On the Way to the National Digital Library of Ukraine: The Collaboration of Memory Institutions, the State, and NGOs in Preserving Cultural Heritage in Wartime

Abstract

Preserving and providing access to national documentary heritage is essential for safeguarding national memory and identity, particularly during wartime. Since the launch of its military aggression against Ukraine in 2014, which escalated into a full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia has severely damaged or destroyed numerous cultural heritage sites, placing many more at imminent risk. The article presents a model for the creation of the National Digital Library of Ukraine, analyzing how memory institutions, the Ukrainian government, and NGOs coordinate their efforts to preserve the country’s cultural heritage despite the ongoing war. It also examines the challenges and success of the project, emphasizing the resilience of cultural institutions and the transformative potential of digital technology in preserving national heritage under threat. The study has shown that the establishment of centralized, standardized digital workflows, secure distributed data, and interoperable metadata schemes is necessary to ensure the protection, accessibility, and secure integration of cultural assets into both national and international research infrastructures. Furthermore, the sustainable digitization and long-term preservation of Ukraine’s endangered documentary heritage require a cohesive and multi-stakeholder framework that involves memory institutions, government agencies, and NGOs.