A photo exhibition in Bergamo recounts Ukraine's historical, cultural and natural heritage

A photo exhibition dedicated to Ukraine opens to the public from March 19 to 28 at the Antonio Tiraboschi Civic Library in Bergamo, an initiative of Wikimedia Italy in collaboration with Wikimedia Ukraine. The project was created with the intent to tell the story of the country’s historical, cultural and natural heritage through a selection of images from the main photo competitions promoted by the Wikimedia network.

The photographs on display derive from years of participatory collection and documentation: Wiki Loves Monuments, which produced more than 447,450 images in fourteen years; Wiki Loves Earth with 132,773 images in twelve years; and Wiki Loves Folklore, which collected 3,389 submissions in three years. The material constitutes a vast visual record that spans monuments, landscapes, and traditions, rendering an articulate picture of Ukrainian identity. The exhibition unfolds as a narrative in images that relates places and communities, with a focus on cultural persistence in a context marked by conflict. The war has deeply affected the country’s heritage. More than 2,000 cultural properties, including historic buildings, museums, collections, churches, theaters and statues, have been destroyed or damaged since the beginning of hostilities. Natural heritage has also been significantly affected: about 30 percent of protected areas have been affected by military operations or occupations.

Among the affected sites were the Ivankiv Historical and Territorial Museum, the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa, the Kakhovka Dam, and the Askania-Nova Nature Reserve, all of which are considered of significant historical and environmental value. In this context, photography takes on a documentary and conservative function, useful in keeping the memory of compromised or disappeared places and works accessible. The initiative, carried out under the patronage of the Consulate General of Ukraine, proposes a reflection on the role of free images in the construction of shared archives and the dissemination of knowledge. The selected photographs, produced by volunteers, offer a widespread and participatory perspective, capable of returning a complex representation of the Ukrainian territory.

“It is an honor for us to collaborate with such an active and resilient community, which despite the various difficulties it has faced continues to produce quality content and strive for free knowledge,” said Ferdinando Traversa, President of Wikimedia Italy. “With this exhibition we spread the testimony of Wikimedia Ukraine’s work, as we did in the recent editathon on the Shot Renaissance, which saw the involvement of students in improving Wikipedia entries on this page of the country’s history. Now we are taking a further step in this direction by sharing free photographs that tell as much about the beauty as the tragedies of a land tested by the war years. We want to thank the Ukrainian community once again for giving us the opportunity to pursue a collaboration that demonstrates how Wikimedia’s values spread across national borders and beyond obstacles.”

“During this unstable period marked by war, we take every opportunity to talk about Ukraine and the work we do,” added Ilya Korniyko, Chairman of the Board of the NGO Wikimedia Ukraine. “It is important for us to be heard within the global community, especially through the projects we carry out. The upcoming exhibition is a new and valuable opportunity to make our voice heard in the right way. It tells our story, illustrates the beauty of our country and, most importantly, restores the impact that the war had on Ukraine’s cultural and natural heritage, as made evident in the photographs from the Wiki Loves Monuments, Wiki Loves Earth and Wiki Loves Folklore competitions. This initiative is a sign of how the Wikimedia Ukraine community continues to live and work despite the challenges of war. We are grateful to Wikimedia Italy for this idea, for their willingness and for making this possible. We hope that the collaboration will be successful and help make our voice heard within the Italian community as well.”

A photo exhibition in Bergamo recounts Ukraine's historical, cultural and natural heritage

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.