Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, cultural institutions around the world have become more aware of the long-standing attempts at erasure and appropriation of Ukrainian identity, as well as the need to better situate Ukrainian cultural heritage within the complex history of colonial dynamics in Eastern Europe. However a limited expertise on Ukrainian material culture outside of the country has historically hindered efforts to provide a more nuanced understanding.
As part of a growing trend of critical reflections on practice, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has engaged with a series of projects addressing the museum’s Ukrainian objects. It first started a collaboration with the curatorial team of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra to update and deepen its understanding of two pairs of silver altar gates, originally from the monastery and which are now held by the V&A’s Gilbert Collection. The gates are one of the most elaborate and important examples of their kind outside the setting of a Christian Orthodox building.
The museum welcomed a PhD researcher, Ada Wordsworth, through the V&A PhD Placement Scheme, who identified additional collection areas, including woodcuts from the 1920s – Meet the Boychukists: Ukrainian Modernism at the V&A • V&A Blog.
Developing from this work, the V&A is pleased to announce a conference, taking place on 15 September 2026, addressing Ukrainian heritage past and present through the lens of material culture. Considering both the work done up to now by institutions in the UK that care for Ukrainian heritage, and future directions, this symposium will highlight the ongoing efforts within the V&A and other UK institutions to improve the understanding and interpretation of Ukrainian collections.
We welcome all explorations of the above context. Topics discussed may include, but are not limited to:
- How do objects reflect the complex history of the Ukrainian nation, its shifting identities, and geographies across time?
- How have Ukrainian objects entered UK collections, whether through histories of acquisition, donation or looting?
- How are institutions today examining and reassessing the cataloguing of Ukrainian collections?
- How is the work being done by institutions made visible in public facing ways?
- How has the ongoing war impacted heritage and cultural institutions in Ukraine, and how have UK institutions responded?
We are looking for proposals for 20-minute papers from UK and International researchers across an inter-disciplinary spectrum. Papers should focus on activities conducted by or in partnership with UK institutions. In particular, as well as colleagues from the cultural sector we welcome proposals from those working in the fields of legal services, emergency planning, government, and heritage funding. Informal discussions in advance of submissions are welcome and can be sent to the email address below in the first instance.
Please send an abstract of no more than 250 words, along with a short biography of no more than 100 words, to: international@vam.ac.uk
Travel stipends may be available to support speakers from outside the United Kingdom, if they are unable to afford their own costs; for more information, please contact the symposium organisers also at the above email address.
The deadline for submitted abstracts is 12 December 2025; all applicants will be informed of the outcome by 17 January 2026.
I missed the deadline due to caregiving for my spouse. Is there a possibility I can submit late? This weekend?
It’s great to see such an important initiative focusing on Ukrainian cultural heritage, especially in the context of how these narratives intersect with UK institutions. The call for papers opens up a valuable platform for voices that might often go unheard. I wonder how the themes discussed will reflect on contemporary practices in preserving culture amidst conflict? It would also be fascinating if the contributors could highlight specific case studies or projects that demonstrate successful collaborations between Ukrainian and UK institutions. What kind of insights are you hoping to gather from their perspectives? geometry dash lite