Undersecretary of State Henryka Mościcka-Dendys participates in opening of conference “Filling Blind Spots 2.0: New Narratives and the Role of Museums in the Reconstruction of Ukraine” in Warsaw
05.11.2024
The main topic of the conference, held in Warsaw on 4–5 November and attended by representatives of over 100 museums across Ukraine along with partner institutions from Poland, Germany and other countries, was the need for new narratives and decolonisation, addressing changing societal expectations and demands, as well as the development of ways in which Ukrainian cultural institutions can be supported in the light of Russian aggression.
In her speech, Undersecretary of State Henryka Mościcka-Dendys emphasised the importance of such gatherings to exchange experiences and develop specific strategies to support Ukrainian cultural institutions that are being targeted by a policy of systemic destruction on the part of the Russian aggressor. She underlined that valuable collections are being destroyed, removed, or used for propaganda purposes, while buildings are being shelled and plundered by the Russian troops.
This was the third such conference organised by the OBMIN foundation – a platform that currently unites 143 Ukrainian national, regional and local museums, as well as those evacuated from areas currently under Russian occupation. The meeting was held under the auspices of the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk; the Marshal of the Senate of the Republic of Poland, Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska; and the President of the German Bundesrat, Anke Rehlinger. One of the partners supporting the organisation of the conference was the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.
Photo: www.obmin.eu
