excursions to the Zoological, Archaeological Museums and the Museum of History of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. The conference ended with a Round table on topical issues of teaching archaeology and museum studies, to which students and teachers of the Faculty of History of the University were invited.
During the conference, a number of important and topical issues facing universities and research institutions (institutes, research centers, museums, libraries) were discussed. Emphasis was placed on the actualization of innovations in the field of activity of these institutions: in the supply of educational material, in approaches to training; in changes in museum concepts and forms, which will contribute to the modernization of these institutions. An important point is the involvement of a wide range of young professionals and graduates in the educational and scientific discussion, which demonstrates the positive trends of change.
Among the results of the conference, the most important are the decisions to deepen cooperation between museums and institutions of higher education in research and educational activities, to implement innovative practices in the archaeological, museum and monument protection spheres into the educational process, to develop a system of information exchange in the field of cultural heritage preservation at the national and international levels.
The new issue of the VITA ANTIQUA journal includes some of the materials that were presented in the reports at the International Scientific Conference “ARCHAEOLOGY AND MUSEUM STUDIES IN EDUCATION AND RESEARCH”.
Text: Marharyta Chymyrys
Photo: Alina Odynest
