On January 30, 2024, Yuri Yanchyshyn, Fulbright Specialist and Scholar, gave a Ukrainian language presentation on The Structure and Properties of Wood to the members and guests of the Conservation Section of The International Council Museums - Ukraine. This presentation introduced listeners to microscopic wood identification and the effects of moisture on wood.
Read MoreRed Arch Cultural Heritage Law & Policy Research today announced the contribution of a high-tech laser scanner, software, and workstation to the department of Architecture and Conservation, Lviv Polytechnic National University, Ukraine. This milestone enables Red Arch, a US-based 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit to assist Ukrainian scholars in the documentation of wooden religious architecture under threat by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The project is made possible by funding from the Knights of Columbus.
Read MoreAs part of Colgate University’s Art and Art History lecture series, Yuri Yanchyshyn gave a presentation on the legacy and life of Ukrainian cultural artifacts, with special attention given to their continued significance in light of the war against Russia. The talk was co-sponsored by the Center for Freedom and Western Civilization Forum on Cultural Heritage.
Read MoreAs Russian missiles fall, a Michigan native is racing against time to save priceless pieces of Ukrainian culture. It's called "Red-Listing," when people assemble items in museums and churches that need to be preserved.
Read MoreOn July 7, 2022, the Ukrainian American Archives and Museum and the Detroit Branch of the Shevechenko Scientific Society presented a talk by Yuri Yanchyshyn on “Ukrainian Culture at Risk - Again, A Conservator’s Perspective.” This presentation addressed the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and is prefaced with an overview of the destruction of 20c Ukrainian culture, highlighting the iconostasis in the 1930’s, the Jewish synagogues during WWII, and the primarily Polish Roman Catholic polychrome sculptures after WWII. Images not widely known were shown, such as from the Taranushenko archives, currently in the Vernadsky Library in Kyiv.
https://www.ukrainianmuseumdetroit.org
Read MoreOn Thursday, February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, began a war against Ukraine. As a conservator and Fulbright Specialist and Fellow in Ukraine for the last number of years, I have received many inquiries and expressions of sympathy for the conservators I have met there. However, since this war creates a significant risk to Ukraine's cultural heritage, still largely unknown in the West, and to the conservators and other arts professionals who care for it, I wanted to provide a brief introduction to the historical context of the multi-ethnic culture of Ukraine, the current state of conservation in the country, and to suggest possibilities for assisting with the ever-increasing humanitarian crisis.
Read MoreWe invite cultural heritage conservators to join their Ukrainian colleagues as they address the ongoing destruction of Ukraine’s cultural heritage. Blue Sky – The Ukrainian Conservation Forum is a closed group on the Telegram messaging platform.
Read MoreThe Ukrainian Iconostasis: History, Construction, and Preservation. This Zoom session was presented on September 30, 2021, and hosted by the UK ICOMOS Committee. This presentation briefly sketches the stylistic history of this sacral architectural form, its construction features, as well as examples of Soviet-era conservation treatments. The presenter was Svitlana Olianina Dr. habil, and was organized by Yuri Yanchyshyn of Period Furniture Conservation LLC. Аrt historian and conservator Svitlana Olianina Dr. habil. is the Head of the Department of Graphic Arts of the National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute '' in Kyiv. Her focus is the historical design aspect of Ukrainian iconostasis. She obtained her Ph.D. from the Conservation Department of The National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture in Kyiv in 2005. She previously interned at the Department of Fine Arts at the University of Granada in Spain in 1996–1997. She was the Head of the Institute for Cultural Research at the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine in Kyiv in 2008–2016 and achieved Dr. habil. status in 2020 from the Lviv National Academy of Arts. Over the years, she has published more than 50 articles on various aspects of iconostasis and its history, including her 2019 book -Ukrainian Iconostasis: symbolism and iconology (in Ukrainian).
Read MoreFor 75 years, the Fulbright Program has given hundreds of thousands of passionate and accomplished students, scholars, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds and fields the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to complex global challenges. To mark the celebration of this momentous occasion, program alumni shared their vision and their Fulbright experiences with us.
Read MoreThis article was prepared for the "XI International Scholarly Conference 'Sophia Readings,’" Kyiv, Ukraine, September 30, 2021.
Read MoreIn the summer of 2019, a two-week educational workshop was conducted in Lviv, Ukraine, under the auspices of the Lviv Polytechnic National University, as a fundamental component of an expanding architectural conservation program. The goal of the workshop was to introduce 15 participants to the contemporary theory, methods, and practice of conservation assessment as it relates to wooden architecture.
Read More…My Fulbright involvement with Ukraine began in 2016 when I was awarded Fulbright Specialist status, so returning to Ukraine, even on other occasions, has already started to feel in some ways like coming home
Read MoreWooden Churches in Ukraine - A conservation Assessment Workshop (in Ukrainian), June 27, 2019
Read MoreIn 2016 Yuri Yanchyshyn was awarded Fulbright Specialist Status, and in the spring of 2018, under the auspices of the Fulbright Program, spent six weeks teaching in Lviv, Ukraine. The following introduction, images, and personal impressions describe his experiences.
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