In March 2026, scientists from the Institute of Folklore Studies of the NAS of Ukraine launched the project "The Cultural and Artistic Nationwide Phenomenon of the Museum Collection of the Shevchenko Scientific Society at the Museum of Ethnography and Artistic Industry of the Institute of Folklore Studies of the NAS of Ukraine: Concepts and Practices of Social Representation" (project leader – leading researcher of the Department of Historical Ethnology, Doctor of Historical Sciences Olena Fedorchuk) within the framework of grant support under the competition "Advanced Science in Ukraine 2026–2028" from the National Research Foundation of Ukraine.
The project is dedicated to a comprehensive scientific study of the ethnographic collection of the Museum of the Shevchenko Scientific Society, founded in 1892. Currently, the ethnographic collection is preserved in the funds of the Museum of Ethnography and Artistic Industry of the Institute of Folklore Studies of the NAS of Ukraine. The ethnographic artifacts represent a wide range of traditional culture from various regions of Ukraine.
Exhibition "Museum of the Shevchenko Scientific Society: Through the Ravages of Three Wars" (2023). Photo from the archive of the Institute of Folklore Studies of the NAS of Ukraine
Exposition of the Museum of the Shevchenko Scientific Society in peacetime and after the bombing in 1944, photos supplemented by artifacts that have survived to our time with damages (a ceramic plaque from the early 20th century depicting Taras Shevchenko by Mykhailo Parashchuk and two wooden table crosses). Photo from the archive of the Institute of Folklore Studies of the NAS of Ukraine
Wooden carved and richly decorated works from the 1880s by the famous Hutsul master Yuriy Shkriblyak, ceramic items from the late 19th – early 20th centuries, as well as traditional women's jewelry and wedding headdresses, an oval ceramic plaque with a bust image of Taras Shevchenko by Mykhailo Havrylyk, made to order for the Shevchenko Scientific Society. Photo from the archive of the Institute of Folklore Studies of the NAS of Ukraine
Within the project, it is planned to prepare a collective monograph with the working title "Ethnographic Collection of the Shevchenko Scientific Society: Key Aspects of Modern Representation" and create a digital web catalog "500 Iconic Artifacts from the Shevchenko Scientific Society Collection." Among the key tasks are the reconstruction of the conceptual foundations of the collection's formation, verification and attribution of artifacts, and their systematization by functional purpose. The project's goal is not only the scientific understanding of the unique heritage of the Shevchenko Scientific Society but also its modern public representation through digital tools.
On March 3, 2026, the first working seminar of the project executors took place, attended by leading researcher of the Department of Historical Ethnology, Doctor of Historical Sciences Olena Fedorchuk, Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the Institute, Candidate of Art Studies Andriy Klimashevskyi, senior researcher of the Museum of Ethnography and Artistic Industry, Candidate of Historical Sciences Vitaliy Kushnir, head of the Department of Art Studies, Candidate of Art Studies Sofiya Korol, senior researcher of the same department, Candidate of Art Studies Oksana Heriy, senior researcher of the Department of Contemporary Ethnology, Candidate of Historical Sciences Anastasiya-Domna Kryvenko, postgraduate student of the Institute Ihor Perevertnyuk, chief keeper of the funds of the Museum of Ethnography and Artistic Industry Roksolana Bratash, head of the funds sector of the Museum of Ethnography and Artistic Industry Valentyna Teslyuk, and IT specialist Oleksa Pidzharyi. The participants discussed the principles of working with materials and creating a joint digital platform for digitized artifacts.
From left to right: Andriy Klimashevskyi, Vitaliy Kushnir, Ihor Perevertnyuk, Oksana Heriy, Olena Fedorchuk, Roksolana Bratash, Valentyna Teslyuk, Anastasiya-Domna Kryvenko
Project leader, Doctor of Historical Sciences Olena Fedorchuk, emphasized the large volume of declared tasks and the responsibility of the team, as winning the competition confirms the relevance of the topic, the societal need for the results of this research, and significant support for Ukrainian science.
Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the Institute, Candidate of Art Studies Andriy Klimashevskyi, stressed that the research gains particular importance in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war, as it contributes to the preservation, actualization, and public representation of national heritage as a tool of cultural resistance.
The seminar initiated a coordinated productive collaboration among scientists, museum workers, and an IT specialist, laying the foundation for the quality implementation of all set tasks and strengthening the role of museums as spaces for preserving and actualizing national memory.
According to the information from the Institute of Folklore Studies of the NAS of Ukraine