Ukraine’s cultural institutions and monuments are increasingly becoming a target for the occupiers in the context of the full-scale Russian invasion. The support of the international professional community provided to the Ukrainian cultural area is, therefore, all the more valuable and important.

At the request of the National Preserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra”, experts of the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative and conservators from various museum complexes within the Smithsonian Institution conducted the first online consultation for the specialists of the Preserve . The issues of protective packaging, conservation and preservation of unique monumental slate slabs with relief compositions of the 11th century, which are part of the Preserve’s Collection, were discussed.

In addition, the participants of the online meeting discussed possible ways to restore these carved relief panels, as in Ukrainian specialized institutions there is no training program for the education of stone conservator-restorers.

It should be noted that the April release of the Exhibit of the Month Project was dedicated to these artifacts. You can learn about the characteristics of these unique relief slabs and their history on the Preserve's website or on its Facebook page under the hashtags #Exhibit_of_month.

Taking this opportunity, the Preserve expresses its gratitude to our international partners for their availability to cooperate and willingness to provide comprehensive support for the preservation of Ukrainian cultural heritage in these challenging times.