On February 6, a public English-language discussion, “Why Archaeology Matters? A Ukrainian Perspective,” was held, organized by the Department of Archaeology at NaUKMA.
The event was aimed at an international audience and conducted in English to foster global awareness of the realities and challenges facing Ukrainian archaeology today. Colleagues from Scotland, several Polish institutions, Denmark, Norway, Mexico, and other countries participated in the discussion.
Speakers:
- Pavlo Shydlovskyi, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
- Oksana Lifanthi, Treasury of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine
- Serhii Telizhenko, Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
- Alisa Demina, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
- Denys Grechko, Central Directorate of Civil-Military Cooperation of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Moderator:
- Oleksandra Ivanova, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
Key discussion topics:
- Destruction of archaeological sites due to war, their documentation, and preservation. Emphasis was placed on the necessity of cooperation between the military and civilian archaeologists to record damage, conduct satellite monitoring, and develop strategies for preserving cultural heritage.
- The state of archaeology in Ukraine and the issue of training professional archaeologists. Currently, only one university in Kyiv offers a bachelor’s program in archaeology, and only two offer master’s programs, which is critically insufficient for the country.
- The international academic community’s collaboration with Russian archaeologists and the publication of excavation results from temporarily occupied territories in international journals.
One of the key outcomes of the discussion was an agreement on cooperation in documenting the destruction of cultural heritage sites and exchanging experience in archaeological research. This collaboration will involve several research and heritage protection institutions, including the Department of Archaeology at NaUKMA, the Civil-Military Cooperation Directorate, the Department of Archaeology and Museology at Taras Shevchenko National University, and the NGO “Scientific Research Laboratory Archaika.”
The Department of Archaeology at NaUKMA welcomes this cross-sectoral collaboration and hopes for further consolidation of efforts in preserving Ukraine’s cultural heritage.
The full event video is available on the Archaeology NaUKMA YouTube channel
