Announcing first grantees from SAFE Open call in july 2026
We are pleased to introduce the first grantees selected through the Ukrainian Museum’s SAFE open call in July 2026.
Why Do Mascarons Cry? is a heritage-preservation initiative founded by artist and active-duty servicemember Oleksandr Len, curator Anastasiia Kuzmenko, and veteran and conservator Danylo Gurin. The initiative brings together architects, researchers, artists, and local communities in Kyiv to explore how the preservation of historic and war-damaged buildings can become an active, community-based practice.
During its spring 2026 residency, participants studied pre-1917 historic sites including Yefremov Dacha, Bradtman Dacha, and Barban Estate, while taking part in educational programs, conservation workshops, and volunteer preservation efforts led by guest curators Dasha Korba, Polina Pyskurova and Tetiana Tadai. The program also initiated planning for the future restoration of damaged mosaics near the Hryhorii Skovoroda monument in Podil.
Participants of the art residency. Photo: Olesia Saienko
SAFE will support their post-residency exhibition at the National Art Museum of Ukraine, to be presented when the museum reopens following damage caused by Russian strikes in May.
Read the full interview in Ukrainian with Oleksandr Len and Danylo Gurin.
Q1. Since the full-scale invasion, your team, led by historian Leonid Marushchak, has saved hundreds of thousands of museum artifacts and works of art. Salvaging cultural objects in frontline territories often means working under extreme pressure and danger. Have you been able to adjust these operations in recent years compared to the early stages of the invasion?
Marta Bilas: It is thanks to the fact that since 2015 we have been actively engaged in researching territories of Ukraine and working with regional museums that we have built a large specialized network and maintained close contact across the field. Even before the full-scale invasion, we held a large-scale Zoom conference with museums in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, together with representatives of the Ministry of Culture and regional administrations. This gave us a clear understanding of the situation on the ground and, most important, of the materials and resources needed for the evacuation of collections.
From the first days of the full-scale invasion, we focused on the regions that are now active zones of conflict. This long-term groundwork allowed us to respond quickly and strategically.
Q2. Your NGO Museum Open for Renovation grew out of the initiative DE NE DE, which since 2015 has brought together artists, scholars, museum workers, and activists working in eastern Ukraine. In five years, your work expanded to nearly 200 regional museums. How are you maintaining these networks today, given widespread displacement among cultural professionals?
Marta Bilas: Our network has changed dramatically, but the key principle remains consistency and grounded, systematic work. This is what allows us to act effectively and stay focused on priority areas rather than becoming fragmented.
The main indicator shaping our response today is devastation and depopulation. Shelling and communication breakdowns have severe consequences in areas without civilian presence. At the same time, uncontrolled evacuations and spontaneous processes can be equally destructive.
Q3. Leonid has documented the collapse of Polovtsian stone statues near Izium in 2023 and the evacuation of Zhanna Kadyrova’s contemporary sculpture from Pokrovsk in 2024. What heritage sites or objects are you most concerned about today?
Marta Bilas: In our view, over the past three years it has become essential to draw clear conclusions at the national level and establish a defined algorithm of action for different emergency scenarios, with clearly assigned responsibilities.
Our concern also extends to collections stored in sacred buildings still managed by the Moscow Patriarchate, as well as to museum collections held in educational institutions — schools, universities, and others — that fall under different ministries and regulatory systems.
Q4. What are your priorities when collaborating with governmental and local authorities in situations where cultural heritage is at risk of erasure?
Marta Bilas: We are working to consolidate efforts across multiple levels of government and institutions in Ukraine. The goal is not only to rescue cultural objects from regions that may remain inaccessible or under threat, but also to ensure that no category of heritage is overlooked.
Even objects that may seem secondary — such as those in local museum rooms in schools, district institutions, or factory museums — are vital. Our position is clear: all cultural heritage, regardless of scale or status, is an essential source for understanding history and identity and must be protected, especially in times of war.