Director General of the Swedish Maritime and Transport Museums, Lars Amréus, and Scientific Director of the Vasa Museum in Stockholm, Fred Hawker, visited Zaporizhzhia and the island of Khortytsia to study Ukrainian ancient ships preserved there and to create their three-dimensional models.
World researches of underwater cultural heritage from Sweden worked with a Cossack boat, a Dnipro dubel-boat, a brigantine, and a 19th-century baidak.
As noted by the Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, Oleksandr Tkachenko, the exceptional importance of the experience of Swedish colleagues and their involvement in preserving Ukrainian cultural heritage requires no further explanations. At the same time, Ukrainian experience in preserving and evacuating valuables and cultural heritage is also extremely valuable for colleagues from Sweden.
According to the Minister, Swedish scientists expressed interest in how Ukraine prioritizes and transports values, and interacts with local authorities and law enforcement officers during the war.
“We have agreed to further deepen our cooperation and exchange experiences – cooperation between our museums, an expertise of Swedish colleagues in rethinking some of our museums after the victory, and assistance in preserving cultural values. National heritage is an integral part of our national security. This is our history, and therefore our future. So, its preservation and innovative approaches to it are our priority,” emphasized Oleksandr Tkachenko.
