Ukrainian archivists work tirelessly to digitize historical treasures amid war
- A team of women archivists in Kyiv is working to digitize a vast collection of historical photographs to protect them from potential destruction amid the conflict.
- The project started during the pandemic and focuses on making previously uncataloged materials accessible online.
- The archivists are driven by a sense of duty and emotional connection to their cultural heritage, reflecting the poignant history of Ukraine.
In Ukraine, a small team of archivists, led by Oleksandra Buzko, is on a mission to digitize the country's historical photographs due to fears of potential destruction from ongoing military actions. This effort, named the Digital Memory Storage, arose during the pandemic as a means to make the physical collections of the Institute of Archaeology at Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences accessible online. Buzko and her colleague, Volodymyr Mysak, recognized the urgency of the task, especially considering the precarious situation with missile strikes in the region. The team works diligently, scanning thousands of visuals, which embody significant cultural heritage, including personal archives of Ukrainian archaeologists that had never been digitalized before. Many of these images depict the daily lives of Ukrainians, showcasing their unique traditions, compositions of rural life, and details of expansive archaeological digs. These visual records encapsulate the essence of Ukrainian life, particularly poignant given the historical context of their nation enduring a war for sovereignty and identity. Despite the challenges posed by frequent air raids and power outages in Kyiv, Buzko and her team persist in their duties, motivated by a sense of responsibility to protect and preserve their cultural heritage. Buzko describes the emotional connection she feels when reviewing the photographs of her ancestors, emphasizing the importance of remembering those who helped lay the foundations of modern Ukrainian society. Their work is supported by a few sponsors and a small budget. Even after Mysak was drafted into the military, he continues to provide guidance and support to the team, signifying a strong communal effort toward preserving national identity. By putting these archives online, Buzko hopes to ensure that future generations will have access to these valuable remnants of history while also documenting their existence for the international community to see.