On October 03-04, 2024, the event brought together more than 50 participants from 14 regions of Ukraine. The forum was attended by CSO leaders and specialists in the field of heritage management of Ukrainian communities, civic activists, cultural figures, opinion leaders and experts in the field of cultural and natural heritage management.  

The purpose and objectives of the Forum were to present the results of public participation projects on the protection and preservation of the cultural heritage of Ukraine, supported by the ARPI with funds from the NED Foundation in 2019-2024, to popularize successful models of public participation, to discuss the prospects of Ukrainian heritage communities as places of visit and cultural centers, and to bring together forum participants to deepen cooperation and exchange of experience.

The first day of the forum was held in Ivano-Frankivsk at the Promprylad Innovation Center. The forum was opened by a presentation of the ARPI project “Heritage Advocates: Support and Promotion of Local Youth Initiative Groups” and the activities of the Go Heritage CSO network to support communities with heritage. After that, 6 representatives of CSOs acquainted the participants with the results of their sub-granting initiatives - public participation projects aimed at involving residents of Ukrainian communities in activities to preserve and promote cultural heritage, supported by the ARPI at the expense of the NED Foundation in 2024:

·       “Secrets of the building on Fabrychna Street”, Rivne region. Implemented by the Center for Sustainable Initiatives. Thanks to the project, the Zdolbuniv Museum of Local Lore has arranged 3 new exhibitions dedicated to the history of the building and the volunteer movement. The project team also created a series of three podcasts telling about the history of the museum, the concept of its development and the involvement of young people in all stages of its formation.  The final event of the project was the opening of museum corridors and presentation of the initiative's results. This allowed not only to increase the interest of local residents in the history of the Zdolbuniv Museum building, but also to support and popularize the desire of young people to volunteer in cultural institutions.

•         Next stop - mosaic”, Chernihiv region. Implemented by the NGO “Union of Women of Menshchyna”. The project was aimed at raising awareness of the residents of the Menska territorial community about the belonging of mosaic bus stops to street monumental art and the need to preserve them. The project team searched for and systematized information about the mosaics at the community's bus stops, organized the collection of old photos to recreate sketches of the destroyed elements of such mosaics. As part of the initiative, a workshop on mastering mosaic masonry techniques and a pitching on the importance of street monumental art and the need to preserve it were held. As a result, the project managed to restore mosaic panels at 5 bus stops in the community's settlements, involving the local population, and popularize the restored mosaics through the production and distribution of promotional materials.

• ·       Board game “Delicious Chernihiv Region: Heritage for All”, Chernihiv region. Implemented by the Northern Cultural Capital NGO. The aim of the project was to increase the interest of young people in researching and popularizing the authentic culinary heritage of Chernihiv region. After transcribing 98 hours of audio materials from gastronomic expeditions, the project team prepared and published a unique board game that preserves and popularizes the culinary heritage of Chernihiv region. The interactive cards with audio recordings of recipes from heritage holders were popular not only with residents of the target communities but also with fans from all over the country. The game has also been translated into Braille and is currently being promoted both at events and on social media. The game is available for free download on Chernihiv's official tourist website.

• ·       “The heritage we are losing: we cannot forget, we must remember”, Dnipro region. Implemented by the NGO “Association Noosphere”. The project made its participants aware of the value and uniqueness of heritage sites from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions affected by the war and thus made them aware of the importance of popularizing such sites and the inadmissibility of forgetting them. To this end, the project created an artistic and informational exhibition telling about such sites and a promotional video. The final event of the project was the opening of the exhibition, during which not only the stands and the film were presented, but also a lecture on “Preservation and Protection of Cultural Heritage in Time of War” and a Q&A session were held. The publications about the project received wide coverage and a high rate of interaction from the audience, and the number of views of the video as of the beginning of October 2024 is more than 558 thousand.

• ·       “Discover Myrhorod”, Poltava region. The implementing organization is the Myrhorod City Youth Public Organization “The Future is Ours”. The project's objectives were to increase the level of interest of residents and tourists in tangible and intangible heritage sites, develop the cultural and tourist potential of the Myrhorod community, and strengthen cooperation between local governments, NGOs, businesses, and community members in the preservation and use of cultural heritage. As part of the project, new tourist routes were developed, which formed the basis for printed publications. The team organized a number of events (excursions, lectures) to familiarize participants with the community's heritage and its value. They also created promotional foams that popularize Myrhorodchyna and distributed them at project events and through collaborations with bloggers.

• ·     “Wonders of the Mokra Sura River Basin. Geology. History”, Dnipropetrovska oblast. The executor is the NGO “Rehabilitation Center ‘Zelenyi Hai’. Within the framework of the project, 4 information stands dedicated to the heritage sites of the Sursko-Lithuanian community were developed and installed: “Apollo Paleovolcano”, ‘Novomykolayivske Lake’, ‘Surske Rocks’, ‘Chuvylyn Yar’. A historical and geological “Sursky Marathon” was also organized and held for 38 participants. Such actions not only raised awareness of tourists about the value and uniqueness of the Sursko-Lithuanian community, but also motivated the people involved in the project to continue researching the archaeological and geological heritage in order to use the available heritage resources to increase the community's tourism potential.

The second fascinating part of the forum was the section “Pulse of Heritage - presentation of successful practices in cultural heritage preservation”. Participants had the opportunity to learn about 8 successful cases that reveal the role of the community and stakeholders in heritage preservation in different ways. Among the speakers:

• Yelyzaveta Yevseyeva, architect, co-founder of the NGO Novokakhovka Society for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, with a presentation “History Under Occupation Not Forgotten. “Stone Embroideries“ in Nova Kakhovka”.
• Mariia Ledovaska, head of the youth council at the Pavlohrad City Council, member of the NGO “Youth Communication Center ‘Positive Pavlohrad’, who spoke about the unique feature of Naddniprians chests - Mykolaiv painting.
• Maria Lutsak, director of the NGO “ACT. Good Ideas Unite”, made a presentation on the revival of the ancient traditions of the Ukrainian people - hayvky.
• Zinaida Bugaychuk, Honored Master of Folk Art of Ukraine, who presented the art of making motanka dolls and the successful history of popularizing this craft in the modern world.
• Fedir Chernov, project manager of the NGO Okhtyrka Youth Center, who spoke about two years of changes: from an individual initiative to the creation of cultural projects in Okhtyrka.
• Volodymyr Hrynishak, director of the Nadvirna Tourist Information Center, who shared the story of the craft intervention of the Krasnodvir Castle Club in preserving the culinary heritage of Prykarpattia.
• Vasyl Rozhko, director of the Lviv regional public organization “Tustan”, spoke about challenges, creativity, destination and cluster within the framework of his activities
• Svitlana Bulanova, co-founder and co-author of the Baba Yelka project, presented “The Baba Yelka Phenomenon or How a Visit to a Beautician Can End.”

Some of these stories were presented by the ARPI as examples of public participation that have led to concrete positive changes in the management of heritage resources in small communities in Ukraine. In total, 15 such stories have been collected, 11 have been published, and 4 more will be presented in October.

Inspired by the projects presented, the forum participants split into three groups for brainstorming as part of the Interaction Workshop. The question for the brainstorming session was: “What ignites the community and what leaves it indifferent?”. After a qualitative discussion, each group presented its findings and presented its own tools for effective community engagement.

The first day of the Forum of Cultural Heritage Ambassadors culminated in a panel discussion of civil society leaders, opinion leaders, cultural experts, and artists. “The Future of the Past: How Can Communities Breathe New Life into Cultural Heritage?” - this interesting but complex question was answered by Yelyzaveta Yevseyeva (co-founder of the Novokakhovka Society for the Protection of Cultural Heritage), Vasyl Rozhko (director of the Lviv Regional NGO Tustan), Maria Lutsak (head of the NGO DIYE. Good Ideas Unite"), Vitaliy Perederko (Head of the Tourism Department of Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administration), Victoria Yaremin (Head of the Kosiv Museum of Folk Art and Life of the Hutsul Region, author of the book ‘Authentic Dress and Fashion of the Kosiv Suburbs,’ author of the blog PROhutsuls), Roksolana Martyniuk (Head of the Department of Promotion, Relations and Economic Development of the Kosiv City Council), Volodymyr Hrynishak (public figure, volunteer, head of the Nadvirna Tourist Information Center), Ihor Havryliuk (founder of the Museum of Chivalry in Nadvirna),  Lina Romanukha (USAID/ENGAGE cultural and arts specialist), Ivan Shchurko (architect, member of the Lviv City Council, public figure, founder of the “Unknown Soldier”), and Nana Buhaychuk (honored master of folk art). “), Ivan Shchurko (architect, deputy of the Lviv Regional Council, public figure, co-founder of the Unknown Soldier), Zinaida Buhaichuk (Honored Master of Folk Art of Ukraine), Kostyantyn Hrubych (1+1 TV journalist, TV presenter, author of the national TV project “Quality Mark”, collector of traditional recipes), and Svitlana Bulanova (co-author and co-founder of the Baba Yelka project).

The second day of the forum included a real-life introduction to the practices of using the potential of cultural heritage in the Novorozdilska community of Lviv Oblast. In the village of Rozdil, the forum participants got acquainted with the “Old School” from the inside and learned about the way it was transformed from an abandoned building to a unique space in the community. The founder of the Heritage.UA Charitable Foundation spoke not only about this case, but also about other initiatives in the presentation “Heritage.UA: NED and UPD Results. New Challenges and Opportunities in 2024”. The tour of Rozdil and the transition to the Palace continued to inspire the Forum visitors. Participants were able to learn from the experience of working with large “solid” projects based on the presentation of the Rozdil Palace case.

The Second National Forum of Ambassadors of Ukraine's Cultural Heritage has become a platform for networking, presenting existing initiatives and launching new ones. Established connections can subsequently result in new projects in the field of preservation and popularization of local heritage to effectively engage local residents in building heritage democracy at the local level.

 The forum was held within the framework of the project “Promoting Youth Civic Participation in Decentralized Communities” with co-funding from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).