A new national effort is reshaping how endangered heritage moves to safety, with specialists preparing storage well beyond the battlefield.
The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine has presented the Coordination Center for the Evacuation of At-Risk Museum Collections. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture Tetiana Berezhna announced the establishment of the institution at a briefing.
As reported by the online media outlet Ukrinform.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has evacuated approximately 750,000 museum items. Following the adoption of Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 229, this process is to be carried out more systematically. The document provides for the mandatory evacuation of cultural property from museums located within 50 kilometers of the frontline.
First Deputy Minister of Culture of Ukraine Ivan Verbytskyi noted that the procedure for evacuating museum collections had been updated in line with the recommendations of the European Commission. The process is currently governed by Government Resolution No. 229, adopted in February 2026, and Draft Law No. 14391, which the Verkhovna Rada approved at first reading.
The draft law establishes the mandatory evacuation of museum collections during martial law, allocates responsibility between museum owners and governing bodies, and introduces the concept of repositories. These specialized institutions are intended to store, among other things, evacuated collections. The document also separately seeks to regulate the temporary export of museum objects abroad for exhibition or restoration.
How the Coordination Center will operate
The Ministry of Culture analyzed the number of museums within the 50-kilometer zone from the frontline, the volume of museum objects, and the need for additional storage facilities. In addition, specialists audited 131 potential storage sites in ten regions.
The Coordination Center will advise museums and provide expert support at every stage of the evacuation process. Its staff will help resolve local issues, oversee the movement of cultural property, and coordinate cooperation among museums, local authorities, and the institutions that will receive the collections.
The center’s specialists will assess risks, involving conservators and other narrowly specialized experts when necessary. They will also check whether specific storage facilities are capable of receiving designated collections, determine the need for additional equipment, and coordinate preparations for storage. The evacuation of private collections does not fall within the center’s remit.
The center is beginning its work by prioritizing frontline areas, although consultations are available to all museums. Key principles include accountability, coordination with the Ministry of Culture, confidentiality, data security, flexibility, and feedback.
– Olha Salo, Director of the Coordination Center
Museum representatives can contact the Coordination Center via its hotline at +380770152755 or submit an online application. The institution’s work is supported by the Partnership for a Strong Ukraine program, funded by the governments of the United Kingdom, Estonia, Canada, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, and Sweden.