Mobile Station for Cultural Heritage Preservation in Odesa
A mobile station ARK 1 has been launched in Odesa, equipped with modern technology for cleaning, disinfecting, and restoring books and documents. This initiative was made possible through the financial support of the ALIPH Foundation and the efforts of the Ukrainian Library Association. The Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications reports this.
The first mobile station arrived in Ukraine in January 2025. Its compact size (6 × 2.3 meters) allows for quick deployment without special equipment, and it can operate on a generator in the absence of electricity.
From March to August, specialists processed over 350 documents, including approximately 200 books from the late 19th to early 20th centuries from university and research library collections, 30-35 newspaper volumes from the Oleksii Honchar Library of the Kherson region, and over 70 archival documents and manuscripts.
Odessa, with its unique cultural heritage and constant threats, now has a tool for rapid response to damage to library and archival collections. Practical training for librarians in preservation techniques is scheduled for October.
This initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the National Library of Ukraine named after Yaroslav the Wise, the National Library of the Czech Republic, and other organizations with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine.
The project is funded by the charitable foundation of the Komarek family and various international donors. The National Library of Ukraine named after Yaroslav the Wise acts as the coordinator in Ukraine, while the strategic partner is the Ukrainian Library Association.
