Monday
24 AugVIRTUAL PANEL: PREPARING MUSEUMS FOR A CRISIS: LESSONS FROM UKRAINE
Presented in conjunction with the We Know Who They Are… Artworks and Narratives from the Invasion of Ukraine exhibition, The Peale museum will host an international virtual panel of museum professionals and cultural-heritage experts focusing on how museums can protect collections, historic sites, institutional knowledge, and cultural identity during war and other major crises.
Thursday, September 17, 2026 | Online
Time: 12pm ET [U.S. East Coast time] – 19.00 EET [Ukraine time] – 18.00 CET [Netherlands time]
Length: 90 minutes
Admission: Free
More information and to register for the event:
Drawing directly on Ukraine’s experience during Russia’s invasion and occupation, the discussion will examine both the destruction of Ukrainian cultural heritage and the measures taken by Ukrainian institutions and their international partners to protect it. Museums and cultural institutions become valuable targets within the setting of a large-scale war, and control of the narrative plays an important role for both sides. “When Russians enter a Ukrainian city, they first look for the military; then they search for the museum directors,” said Milena Chorna.
The program will consider what museums and cultural institutions around the world can learn from Ukraine’s response, when developing their own emergency-preparedness strategies to prepare for, and respond to, possible future crises.
Panelists include Milena Chorna, Co-founder and Head of the Association of Ukrainian Museums; Kateryna Chuyeva, Museum Expert and Board Member of the Ukrainian Association of Archaeologists, former Vice-Minister of Culture of Ukraine; Kateryna Kulai, Director of the Odesa National Fine Arts Museum; Ihor Poshyvailo, PhD, Director General of the Maidan Museum and Co-founder of HERI and ACURE; and Arnoud Odding, Strategic Advisor to the Dutch museum and cultural-heritage sector. The discussion will be moderated by retired U.S. Foreign Service Officer Glen Davis, whose final tour was as Director of the Cultural Heritage Center in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The Virtual Program: Preparing Museums for a Crisis: Lessons from Ukraine is presented through a partnership between The Peale and the Baltimore Sister Citiesorganization. The Peale is Baltimore’s Community Museum, dedicated to empowering local voices and preserving the city’s stories. Baltimore Sister Cities (BSC) is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization that promotes mutual economic development, educational, cultural, health/environmental, and other cooperation and exchanges between Baltimore, Maryland USA and its international Sister Cities.
This event is presented in conjunction with We Know Who They Are (WKWTA), a comprehensive exhibition featuring the artworks of 21 Ukrainian artists and wartime artifacts. The traveling exhibition is at The Peale in Baltimore, July 31–October 2, 2026. This collection stands as both a testament to the strength of the Ukrainian spirit and a call for justice. It captures the raw emotions and lived experiences of those who have endured the conflict, offering a poignant reminder of the human cost of war.
Press Contact: Andie Townsend tel: +1 (302) 387-3400 programs@thepeale.
