International Response from Museums to Ukraine Crisis
On February 24, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) underscored the essential role that culture and museums play in fostering lasting peace between nations amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A second official statement followed in March, and by May ICOM issued an international appeal inviting museums and cultural centers to contribute through donations and practical actions aimed at preserving Ukrainian heritage and supporting museum professionals on the ground.
The Alicante Museum of Contemporary Art (MACA) and Elche’s municipal museums quickly joined the effort, contributing a range of materials to safeguard Ukraine’s museum collections. In coordination with the ICOM Ukrainian National Committee, specialists highlighted the types of support urgently needed before and during the bombings, including large wooden transport boxes, fire extinguishers and blankets, moisture meters, electrical generators, and packaging and protection materials.
MACA announced seven large wooden boxes intended for the storage and transport of artifacts donated from the Jenkins-Romero Collection, a loan originally from New York to Alicante. These containers are designed to keep works safe as they move between institutions during the ongoing emergency.
Rosa Maria Castells, the curator at the Alicante center, reflected on the prioritization of lives over heritage yet emphasized that preserving cultural assets remains a critical mission. She noted that repurposing used boxes from the Jenkins-Romero Collection was a practical, sustainable choice that aligned with the urgent needs at hand.
To facilitate transport to the material collection point in Madrid, MACA used a transport truck that had delivered artifacts from the Bruno Munari exhibition. The team leveraged the opportunity to collect boxes on the return trip, avoiding unnecessary empty mileage.
The Elche Culture Department, led by Margaret Anton, collaborated with the treasury and municipal museums staff to contribute supplies for protection and preservation. They also assembled a comprehensive “first aid” package for transport, evacuation, and containment, including cardboard boxes, tissue rolls, plastic sheeting, kraft paper, and adhesive gasket rolls. These materials have been sent to Granada for onward transfer to Madrid.
Elche’s cultural community photos captured a moment of solidarity, showing Marga Antón in the truck alongside the donated materials. The scene underscored a broad regional commitment to supporting Ukraine’s cultural institutions during the crisis.
Several major museums publicly demonstrated their support for Ukraine, including the Guggenheim Bilbao, Spain’s Cultural Heritage group, Cantabria Museum of Archaeology and Prehistory, and the Foundation for the Center for Andalusian Studies. Plans were announced for the transport of the collected materials from Madrid and Barcelona to the Polish border in the coming days, ensuring rapid delivery to locations coordinating relief efforts across Europe.
ICOM’s ongoing mobilization to preserve Ukrainian cultural heritage aligns with the organization’s long-standing practice of supporting conflict-affected regions. Beyond emergency relief, ICOM has developed tools such as Red Lists of Endangered Cultural Property to counter illicit trafficking in conflict zones. Historical examples include Afghanistan, Iraq, Mali, and Yemen. In addition, capacity-building initiatives for Sahelian museums continue, coordinated with ICOM Burkina Faso and ICOM Mali within the framework of partnerships with the International Alliance for the Preservation of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH).
These coordinated efforts illustrate how museums in North America and Europe are responding to international crises by safeguarding cultural legacies while assisting professionals who work under challenging conditions. The collective actions reflect a shared belief that culture serves as a bridge for peace and a durable archive of a society’s memory, even in times of upheaval.